The Dangers of Working Dogs in the Heat & Treatment for Heat Stroke
The first
thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different
enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know
what the appropriate procedures for people are, other than what I learned in
first aid.
Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference, but
if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiological changes will make
them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need
intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it.
Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient means of cooling.
However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so cooling
does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will use
ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog,
so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. When you immerse a
dog in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the
dog, and act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops. If
you can run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the
best. Misting the dog with water will only help if you are in a dry
environment or in front of a fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point,
you want the water to be cool itself, or to evaporate.
For MOST situations all you will need to do is get the dog in a cooler
environment, i.e. shade, or in the cab of the truck with the air
conditioning on (driving around so the truck does not overheat and the AC is
more efficient). Up to a couple of years ago, I was very concerned about my
dogs getting too hot in the back of my black pickup with a black cap. A new
white truck fixed a
lot of that problem. When I had one dog I just pulled the wire crate out of
the car and put it in some shade and hopefully a breeze. But having 2 dogs
and running from one stake to another, that was not feasible. So I built a
platform to put the wire crate "ö s on, this raises the dog up in the truck
box where the air flow is better. Then I placed a 3 speed box fan in front
blowing on the dogs with a foot of space to allow better airflow. I
purchased a power inverter that connects to the battery and allows the 3
speed fan to run from the truck power. It has an automatic feature that
prevents it from draining the battery. When I turned that fan on medium I
would find that the dogs were asleep, breathing slowly and appeared very
relaxed and comfortable in a matter of 20 minutes or less, even on very hot
muggy days.
Alcohol: I do carry it for emergencies. It is very effective at cooling due
to the rapid evaporation. It should only be used when other methods are not
working. You should be on your way to the veterinarian before you get to
this point. We recommend using rubbing alcohol, which is propylene alcohol,
not ethyl, for those of you not aware. So do not try to drink it. Alcohol
should be used on the pads and lower feet area where there is little more
than skin and blood vessels over the bones. Use a little bit and let it
evaporate, you can use too much as some is absorbed through the skin. There
are concerns about toxicity, but you have to get the temperature down.
I purchased those cooling pads that you soak in cold water, but found that
the dogs would not lay on them. I would hold them on the back of a dog that
just worked to get a quick cool, but have not used them for years. I also
bought a pair of battery-operated fans but found them pretty useless. Spend
your money on the power inverter and get a real fan.
Watching temperature: If you feel your dog is in danger of heat injury,
check its temp and write it down. Keep checking the temp every 3 minutes. I
recommend getting a "rectal glass thermometer. The digital ones for the drug
store I have found to be very unreliable, Don't forget to shake it down
completely each time, sounds silly, but when are worried about your
companion, things tend to get mixed up. This is VERY IMPORTANT**once "ö the
temp STARTS to drop,
STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS. The cooling process will continue even though you
have stopped. If the temp starts at 106.5, and then next time it drops to
105.5, stop cooling the dog, dry it off, and continue monitoring. You will
be amazed how it continues to go down. If you do not stop until the temp is
102, the temp will drop way too low. I cannot emphasis this point enough.
When the dog is so heated that it is panting severely, only let it have a
few laps of water. Water in the stomach does not cool the dog, you just need
to keep the mouth wet so the panting is more effective. Do not worry about
hydration until the temp has started down. A dog panting heavily taking in
large amounts of water is a risk of bloat. Due to the heavy panting they
will swallow air, mixed with a large amount of water they can bloat. Once
the temp is going down and panting has slowed to more normal panting then
allow water. The dog will rehydrate it self after temp is normal. If the dog
has a serious problem and even though you have gotten the temp normal, get
the dog to a vet, as it can still need IV fluids and some medication. Also,
a case of heat stroke can induce a case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (not
parvo), with a ton of very bloody diarrhea and a lot of fluid and
electrolyte loss. These cases need aggressive treatment.
The best method of treatment is prevention. Learn to watch your dog, and see
the changes in the size of the tongue, and how quickly it goes down. Learn
your dogs’ response to the different environments, and be careful when you
head south for an early season hunt test or trial. I have been to
Another very important point: Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put
in put in a box/tight crate. Remember, evaporation cannot take place in a
tight space, and the box will turn into a sauna and you will cook your dog.
Carry a stake out chain, and let the dog cool and dry before putting it up.
I demonstrated this lesson this spring with my 10-month old pup. After doing
a
15-minute session in yard drill on a warm 70°+ day, she was panting pretty
hard and was pretty hot. She was OK but it was time to stop. Just for the
heck of it I took her temp. She was 103.6, above normal but not too bad for
a dog that had just finished working. In my back yard I have a 300-gallon
Rubbermaid tub filled with water. I took her to it and she jumped in and out
3-4 times. She appeared totally improved, tongue was much smaller, and eyes
brighter and her full spring was back into her step. So I re-took her temp
and it was 104.2, so even though she looked better she was actually hotter.
This is a perfect lesson to show not get a hot dog wet and then put them in
a box. The water on her skin caused the blood vessels to constrict,
decreasing blood flow to the skin. Therefore the hot blood was shunted back
to the dog's core and retained the heat. You may have felt the same thing,
after exercising but still being very warm, take a shower and get cooled off
but as soon as you turn the shower off you start sweating again.
I know this is a bit long, but hopefully this is easy to understand and
helps provide some useful information. Remember: Prevention, learn your dog.
It is worth the time and effort.
_________________
Nate Baxter, DVM
