How do I know my dog has heat stroke?

The first signs of your dog heating up is a restless form of panting.  You might even notice their tongue go red and the saliva thickening.

Some dogs' heavy panting might look like they are happy, but the truth is, they might be heading towards danger.

We spoke to our friends from ZUKI to help give some tips regarding Heat stroke:

When your fur friend’s core body temperatures rise excessively, it can result in heatstroke. Symptoms usually start with heavy panting, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhoea and you should take your pet straight to the vet if you see any of these.

Heatstroke can lead to :

  • seizures,
  • organ failure, and
  • death.

Flat faced dogs (brachycephalic dogs) like the English bulldog are especially prone to heatstroke so make sure that you take extra care to protect them.

Consider providing your pets with plenty of shade outside so that they can keep cool and don’t have to lie in the sun. Allow your precious pooch a swim in a pool or hose them down with a gentle spray of water from a hosepipe. Cats may not be too fond of this option so rather wipe them down gently with a wet towel. If your beloved pets are indoors, keep the windows open and use a fan inside to circulate the air. If you have an air conditioner inside your home, you can use that instead of the fan. You could also try using ice bricks under their bed to keep it cool. Only use the ice bricks enclosed with solid plastic, not the gel packs as their claws may tear the plastic and the gel could be toxic.

It’s also a good idea to freeze your fur friend’s chew toys as a cool toy for them to play with. Refrigerate or freeze their wet food as a frosty treat or freeze pieces of food such as chicken in a cube of water as an ice cube treat. Some dogs even enjoy licking and chewing on a regular water ice block or chicken or beef broth ice blocks.

Written by Dr Roxanne from ZUKI

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