Dog Heat Stroke: What to Know

The world has now marked one full year of back-to-back monthly heat records, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced on Wednesday. It said last month was the hottest May in recorded history — the 12th consecutive month in which the monthly high-temperature record was broken. ⁽¹⁾

We humans are not the only ones facing the grunt of this. Our canine buddies get affected too. This may not be the only reason, but it has surely increased the number of heat strokes in dogs though. 

A heat stroke in dogs occurs when their body temperature crosses 106^oF. Excessive exposure to environmental heat is one of the leading causes of this. If this level crosses 107oF, you may start seeing organ failure and eventually death. Being such a severe medical condition in dogs, we need to learn the causes, signs and treatments for it. 

Heat Exhaustion in Dogs

Heat exhaustion in dogs is usually when the effects of overheating are moderate. It starts with heat stress when the signs are the mildest. Prolonged effects can cause heat exhaustion and then heat stroke. It usually starts because of a combination of reasons like high temperatures outside, excess physical exercise and/or underlying medical conditions. 

If your dog ends up spending a lot of time outdoors doing physical exercise, especially if it is not used to prolonged hours outdoors, it can lead to heat stress. Some dog breeds like Labs, golden retrievers, springer spaniels, and pit bulls tend to push themselves harder than their capacity to please their owners. 

Certain dog breeds are more prone to heating than others because of their size and composition. Brachycephalic breeds, like French bulldogs, pugs, English bulldogs, Pekingese, etc. for example, face challenges while panting because of their short muzzles and smushed faces. This may make cooling down difficult, causing heat stress for them in case of excessive workouts and outdoor time when the temperatures are high.

Dogs with breathing issues face the same challenges as Brachycephalic breeds. Obese dogs also find it difficult to cool themselves off in case of an increased body temperature. 

Very young pups and elder dogs find it difficult to regulate their body temperatures as well. 

This can be a dog trapped in a car or taken outdoors for a long time without frequent breaks in the shade. Dogs that are being transported in aeroplane cargo also go through this. 

While dogs with a thick double coat can endure cold temperatures better, it becomes the exact opposite when they must face hot temperatures. This increases the chances of a heat stroke in such breeds.

Signs of Overheating in Dogs

It can be difficult to determine overheating in dogs at times as the signs as usually subtle in the beginning. Thus, you should be closely looking for the following signs to diagnose overheating in your dog at a stage where it’s far from a heat stroke. 

Your dog might even collapse if the body has gotten too exhausted from the heat. It is hence important to know the immediate to-dos when you see any of the above signs in your dog. 

Heat Stroke Treatment in Dogs

Irrespective of whether you diagnose your dog’s overheating at a heat stress, hyperthermia or heat stroke phase, it is important to seek vet help at the earliest. A safe and controlled reduction of the dog’s body temperature is crucial. What you could do at home if you notice such signs is – ⁽²⁾

These measures should help bringing the temperature of the dog’s body down. However, you may want to seek professional help in case there is an underlying medical condition causing this. The vet may use other rehydration measures and supporting care including IV fluids, oxygen support, etc. He/she may also use some protective measures for the kidneys, brain, liver and/or the digestive tract.

FAQs

What is the maximum temperature that I should walk my dog in?

This completely depends on the breed as each breed comes with a different coat type that suits its lifestyle. As a general rule though, a temperature up to 68^oF (19^oC) is considered safe and anything above 77^oF (25^oC) is considered very risky for walking your dog. 

When is it too cold to walk my dog?

Anything below 20^oF (-6.6^oC) is also considered to be risky for most dogs. Breeds like th Siberian Husky can withstand a temperature of -60^oF as well.