Cooling an overheated dog - advice?

I carry alcohol in my vehicle and water, of course.  I was told by a vet to keep cooling an overheated dog for thirty minutes, at least, and to continue taking the temp until it's close to normal, 101-102 F.  If a dog is swaying or wobbly or collapses I would recommend a fast trip to the vet with cooling along the way.

Many times people don't notice the dog's distress because they are looking forward and not actually looking much at the dog.  Some dogs will let their owner know they are too hot by balking or trying to get to shade but many will happily run themselves to death.  I saw quite a few dogs overheat at hunting tests and many handlers didn't realize their dogs were in trouble until a judge or a birdboy pointed it out to them.  It's easy to get caught up in an activity and not notice that the dog needs to cool off. 

This is a good time of year for this reminder, Karen.

Tink pants most of the time - it's a pug thing, so we have to be SUPER careful.  Their tongues DO actually swell and get 'longer' when overheated.  We tend to just pull her out before we see signs -- just because bracheocephalic dogs are so prone to over-heating.

calliecritturs

tongues DO actually swell and get 'longer' when overheated

I didn't know that!  I've always noticed that after a hard run when it's warmer the tongues actually look to hang lower while they pant.  I guess now I know why.  Mine always run for the shade when they're hot or tired outdoors.  Keeping them wet certainly helps and having ice water is always good to have on hand.

I really feel for all the poor pups in the warmer climates...I don't know how they deal with the extreme heat.

 An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure....

Tink, Bugsy, Jewel, Bean.... Think of what they have in common, LOL! Next to no hair! 

Shaving dogs for the summer is *the* most counterproductive thing you can do for them, especially if they have a fabulous, insulated, double coat. It puts them at a FAR higher risk for sunburn, heatstroke, and skin irritation from summer ookies. 

jennie_c_d

Shaving dogs for the summer is *the* most counterproductive thing you can do for them

 I do end up shaving a lot of dogs for summer, but I always advise against it. It might be that your definition of shaved and mine are different, too:) A well kept coat is far better for keeping a dog's body temperature regulated than being naked or smoothie coated.

jennie_c_d

It might be that your definition of shaved and mine are different

 LOL, Yup! That's shaved! I usually don't do a #10 on the whole dog, unless it's matted. I'll do a #7 or #5 on Cockers.

Johnny&Tessy

I really feel for all the poor pups in the warmer climates...I don't know how they deal with the extreme heat.

Stay inside during the hottest parts of the day.  Lots and lots of fresh water; and plenty of ice!   Early mornings and evenings are about the only time its tolerable during the heat of summer...of which we are feeling right now.  Just gross.  When we are outside in the evening, I'll keep a bowl of ice out...Bruder will just lay down with the bowl between his forearms and enjoy.  Sometimes...I'll freeze water bottles (without the lid) and offer those outside.  They will play with those for a while...but get bored fairly quickly.

JackieG

I carry alcohol in my vehicle and water, of course. 

 For anyone wondering, alcohol's evaporative property helps to pull some of the heat energy off the dog.

JackieG

Some dogs will let their owner know they are too hot by balking or trying to get to shade but many will happily run themselves to death. 

As Jackie mentioned - 101-102 Farenheit is normal dog temp.  At 105 degrees, a dog loses its ability to regulate its body temperature.  At 108 degrees, you run the risk of brain damage.  Yes, brain damage from overheating... plus kidney, liver, and heart damage that cannot be undone.

I learned this after a 15-20 min walk with a Dobe on a partly cloudy 72 degree day.  The shelter director recognized he was more than just tired - she took his temperature and it was 106.

Signs of heatstroke: 

• Panting, hyperventilating, excessive salivation, weak pulse or slow capillary refill response (when pressing your finger to your dogs gums and it takes more than a second or two for the pink color to bounce back - usually the gums get grey/pale after the heatstroke has progressed beyond the bright red tongue/pink gums in the early stages.) 
• At it gets worse, the symptoms get worse - stumbling, weakness, confusion, extremely slowed breathing, they might lose bladder/bowel control, and eventually even seizures and/or coma.

What to do if you think your dog is overheated:

• Get in the shade!
• Take his temperature.  If you're 107 or over, head to the e-vet immediately
• Rubbing alcohol is good for evaporative properties to pull heat from foot pads.
• Cooling the groin is good because the blood vessels are close to the skin there.
• Offer small amounts of cool water or ice chips for the dog to lick - DO NOT let the dog gulp a huge bowl of cold water.  You could bring on bloat if you do.
• BIG IMPORTANT NOTE:  it's best to use a hose with cool running water, NOT cold water.  Cold water (especially dunking him in a tub) can be too much of a shock to the body.  Think of it this way - cold water could constrict the blood vessels, restricting blood flow - see note in "What to do when you think your dog is recovered".  You don't need to induce bloat or cardiac arrest in this situation, either.
• If you wet your dog down, make sure he's in a well-ventilated area so the water can evaporate off the dog.  Don't stick him in his crate or a small room where the water will essentially seal in the heat on him. 
• If your dog won't take water, offer chicken or beef broth - low sodium if you can (a lot of vets think Pedialyte isn't good in this situation)

What to do when you think your dog is recovered:

• Heatstroke effects can last 48-72 hours beyond the incident.
• Some dogs will die after what seems like a recovery from heatstroke because blood can coagulate throughout the body.  With vessels weakened, internal bleeding in the intestines and nose can occur. 
• Think about that ^^^^.  If your dog suffered heatstroke, you should bring them to the vet to check for damage so that this ^^^^ does not occur.

 Great post, Paige. 

Here's some additional information from a vet: http://www.gshepherd.com/heat_stroke.htm

A recent posting on the herders discussion list (which of course I deleted) was written by a vet who trials BCs.  The most shocking piece of information was the submersion can actually increase the temperature (of coated dogs) because the hair traps air close the body.  Insulation factor enters the picture.  Running water is the key.  The caution with alcohol is for possible poisoning so use with care.  Get them into the shade and a breeze with the running water (even if it is you running back and forth with buckets is the impression I got).  Carry an old fashioned mercury thermometer because the digits can be dangerously inaccurate in this case.  Get them to an air conditioned car. To a vet asap if the temps are in excess of 104 edited" for extened time when cooling strategies are not working"  ( I would go even sooner if I saw any neurological signs)

 His advice is to watch your dog very carefully (maybe video) in some controlled situations so you can start recognizing the subtle signs your dog shows while working/playing in high summer temps.  He suggested keeping work time and training time at short intervals rather than one extended time period

 Since Jackson gets 'nervous' in the car, he drools and pants a lot. The ac in my Explorer isn't the greatest for anyone not in the front seat. I managed to find an automotive clip-on fan (that can also be mounted onto the dashboard) that plugs into the car lighter at Wal-Mart. We've only used it twice but I see a difference already.

Any recommendations for a crate fan? 

Can you even buy the old fashioned mercury thermometers anymore??

For walks and such, does anyone have any experience using those cooling bandannas?