In hot summer, sweat oozes from every pore of the body; it is an effective mechanism for cooling in humans. But what about your pup? Dogs don't sweat to cool down their body temperature.
Dogs have limited cooling mechanisms in their body. Mainly they regulate their body temperature by panting and breathing. Therefore, if their body cooling mechanism is affected by something, they cannot control their body temperature effectively. As a result, they can get heatstroke.
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What is heat stroke?
Heatstroke is common in warmer months and can occur any time throughout the year. There are no visible signs of this, and it happens all of a sudden. Pet and humans respond differently to the heat.
Humans have sweat glands on the body to regulate their body temperature. In contrast, dogs and cats only have a few sweat glands found in their paw pads and around their noses. Therefore, pets, especially dogs, cool themselves by panting. When your pup cannot cool his body temperature through panting, he gets raised in temperature, leading to heatstroke.
Risk factors of heatstrokes in dogs
Heatstroke can affect any animal, but some dogs are more susceptible than others. These dogs and cats are at risk because they are:
Bulldogs, Boxers, Shih Tzu, and other smashed nose breeds are among them. Persian, Himalayan, British Shorthair, and Scottish Fold cats are some of the most popular cat breeds. Such is a collapsed trachea, laryngeal paralysis, Myasthenia Gravis, and Addison's Disease.
Coats with thick or black hair
Symptoms of heatstroke:
In most cases, your pet can show the following symptoms:
Hypovolemic shock is a decrease in the total blood volume of a dog. It occurs due to blood loss internally or externally. Dogs with this disorder often have pale gums, weakened heart rate with cold feet and ears. Acute renal failure It is a sudden failure of the kidneys to remove toxins from the body. Dog with ARF show following symptoms:
Long-term effects of heatstrokes on dogs could include:
What to treat if you suspect heatstroke in your pup?
If you see your dog suffering from heatstroke:
Do not use a plastic crate in your car to get your pup to the vet. At this time, airflow is crucial. Your veterinarian will administer intravenous fluids and watch for shock, kidney failure, clotting issues, and other complications for dehydration. In addition, your veterinarian may obtain a blood sample and a urine sample to monitor the complications of heatstroke adequately.
Long-term Care
Dogs with severe heat stroke may require a particular diet or drugs. Furthermore, dogs who have had heat stroke before are more likely to have it again. Thus prevention is critical for pet owners.
Preventive measures
It has severe side effects and a poor prognosis. Therefore, the most significant thing we can do as pet parents is prevent heat stroke from happening in the first place.
You can prevent heat stroke by doing a variety of activities at home, including: