Summer: Make Sure Your Dog Doesn’t Get Heat Stroke!

Also known as hyperthermia, heat stroke can be extremely dangerous for your dog.

Heatstroke

The average body temperature of a dog is 38.5 degrees. If it’s above 39.5 then they risk heat stroke and anything beyond 40.5 degrees means they should be taken to the vet.

Heat stroke can occur really fast in dogs, must faster than humans for several reasons.

Firstly, because they have fur that naturally keeps them warm. Secondly, because they have very few sweat glands, the only ones they possess are actually under the pads on their feet. To sum up, dogs sweat very little and can’t regulate their body temperature through sweating, which is a very effective method to refresh the body.

It gets hot fast

To cool off in hot weather, dogs have no choice but to use the vasodilation of the blood vessels on the surface of their body and increase their respiratory rate. This explains why they start breathing with their tongue hanging out and panting fast during periods of intense heat.

But as a result, their heart has to work a lot and it beats much faster. So to avoid heat stroke, here are a few simple steps you should follow.

Be vigilant

The most important thing is obviously to never leave your dog in the care, even for a few minutes, and even if you’ve left the window down. When driving, you need to turn on the air conditioning and open the windows, whilst regularly offering them water.

You should also avoid too much physical activity and going for walks at the hottest time of the day. Finally, wet your dog’s belly and legs frequently and carry a water bottle with you constantly for your pet!