What to Do If a Dog Has Heatstroke? Symptom Recognition and First Aid

Dogs are very intolerant of heat, because dogs do not sweat, and they will not stop activity just because of heat; a dog's body cannot regulate its own temperature, and a dog will not take care of itself by rehydrating in time; a dog's sweat glands are all on its tongue, so seeing a dog stick out its tongue and pant means the dog is very hot and needs to drink water to cool down or settle down and stop activity; short-nosed dogs are more sensitive to heat than long-nosed dogs and have a harder time dissipating heat. A dog's normal body temperature should be 37.8°c--39°c. When body temperature reaches 40.65°c, internal organs begin to be damaged, and when body temperature reaches above 41°C, it is already highly dangerous. In a high-heat environment or under hot, humid, stuffy weather, it can take as little as 20 minutes for a dog's body systems to fail and cause death, so heatstroke is the greatest threat to a dog's health in summer or under other stuffy, hot weather conditions.

What are the symptoms of heatstroke? Panting heavily with the mouth wide open, with abnormal sounds in the lungs while panting, and saliva appearing at the mouth; swaying and losing balance while walking; weakness; confusion, and finally collapse and death.

When a dog shows symptoms of heatstroke, the owner should immediately take first-aid measures rather than simply waiting for a veterinarian. The most important thing is to bring the dog's body temperature down as quickly as possible. The method is to pour cool water (not ice water, because ice water will slow down the skin's circulation and thereby prolong the cooling time) over the dog's body, and you can also put the dog into a cold-water tub to cool down. Then the dog should be sent to a veterinary clinic as quickly as possible. In this situation, a dog generally will not drink water on its own, so it should be sent to the veterinarian for intravenous fluids and other methods to rapidly replenish water and for other medications for treatment.

How do you take a dog out traveling? If you take a dog out traveling, or even out for a walk, even if it is only for 1-2 hours, it is fine for people not to drink water, but you must frequently rehydrate the dog, especially in summer and in stuffy, hot weather; when a dog is walking fast or running, even in winter, it also needs a rest every 30 minutes. If you take a dog for a ride in the car in summer, you absolutely must not leave the dog inside the car, because under direct sunlight (or even in stuffy, hot weather without sunlight), the temperature inside the car rises astonishingly fast, and it may take less than 20 minutes to kill the dog. For those dogs with short noses, such as Pekingese, even more special care is needed, because short-nosed dogs have an even harder time dissipating heat, and in summer you can even frequently spray water on the dog's nose area. The most important thing is to avoid letting the dog do strenuous exercise on hot days or days with high humidity, and it is best to walk or exercise in the evening or morning. When a dog exercises, it should be allowed to settle down and rest every 30 minutes to lower its body temperature. Do not let it do strenuous exercise continuously for a long time, such as running, games, and so on, even if the dog itself does not want to stop the activity.