Post by zodiakgsps on Jun 27, 2009 11:19:33 GMT -4
With the high temps kicking in, thought I would post up this reminder to be careful running your dogs. In high temps, I only run in the early AM and late eve when the temps drop, always carry water & try to run by water (ponds, etc)
And remember, NEVER leave your dog in a vehicle even for a short time in high temps!!!!
Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs
Nate Baxter DVM
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 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 physiology
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 mean 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, ie 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. 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 crates 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 where 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 emergiencies. It is very effective at
Cooling due to the rapid evaporation. It should 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 use 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 to get 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 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 Nashville at the end of May, only 5 hours away,
but the difference in temp and humidity did effect the dogs as they
were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different things in
training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. Another
very important point=> Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put
in put in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not 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 monthold pup.
After doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree
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 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 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 retianed 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 s 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
Lebanon, OH
blacklab@iac. net
And remember, NEVER leave your dog in a vehicle even for a short time in high temps!!!!
Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs
Nate Baxter DVM
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 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 physiology
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 mean 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, ie 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. 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 crates 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 where 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 emergiencies. It is very effective at
Cooling due to the rapid evaporation. It should 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 use 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 to get 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 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 Nashville at the end of May, only 5 hours away,
but the difference in temp and humidity did effect the dogs as they
were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different things in
training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. Another
very important point=> Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put
in put in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not 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 monthold pup.
After doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree
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 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 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 retianed 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 s 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
Lebanon, OH
blacklab@iac. net