What You Can Do If Your Pet Overheats.

Yes, summer is on the way out, but here in South Texas, there are still several weeks to go. Lately, I’ve seen several Face Book posts about dogs overheating. The above picture was attached to one such post. I decided to address this issue with the following remarks:

This is not the best way to treat heat stroke. Ice, ice packs, ice water, can actually cause the dogs’ own body to stop naturally cooling. Spray the dog with water from the hose, making sure the hose water is not hot from the sun first. If you can, bring the dog inside and immerse (not the head) in a tub of tepid water – you don’t want to cool too quickly or a dramatic temperature change.

If you can get the dog to drink, cool water – once again, not iced – is best. Do not force the dog to drink or give them human sports drinks. Place a wet, cool washcloth under the “armpits” of the dog and change frequently as they warm. If the dog does not begin to respond within a few minutes then a vet will be required – but as a pet owner you should know what to do FIRST.

Also, instead of condemning people that leave their dogs outside – remember until the last 30 years or so dogs AND people were often without air conditioning – and some still are today.

Most of these steps are good for people too and I learned them from my required classes while a Member Us Coast Guard Auxiliary but you can access some of this info at: http://www.wikihow.pet/Treat-Heat-Stroke-in-dogs