19/07/2021
The amount of dogs I have seen being walked in nearly 30 degree heat is ridiculous.
Please keep them home and give them mental stimulation - going without a walk won’t kill them but overheating will……😢
We've just had a dog presenting collapsed with heatstroke. Heat stroke is a true veterinary emergency. He was blue on his tongue, frothing at the mouth, having difficulty breathing and his temperature was 44 degrees. (Normal is 37.5). Here he is having emergency treatment in our yard. He is a big, heavy collapsed dog and our paddling pool is ideal to cool him. We don’t cool these too quickly; we treat them with tepid water and slowly drop their temperature. He's out of danger but the next 48 hours are critical. They can develop brain swelling or kidney failure. Fingers crossed
**update** temperature back to normal; fluids being administered intravenously in hospital to try to limit any kidney damage. He had three bowls of food so that's a good sign!
Some tips for your dogs; only to exercise at dawn and dusk in heat. Groom heavy or matted coats if you have heatwave warnings in the weather forecast. Provide shade. You can put ice cubes in their water bowls. You can put a fan on black dogs; run a hose on them; or put cool damp towels on them at midday.
