On a summer morning, before departing for work, Meredith activated the air conditioning system to ensure the comfort of her two cherished canines. Unfortunately, the power went out hours later. Jazz and Ginger, confined to a bright chamber, anxiously exhaled as they started to overheat. Rapidly, the home became warm, and there was nowhere to seek solace. So, how do you tell if a dog is too hot?
Your companion also experiences the heat. However, unlike you, they may not always be able to avoid the heat or communicate when they are overheating. Extreme heat exhaustion and heatstroke can result in critical or potentially fatal medical complications. As the responsible companion owner, you must recognize the symptoms and know how to act quickly.
Why Dogs Too Hot?
Infection, exhilaration, or exercise can all induce an average rise in a dog’s body temperature. However, a dog becomes overheated when its body temperature elevates by only a few degrees above 102 degrees Fahrenheit; immediate action is required to prevent heat exhaustion.
Heat is transmitted from the moisture covering the entire body to the drier, cooler air surrounding it when humans perspire. This sweat evaporates to cool us, and a fan accelerates the process.
Dogs pant due to their limited number of sweat ducts. As evaporative cooling occurs, dogs inhale colder, drier air through the nose and upper airways, exchanging it for warmer, moist air in the lungs. This process is analogous to how humans perspire.
The respiratory rate escalates from 40 to 400 breaths per minute, interspersed with periodic strong inhalations. After inhaling cooler air into the lungs, the canine expels surplus body heat by exhaling heated, moist air through the mouth over the dripping tongue.
Therefore, panting animals require adequate cold water to consume during warm days to maintain moist airways and a delicate body temperature. However, evaporation and cooling are reduced when the surrounding atmosphere is highly humid. It may cause the dog to develop a decreased tolerance for sweltering, humid conditions, increasing the risk of overheating.
How Do You Tell If A Dog Is Too Hot?
The following are ten indications that your dog may be overheating and what to watch out for:
1. Seeking Shade
Although your dog may wish to relax beneath a tree, they attempt to escape the heat if they continuously seek a shady or cold spot on the concrete.
2. Excessive Panting
Observe your dog closely; if they continue to breathe excessively after they have ceased playing, this may indicate an inability to regulate their body temperature.
3. Won’t Eat
Not consuming a tasty treat? Refusing it when they would ordinarily be so enthusiastic about a small reward is an additional possible indication.
4. Hot To The Touch
Dogs typically have a body temperature between 102.5 and 102.5 degrees (which is another reason they are such pleasant companions). However, if they become hot to the contact, obtaining their temperature in a more relaxed environment is advisable.
5. Drinking Water In Excess
If your dog has never consumed a basin of cold water so quickly after you placed it out, this could indicate dehydration and an inability to regulate body temperature normally.
Moreover, no quantity of water can satisfy their thirst. Additionally, if they are not urinating despite consuming a great deal of water, this may indicate that they are dehydrated.
6. Rapid Pulse
Given that a dog’s pulse can differ based on breed and size, knowing the typical reading for your canine companion is essential. Establishing one’s baseline will enable one to detect deviations from the norm.
7. Skin Elasticity
Skin elasticity is an additional indicator of dehydration or overheating that you should be aware of in your dog. “When the dog is adequately hydrated, raise a small section of skin from behind shoulder blades, hold it gently, and release it.”
Be vigilant as it gradually realigns itself. Your dog is adequately hydrated if it returns to its initial position upon springing. Nonetheless, prolonged maintenance of this position by the epidermis in the absence of such changes indicates dehydration.
8. Confused And Disoriented
If you have ever experienced dehydration, you can undoubtedly empathize with your pet’s confusion and disorientation caused by the heat.
9. Abnormally Aggressive
It is also essential to remember that your puppy’s confusion and disorientation may trigger a heightened fear response, manifesting as aggression that you would not ordinarily observe. Remember that although you and your dog share a deep affection, It may exhibit unforeseen behavior due to perplexity.
10. GI Issues Like Vomiting Or Diarrhea
If your puppy is experiencing diarrhea and vomiting, it may be beyond the point of rescue to attempt to calm them down; you must seek immediate medical attention from a veterinarian.
Summer Safety Tips For Dogs
Gain knowledge of critical summer safety precautions to shield your canine companion from dehydration, heatstroke, and additional perils. Gain understanding regarding adequate hydration, sun protection, and other pertinent matters to safeguard your canine companion’s health throughout the scorching summer season.
1. Keep Them Hydrated
While hydrated, canines may require two to three times more water in hot weather. Monitor your pet’s water consumption excessively and vigilantly.
Ensure that they have unrestricted access to water to their needs and desires. On a hot day, allowing the dog dish to dry for any length of time is unacceptable.
2. Bring Them Indoors
It would be best to avoid prolonged exposure of your companion to intense heat. If possible, confine them indoors during the midday hours of sweltering days.
3. Make Sure They Have Shade All Day
As is evident to anyone who attempts to snag a shady location to park their vehicle, shade is subject to change. Your backyard might appear adequately safeguarded as you depart for work in the morning. However, what about midday and nighttime?
If your dog remains outside, they have sufficient space to traverse the yard to access the well-ventilated, shaded areas.
Due to inadequate airflow, a dog house can become a sauna on a scorching summer day; therefore, it should not be their only source of shade.
4. Encourage Activity At Appropriate Times
Summertime activity is most enjoyable in the early morning or late evening, before the onset of heat or as the temperature decreases. When action does occur during the heat of the day, contemplate engaging in activities that are less taxing on the body or facilitate cooling, such as brief walks or swimming.
5. Take Action If You Notice Signs And Symptoms
Attempting to prevent your companion from overheating is one thing. However, you have already detected more severe indicators of heat exhaustion and impending heatstroke.
Activate the sprinkler or spray them down with the sprayer. This water will dissipate briefly, comparable to sweat, producing a cooling sensation outdoors.
It is vital to recognize the symptoms of an overheated companion. Extreme perspiration, lethargy, visibly scarlet gums, or vomiting are all potential symptoms of overheating. By monitoring for indicators such as increased body temperature and offering shelter, hydration, and a calm setting, one can avert heat-related complications, thereby safeguarding the welfare of one’s canine companion.
Thank you for reading….