Contents

① Why are dogs more susceptible to heat stroke than people?

② Symptoms and treatment methods of acute heatstroke in dogs

③ Symptoms and treatment methods of chronic heatstroke in dogs

④ Tips to prevent heatstroke in dogs

Why are dogs more susceptible to heatstroke than people?

Reason 1: Different heat dissipation parts

Human heat dissipation parts: The sweat glands throughout the body are developed and heat is dissipated through perspiration;

Heat dissipation parts of dogs: heat dissipation through the tongue and soles of the feet. There are no sweat glands in other parts of the body and the heat dissipation ability is very weak.

Reason 2: "Dress" is different

People's clothing: As the weather gets hotter, you can change into thin clothes and short sleeves;

Dog clothing: a big sweater, which can be "taken off" as the weather gets hotter. The "physical insulation" ability of hairy dogs is still much higher than that of human short-sleeved summer clothes.

Note: Many experts believe that dogs do not need to be shaved in summer, but I have reservations about this.

I think whether or not to shave dogs in summer depends on the breed of the dog, the ambient temperature, and the economic conditions of the owner's home to provide cooling.

If the owner has the conditions to turn on the air conditioner when the dog is home alone, then don’t worry about shaving; but if the owner cannot provide cooling conditions for the dog, and it is a large and thick-haired breed in a high-temperature area, it is really The growth of the hair will be quite dangerous (if you shave, remember not to shave completely, leaving a centimeter length to prevent mosquitoes).

Principle example: Do you remember the carts that sold popsicles in the streets a few decades ago? There were no mobile freezers at that time. The hawker would tie a wooden box to the car, put the popsicles on a quilt and put it in the wooden box. The quilt here acted as a "physical insulation"; if you didn't wrap the quilts, just put the popsicles directly In the wooden box, it is estimated that the popsicles will melt in a short time.

So, under the same external conditions, thick wool is equivalent to a quilt wrapped in popsicles, and it still has a physical insulation effect.

Reason 3: Different ambient temperatures

There are two more principles here: ① The ground temperature is higher than the air temperature; ② The higher the altitude, the lower the temperature.

Unfortunately, both principles will affect dogs.

① The ground temperature is higher than the air temperature

Which piece of knowledge does this belong to? geography? When the light radiation emitted by the sun penetrates the atmosphere, part of it has been blocked (most of the ultraviolet rays are absorbed by the ozone layer), leaving the light that can pass through the atmosphere.That part of the layer of radiation that shines down is mainly what we often know as "visible light". When visible light passes through the troposphere, it is not absorbed by the air in the troposphere. It finally radiates to the ground and is absorbed by the ground. This causes the ground temperature to gradually rise during the day. From 12 noon to 2 pm when the sun is strongest, , the ground temperature also reached the highest level throughout the day.

We compare the ground to a thermogen like an "electric heater". Does it mean that the closer to the ground, the higher the temperature?

People are much farther from the ground than dogs, so the temperature they perceive is much lower than that felt by dogs.

② The higher the altitude, the lower the temperature

This is definitely a knowledge point from the student days ~ for every 100 meters of altitude increase, the temperature drops by 0.6 degrees Celsius.

So no matter what the reason is, the conclusion is that even if they are in the same location, the dog is hotter than the owner.

Symptoms and treatment methods of acute heatstroke in dogs

The following symptoms range from mild heatstroke to moderate to severe heatstroke:

① Breathing changes: hanging tongue, gasping for breath, difficulty breathing Steady and rapid;

② Drooling: drooling a lot;

③ Loss of appetite: reduced appetite and loss of interest in food;

④ Spirit: listless, sleeps for a long time, responds a few beats late to the owner’s call, and tends to ignore the call;

⑤ Walking (dog walking in summer): walking slowly, with an unstable center of gravity, staggering, and abnormally stopping and not wanting to walk after walking for a while;

⑥Heartbeat: The heartbeat accelerates;

⑦ Vomiting and diarrhea: Vomiting and diarrhea may occur;

⑧ Mouth and eyes: The mouth and eyes may become "congested", which means they become blood red;

⑨ Fainting: A state of confusion, or even syncope and spasm (convulsions).

For the above heat stroke conditions, ①②③ are mild heat stroke, ④⑤⑥⑦⑧ are moderate heat stroke, and ⑨ are severe heat stroke, which are life-threatening.

Treatment methods for acute heatstroke:

Step one: Give the dog plenty of cold water to drink;

Step 2: Rinse the dog’s body with cold water at 10-20℃, shave it if necessary and cover it with a wet towel;

Step 3: Moderate and severe heat stroke require hospitalization!

Why should I be sent to the hospital?

Moderate heatstroke: Check your physical condition to see if there is any organ failure caused by high temperature, and consult your doctor whether you need professional treatment such as infusion;

SevereHeat stroke: rescue + follow-up organ status check.

Note:

① Ice cubes and ice water are prohibited during rescue. High temperature and ultra-low temperature will cause excessive contraction of blood vessels, which will make it more difficult for heat to escape, aggravate heatstroke and even cause shock;

② If vomiting occurs, be careful to pull out the dog's tongue on the way to the hospital to prevent foreign objects from blocking the respiratory tract and causing suffocation.

Symptoms and treatment methods of chronic heatstroke in dogs

Unlike the symptoms of acute heatstroke, which are obvious and easy to detect, the chronic state of dogs is often because the symptoms are too common and mild, and some even become severe after several months. It is easy to be ignored by the owner, leading to delayed treatment.

Chronic heatstroke symptoms:

① Loss of appetite: reduced appetite and loss of interest in food;

② Diarrhea: yellow urine, soft stools or even diarrhea, often misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal problems;

③ Drink water: Drinking water still does not quench your thirst;

④ Spirit: listless, sleeping for a long time, responding a few beats late to the owner’s call, showing a lack of interest;

⑤ Panting: gasping with tongue hanging down, breathing unstable and heavy;

⑥ Cough: Dogs with short trachea (such as Pomeranians) and dogs with tracheal defects are prone to coughing and other symptoms and are misdiagnosed as "cold";

⑦ Late stage: If not detected and treated in time, paralysis of the hind limbs or even semi-coma and syncope may occur in the later stage (see several cases of paralysis); problems such as cardiopulmonary failure, renal failure, and hepatitis may also occur.

Dogs prone to chronic heat stroke:

① Puppies and elderly dogs

② Dogs with heart problems

③ Chow, Bulldog, Pug and other short-nosed breed dogs

④ Dogs with "airway syndrome", "tracheal collapse" problems or short trachea

⑤ Obese dog

Treatment methods for chronic heat stroke:

① Depending on the severity, if discovered early and the symptoms are not long, provide enough cold water, improve the ambient temperature (such as taking it to an air-conditioned room to rest), and avoid being exposed to high temperatures again. Just stay in the state;

② If after implementing the previous methods, there is still no improvement, or even worsening, take it to the hospital for examination, and do not delay it to a serious state such as paralysis or syncope.

Tips for preventing heat stroke in dogs

① Do not take your dog out during the hot weather in summer, instead take your dog out in the morning and evening when the sun is not shining;

② Provide enough cold water for the dog to drink;

③ If possible, do a good job in cooling the environment (air conditioners, cooling fans, air coolers, waterCurtain cooling, etc.);

④ Never let your dog’s belly stay in the car (the temperature inside the car rises rapidly after the car is turned off!)

⑤ Pay more attention to the status of your dog to avoid chronic heat stroke but not discover it in time.