I’ve already written about the fact that you’re not supposed to leave your dog closed in a car on summer days or on how to prevent hyperthermia in cats and dogs. So you have mastered the prevention already. But it is also necessary to know how to recognize hyperthermia in an animal and what to do in such a case.
Hyperthermia, that is general overheating of the organism, develops in animals on such days that have just started: when there’s plenty of sun rays and high temperatures. In the same way as people, cats and dogs (and naturally also other animals) should take in more liquids on such days and seek out shade during the time of highest sun activity. You can learn more about how to prevent hyperthermia in a cat here and about the same for dogs in this article. Today, we will focus on how to recognise a heatstroke or heat exhaustion in an animal and how to administer first aid in such case.
Heatstroke in animals lies in damage to tissues through a long-term stay in direct sun. Heat exhaustion means general overheating of an animal. It can therefore occur even if the animal is not directly in the sun. A typical example is leaving a dog in a closed car during the summer months. However, it can also be caused by an unventilated room with a higher temperature. Don’t forget that animals are at a greater risk of hyperthermia, since their whole body is covered with hair and they don’t have the option to cool down with sweat. On that account, when we are feeling uncomfortable animals may already be in danger.
The danger of hyperthermia in animals lies mainly in heat stress. That is dehydration of the organism and the following swelling of the internal organs (especially of the brain and the lungs). Dehydration can also cause blood thickening and rupturing of red blood cells.
The symptoms don’t have to appear immediately
Symptoms of overheating may appear even several hours after the animal was subjected to heat stress. Hyperthermia usually progresses in this way:
First aid
First aid for hyperthermia in an animal is logically cooling. However, the method is very important. For instance, if you would throw an overheated dog into ice-cold water, you would only cause a shock reaction of the organism and the situation would only get worse.
It is recommended to dip the head and the limbs into tepid water, or to wrap the animal into a wet towel. Cooling should only last for about 10 to 15 minutes, otherwise, undercooling of the organism might occur.
You can also just cool down the paws by “putting on” cups with ice or ice cream. However, such shock cooling method should not last more than 5 to 10 minutes. Not only undercooling could occur, but mortification of parts of the limbs as well.
Veterinary help is necessary!
If you suspect that hyperthermia occurred in your dog, cat or rabbit, for instance, always and without any delay contact your veterinary and consult the animal’s condition with them.
If the animal is already weary, don’t wait for anything and seek out help from the closest veterinary clinic. Since here it’s really a matter of minutes. The animal must be immediately hydrated, preferably with intravenous infusion and medicine for brain edema must be administered immediately.
Have you ever dealt with hyperthermia in your pet? I’ve luckily succeeded in preventing it. Those of us, who have ever suffered from a heatstroke or heat exhaustion in life, know, how unpleasant and dangerous thing it is, and thanks to this, they might take greater care both of themselves and their close ones.
Allegedly, fast is instinctively practised by both wolfs and wild dogs. This has led many people to that assumption, that our dog on the couch should, once in a while, be fasting as well. A wild animal surely knows what it is doing, nature is wise, you...
In this cycle, we will get to know interesting dog personalities. Dogs play an important role in our life, so let us take a look what they have already achieved during our life together. We should find Hachiko in the dictionary next to the phrase...
Markéta is my long-time friend. We got to know each other through a shelter, from which I took my first dog and where I then started to help out. Under this association, Markéta runs a depository for cats in Prague, where I like to go when I have a bit...
Have you ever wondered how much movement is healthy for your dog and when it can be harmful? Or that not every movement is beneficial? Most dog owners never think about this. It’s said that the more you move, the better. But this is not always true.
As I mentioned in previous articles, I occasionally help out my friend Markéta, who runs a cat shelter. I had the opportunity to take part in several humane trappings for stray cats and would like to share the experience with you today.
Did you know that even your pet dog can suffer from depression? As with people, we shouldn’t underestimate the mental state of our dogs. How to recognize it and what to do about it?
In this cycle, we shall take a look at how cats and dogs are getting along in the world. Where people nurture and spoil them, or on the contrary they suffer and their situation is critical. Today I would like to introduce you to the cats of Greece,...
The approach of warm sunny days will surely entice many people to go for long walks. Many of us take our four-legged companions on vacation. It’s during these times that we should be careful about sunstroke, both for us and our dogs. How can we prevent...
Just like with people, being overweight can have a negative impact on a dog’s health. Preparing the right diet and amount of food to give them can sometimes be, however, like pure alchemy, and so your dog can start to become obese. If this is the case...
There seems to be more and more ticks year after year. Fortunately, the ways to protect our furry friends, whether dogs or cats, against these parasites are growing. Everyone can choose what product fits best for them and their four-legged companions.
Until recently skinny guinea pigs were relatively rare in our country. Word about them is quickly spreading, however, and they have become a sudden hit among breeders. What’s it like having these guinea pigs and what do they like to eat?
The kidneys perform one of the most important functions in the body - cleaning the blood. Due to their small intake of water, cats are more burdened than other animals and therefore suffer quite often from kidney problems the older they get.
