10/05/2024
With the weather already heating up we know this usually brings extra volunteers to the kennels for dog walking. However, with the increase in temperature please be mindful with our hounds and stick to the walking times given. During warmer weather dog walking times will be shortened or cancelled at short notice depending on the temperature of the day and how the current residents are handling the heat.
The Zoomie Zone: Adoption Advice & Support has given some great advice for Hot Weather Safety with your hounds and how to prevent Heat Stroke.
Hot Weather Safety: Preventing Heat Stroke In Hounds
Well, we sure weren’t expecting that our first hot weather post would be going out in May…but have you seen the forecast? We have a beautiful weekend ahead of us with temperatures getting into the 20s in some parts of the UK!
Move over Spring, Summer is making a cameo!
No doubt there are people all over the country right now looking to make the most of what is looking to be the nicest weekend of the year thus far…but it’s going to be hot, and it’s going to be sunny, and that is a terrible combo for our canine companions, especially if you’re hitting the beach.
There are several dog breeds that really struggle when things start heating up, the most well known are the flat faced breeds like pugs, frenchies and the like…but did you know that greyhounds are also an at-risk breed? Once those temperatures start getting into the late teens, particularly when they hit 20, greyhounds are 4 x more likely to get heat stroke than a ‘normal’ dog, such as a labrador, but as the mercury hits 25…no dog is safe.
There are also numerous factors that can lead to a dog to be of increased risk, such as underlying health conditions and being overweight.
Though it doesn’t matter if it is high teens or into the twenties, dogs are at much higher risk when you take them to the beach. The coastal breeze creates a false sense of security. It may not feel as warm due to the wind, but the sand temperatures, the additional effort it takes for them to walk and run on the sinking surface and the distinct lack of shade is an incredibly dangerous combination that can see your dog collapsing with little warning.
While it is brilliant to include your hound in days out and take them on adventures, their safety comes first. If you want to hit the beach this weekend, or any open areas or events which will expose them to the heat and sun, you’re best to leave your hound at home!
Make sure to walk them in the early morning or late evening, to avoid the hottest parts of the day, and give them some enrichment to keep them entertained in between. If you need to take your hound out for toilet breaks because you don’t have a garden, try to stick to the shade and keep these breaks short.
It is also important to be able to recognise the signs of heat stroke, and the stage that comes before this life-threatening situation, heat exhaustion.
Heat exhaustion can happen very easily, and not necessarily always in hot weather. Muscle holds heat a lot more than fat does, so as muscular dogs, they can easily overheat through over exertion.
The signs of heat exhaustion are:
• Excessive panting
• Skin on the inside of the ears will be red and hot
• Weakness
• Wobbly
• Fainting spells
At this point, things are already pretty bad and while your hound will need a bit of help cooling down, they have not run past the point of being unable to regulate their own body temperature. This happens when heat stroke happens, when their core temperature reaches dangerous levels that can become fatal without immediate treatment.
Just like in humans, heat exhaustion can escalate to heat stroke very quickly. Prolonged exposure to the sun can be all it takes, but coupled with exercise or off lead running/play can see a hound go from healthy to heat exhaustion, to heat stroke, to death in less than an hour.
The signs of heat stroke are:
• Hyperventilating
• Agitation
• Vocalising
• Excessively thirsty
• Excessively drooling
• Glassy eyes
• Weakness and collapse
• High heart rate
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness
• Dark red or purple gums and tongue
If you suspect your dog has overheated, you need to cool your dog down gradually by moving them to the shade, ideally in a breeze, and covering in cool wet towels (changing them or re-wetting them to keep them cool) if you are seriously concerned, or you believe your dog has developed heat stroke, you will need to urgently get them to the nearest vet.
If you think for even a second your hound is heading toward heat stroke, you head straight to the vet. Never second guess that decision, it is always best to err on the side of caution than run the risk of losing your companion.
But realistically, if we’re being honest, preventing heat stroke is easy. Don’t take your hound out on walks or days out in unsuitable temperatures…
While some hounds may tolerate higher temperatures or excretion, it isn’t always the case and care should be taken.
We say this from experience. For we have experienced a young, fit and outwardly healthy hound dying on a sunny 18’c day, in a light breeze, after going for a short 10-minute toilet walk. She went into heat stroke and started seizing after walking in the gates. Unbeknown to us, which we found out in getting her to the vets, she had an underlying infection that she was not yet symptomatic of. Her body temperature was already heightened, and that light walk, that short little toilet break, put her body temperature past the point of regulation. Despite getting to the vet in 15 minutes, she didn’t make it.
We will forever remember that lesson. We will never take chances. We’d rather keep our hounds indoors and grumpy from not getting a walk, than run the risk of losing them.
Have you ever experienced seen heat exhaustion or heat stroke in a hound, or even experienced it yourself? Drop a comment below.
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