Dogs can suffer from heatstroke

Whether it is a human or a dog, regulating body temperature is accomplished by a thermoregulatory center in the brain, which is mainly responsible for directing and maintaining a constant temperature. To raise the body temperature and maintain it, we mainly rely on food energy supplement; to dissipate heat, we mainly rely on breathing, sweating, going to a cool place, urination, etc. to lower the body temperature.
Dogs lacking sweat glands mainly rely on the evaporation of the respiratory system to dissipate heat. The symptom is constant panting. They rely on tongue heat dissipation and oral exhalation to quickly dissipate heat. Because the temperature of the external space is too high, the soles of its feet Heat dissipation fails and can only be maintained by tongue and panting. Such heat dissipation actions have no effect in a high-heat environment, and the central nervous system that controls temperature will still feel the increase in temperature and constantly send messages to the dog. The dog keeps panting due to heat dissipation, and most of the heat cannot be eliminated, so it accumulates in the body, and the temperature becomes higher and higher, which forms a non-thermal hyperthermia disease - heat stroke.

Symptoms of heatstroke in dogs

Mild heatstroke:
Frequent panting, poor energy, weakness in limbs, not eating, and the conjunctiva of the eyes is larger than normal. Redness, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
Severe heatstroke:
1. Unable to walk, limbs stiff, twitching, drooling mixed with blood, muscle tremors, fast heart rate, and high blood pressure.
2. Purple or cyanotic conjunctiva, wheezing and howling in the lungs, slow reflexes, unconscious diarrhea, body temperature that can rise to over 42°C, typical swimming movements or backward movements of the head and feet Yang.
Some of the above symptoms appear mixed, and some appear typical. If symptoms of coma and pupil dilation occur, the prognosis is generally poor.

Rescue measures for dog heat stroke

1. Immediately take the dog out of the hot environment and move it to a ventilated and cool place to maintain air circulation. (Using an electric fan, air conditioner, or manually waving a piece of paper quickly can circulate the air).
2. Soak the dog’s hair with cold water, and put ice cubes on the dog’s head and neck. (Remember it is cold water, not ice water. If ice cubes are hard to find, you can use ice cream instead)
3. Use a towel or gauze to wipe the saliva and saliva secretions in the dog’s mouth. Pay attention to the dog’s tongue. If the throat is blocked, you should also pay attention to preventing vomiting secretions. The only purpose is to prevent the dog from suffocating due to secretions or tongue blocking the throat.
4. If there is alcohol, you can keep wiping the soles of the dog's feet, the inner parts of the limbs, and the groin area to maintain continuous heat dissipation and do not let the temperature rise further.
5. It should be noted that when dogs have severe symptoms of heat stroke, they must not rush to feed water or drink a lot of water, otherwise it will accelerate the occurrence of pulmonary edema, even if it is mild.Don't let your dog drink a lot of water at one time when suffering from heatstroke. Instead, take small amounts many times. You can drink it with light salt water.
If you have symptoms of severe heat stroke, it is recommended to send it to the nearest pet hospital immediately! Rescue measures are required.