From Southwood Valley Animal Hospital
Howdy! As we enter the summer months, we at Southwood Valley Animal Hospital would like to give you all some tips to keeping your pets cool this summer!
Hot Pavements: Sidewalks and asphalt can get extremely hot during the summer months! If you are going to take your pets on walks, we highly recommend taking them early in the morning (typically before 10AM) or later in the evening (typically after 7PM). Hot pavement can burn those toe beans and can be extremely painful! A good rule of thumb is if you put your hand on the pavement and it is too hot for you, then it is too hot for them too! Water: Make sure your pets always have access to fresh water, especially when outside! Dehydration for pets after being outside is extremely common during the summer months. Bring them inside: If you have dogs that live primarily outdoors, please find ways to keep them cool during the summer! Although having them inside in the AC would be the most ideal situation, there are other ways to help make sure they stay nice and cool! Some people like to turn sheds into air-conditioned dog houses by placing window units and doggie doors in them. You can also do this with a garage! Other options are making sure there are plenty areas for shade and consider misting fans, swamp units or large industrial fans to help keep them cool. Look for signs of heat exhaustion/stroke: Excessive panting, discoordination, laying flat out with unwillingness to get up, vomiting, diarrhea and elevated body temperature are all signs of heat exhaustion/stroke. If you see any of these signs, even if your pet was outside for a few minutes, this is a medical emergency, and you need to get them to a veterinarian immediately! Be careful with brachycephalic breeds of dogs: Brachycephalic breeds (or what we like to call our smoosh-faced breeds) such as bulldogs, pugs, Boston Terriers, Boxers, Shih Tzus, and others are at much higher risk of heat stroke. They can develop signs of heat stroke within minutes of being outside due to their shorter noses and inability to effectively get oxygen in and out of their lungs. Use extreme caution when taking them outside during the day and always have them supervised!
So what can you do if you pet is showing signs of heat stroke?
First and foremost, get them to a veterinary clinic as quickly and safely as possible. This is not something you want to wait on and see if they will improve on their own. Elevated temperatures for sustained periods of time can lead to organ failure and even death.
Second, while you are getting them to the veterinary clinic, start trying to cool them down. A common temptation is to put ice on them or ice packs. While we want to cool them down quickly, we don't want to do that too quickly as it can lead to shock for the body. We recommend either putting some cool water on them or a towel soaked in cool water and place a fan pointing directly on them. Additionally, you can apply rubbing alcohol on their paw pads to help get their temperature down.
Third, do not attempt to syringe water to them while they are experiencing heat stroke. Because they are often in shock during these times, they do not have control over their airway. Trying to syringe water to an animal that is in shock can lead to aspiration pneumonia which will further impact their ability to breathe.
We hope these tips will help you all keep your pets cool this summer! If we can help you in anyway please feel free to call us at (979) 693-9898 or you can also schedule an appointment on our website https://southwoodvalleyvet.com/.
Thanks and Gig 'em!
Justin Casares, DVM '15 and Lauren Casares, DVM '14
https://southwoodvalleyvet.com/
(979) 693-9898
Howdy! As we enter the summer months, we at Southwood Valley Animal Hospital would like to give you all some tips to keeping your pets cool this summer!
So what can you do if you pet is showing signs of heat stroke?
First and foremost, get them to a veterinary clinic as quickly and safely as possible. This is not something you want to wait on and see if they will improve on their own. Elevated temperatures for sustained periods of time can lead to organ failure and even death.
Second, while you are getting them to the veterinary clinic, start trying to cool them down. A common temptation is to put ice on them or ice packs. While we want to cool them down quickly, we don't want to do that too quickly as it can lead to shock for the body. We recommend either putting some cool water on them or a towel soaked in cool water and place a fan pointing directly on them. Additionally, you can apply rubbing alcohol on their paw pads to help get their temperature down.
Third, do not attempt to syringe water to them while they are experiencing heat stroke. Because they are often in shock during these times, they do not have control over their airway. Trying to syringe water to an animal that is in shock can lead to aspiration pneumonia which will further impact their ability to breathe.
We hope these tips will help you all keep your pets cool this summer! If we can help you in anyway please feel free to call us at (979) 693-9898 or you can also schedule an appointment on our website https://southwoodvalleyvet.com/.
Thanks and Gig 'em!
Justin Casares, DVM '15 and Lauren Casares, DVM '14
https://southwoodvalleyvet.com/
(979) 693-9898