Heatstroke in Dogs | Symptoms, Preventing and Treating Heat Stroke

Heatstroke in dogs

As temperatures rise during the summer, we’re able to get out and enjoy the longer days and beautiful weather with our dogs. 

As humans, we know we need a cold drink or to find some shade when we’re getting too hot, but dogs aren’t as self-aware. It’s also instinctive for dogs to hide any sign of weakness, and even if they’re struggling – they can’t tell us.

When can heatstroke happen? Is it a problem in the UK?

Heatstroke (also known as hyperthermia) describes a body temperature that has risen above normal limits. In this case, we’re looking at temperatures elevated by environmental factors rather than illness. Heatstroke can happen in relatively mild temperatures from around 21 degrees Celsius and higher. 

If a dog’s body temperature exceeds 41.2c, it can even lead to organ failure, so it’s essential we know what to look out for.

Dogs who have been exercising vigorously in heat, are overweight, have underlying health problems or suffer from breathing difficulties, such as flat-faced breeds, are often the first to suffer. It’s also well publicised that leaving dogs in cars – even with windows open and water available – can quickly cause problems, even on a cooler day. 

Unlike us, dogs can’t sweat to control their body temperature but pant instead. Muzzled dogs can often suffer from heatstroke quite quickly as their ability to pant is restricted, so it’s essential to pay extra attention in these situations. 

What are the signs to look out for?

Heatstroke In Dogs Infographic of Symptoms
A dog suffering from heatstroke will usually begin to show several of these symptoms:
  • Faster breathing and panting
  • Dry mouth and dry, discoloured gums, alternatively drooling and foaming at the mouth
  • Weakness
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhoea
  • Tiredness
  • Confusion
  • Occasionally seizures

Heatstroke is an immediate medical emergency, and if you think your dog might be displaying these symptoms, you need to act quickly to reduce their body temperature safely. The quicker they can be cooled down, the better their chance of a full recovery, but be careful not to use very cold water or ice packs as this is too much of a shock.

What can you do?

Some things you can try are:
  • Pouring cool water over them, concentrating on their head, stomach, armpits and anywhere else with less fur.
  • If you’re at home, put them on a towel in the bath and give them a cool shower
  • Apply a breeze by placing them in front of a fan or air conditioner (a well ventilated area is not enough, it should be moving air)
  • Offer them water
  • Speak to them calmly and reassure them that everything is ok

If you remain concerned or if they had heatstroke for a while before recovering, call us and we will of course see them.

How can I avoid my dog getting heat stroke?

Here are our top tips for warmer times:
  • Exercise your dog when it’s cooler – either morning or evening are ideal
  • Take water and a bowl with you if you’re travelling in the car or walking somewhere without water bowls
  • Avoid hot pavements and sand
  • Never leave your dog in a car when the sun is out
  • Keep your dog a healthy weight
  • If they have a thick coat, consider having them clipped during warmer months
  • Watch how enthusiastically they’re running around. If it’s vigorous and a hot day, keep it short
  • Find shade when you can or limit the amount of time you’re out
  • Encourage them to swim if you’re near water and they like it. A hose pipe in the garden can also be fun!
  • If you have a brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog, a harness is often a better option than a lead as it doesn’t restrict their panting

Worried your dog has heatstroke?

If you remain concerned or if they had heatstroke for a while before recovering, call us and we will of course see them as soon as possible.
CALL US

Pet Obesity | The Growing Issue of Overweight Pets

The weighty issue of the portly pet

Overweight pets – a growing trend

Our pets are mirroring the human obesity growth curve, and very overweight cats and dogs are becoming common. As in humans, being overweight can cause many health issues for our pets. These include:

  • Diabetes
  • Arthritis, joint and mobility problems
  • Increased frequency of joint injuries
  • High blood pressure
  • Skin and coat problems
  • Urinary disease
  • Heart disease
  • Shorter lifespan than fitter pets
  • Tendency to interact less with their families.

The term obesity is used to describe a condition that is more serious than just being overweight. When a dog or cat is classed as obese, it means that their fat has now reached the stage where their bodies struggle to maintain good health.

 

In 2018, results of an online survey* suggested that around 59% of dogs and 53% of cats throughout the world are obese. In fact, this rapidly increasing problem is now so significant that the World Small Animal Veterinary Association have officially classed canine obesity as a disease.

But it’s not always obvious to us…

This survey also showed that only 24% of owners thought their pet was overweight. This suggests pet owners not realising that their pet is obese has also become a big part of the problem. When you see your pet every day, and pets around you are slowly getting bigger too, a larger size becomes normal.

 

Why is obesity becoming more common?

The science behind overweight pets is usually as simple as it is in humans – more often than not a pet is obese because they’re eating more calories than they’re burning off.  There are occasions where genetics or other health factors play a part, and some breeds are more likely to gain fat than others. There might also be some medical reasons that are contributing, for example, undiagnosed joint pain restricting their movement, or an underactive thyroid slowing down their metabolism.

Before starting your pet on a diet or increased exercise schedule, you should book a FREE weight clinic check-up with one of us to make sure there aren’t any underlying medical issues.

Don’t forget that if you’re a member of The Castle Club you'll already have a full health check with a vet every year, and one six months later with a nurse. Plus, you can arrange for a weight check or weight clinic FREE OF CHARGE whenever you feel you need it.

Not already a member?
Find out more and Join today
The Growing Trend of Overweight Pets
How do I know if my pet is overweight?

There are some visual checks you can do at home that will give you an idea of their condition:

  • You should be able to see their ribs under their coat, or if they have a thick coat, you should be able to feel them.
  • A clearly defined waist should be visible from the side and from above
  • When you look at them from the side, you shouldn’t be able to see a rounded or saggy belly
 
I think my pet is overweight. What should I do?

More pets are being fed complete diets in the form of biscuits, and this has resulted in well-nourished animals, as the nutritional quality of the food makes sure they get all they need. The downside of biscuits is that it’s easy for us to fill their bowl each day as that seems like the right amount to give them, and it’s often way too much.

To ensure they aren’t consuming more calories than they need, check the pet food packaging. Many pet foods come with a cup with a portion size printed on the side. If not, weigh the food using kitchen scales until you get an idea about how much they should have each day, then split that across their meals.

Take care with extra treats! For a small dog, one biscuit can be the additional calorie equivalent of a burger.

Below is a comparison of some common treats for pets in human terms:


Source: https://www.hillspet.co.uk/pet-care/nutrition-feeding/human-food-treat-translator

How much exercise should pets have?

Dogs need to be walked every day, although the amount of exercise they need varies depending on their breed, age, size and general health. Your dog should be either walking or running for between 30 minutes and two hours daily. Hunting and working breeds need the most exercise and plenty of time to run around and explore off the lead.

Cats will only do exactly what they want when they want. This includes active time, and they’ll control their own, although you can encourage them to want to move around by getting some irresistible-to-cats toys – lights that move around, balls to chase around tubes, feathers on sticks, and small cat toys are often enjoyed but try a few and see which ones result in a playful cat.

 

The best approach to weight management is to monitor and prevent excessive weight gain

As many of us know from personal experience, losing weight can be boring and difficult. It’s much easier to maintain weight by making tweaks to food intake and exercise when needed, and better for long-term health too.  It’s also good to have support, as denying your pet simples pleasures can be as hard for us as it is for them, even when we know we’re doing it because we love them. That’s where our weight clinics can help…

FREE weight clinics for our clients

Our pet weight clinic aims to improve the health and overall fitness of your pet. We do this by holding regular appointments with our friendly and non-judgemental nurses in which we weigh and measure your pet and discuss diet.

We will track your pet’s weight loss over time by measuring your pets neck, widest part of the chest and waist. We also weigh and body condition score to build up a full picture of their overall progress.

With your consent we also take pictures before, during and after weight loss as it’s not always easy to see the progress when you see them every day.

If you think this service would be useful for you or you’d just like to check that your pet is the right weight, call to make a free appointment on Dorchester (Poundbury) 01305 267083 or Weymouth 01305 81330

Don’t forget that if you’re a member of The Castle Club you'll already have a full health check with a vet every year, and one six months later with a nurse. Plus, you can arrange for a weight check or weight clinic FREE OF CHARGE whenever you feel you need it.

Not already a member?
Find out more and Join today

*The survey was conducted online during January and February 2018.  The total sample size was 5,309 cat and dog owners who were responsible for their pet’s health and well-being (Brazil 1,068; China 1,036; Russian 1,111; United Kingdom 1,023 and United States 1,071).

Health Benefits of Veterinary Acupuncture for Pets

Did you know that pets, as well as people, can respond really well to acupuncture?

We’re delighted to now be able to offer this ancient Chinese therapy as a holistic supplement to traditional veterinary care. Veterinary acupuncture can be particularly useful when dealing with mobility issues, chronic pain conditions such as joint pain, and gastrointestinal issues. It’s an ideal treatment for older, geriatric pets who can find the therapy quiet calming, although it’s a useful complementary treatment for all life-stages.

Veterinary acupuncture is thought to work in a few different ways:
  • It can stimulate the release of the pain relieving and anti-inflammatory chemicals as well as relax muscles at the site of the needle insertion, causing both local and more generalised pain relief
  • Veterinary acupuncture can improve blood flow to tissue, increase oxygenation and remove metabolic waste and toxins
  • Unlike prescription drugs, there are no potential adverse side effects. It can also safely be used in conjunction with traditional vet medicine

Vet Alice Moore, who joined us in April, has been treating patients with acupuncture for a number of years.

“I find veterinary acupuncture to be useful in treating a whole range of conditions” says Alice. “Owners are often surprised that cats, dogs and rabbits all tolerate acupuncture really well and I have used it to treat back pain, arthritis, bladder problems and all sorts of lameness issues”

Alice Moore

Veterinary Surgeon

Here are some photos of Raz and Monty who are both being treated at our Dorchester clinic.

Here are some photos of Raz and Monty who are both being treated at our Dorchester clinic for front leg injuries.
Here are some photos of Raz and Monty who are both being treated at our Dorchester clinic for front leg injuries.
Here are some photos of Raz and Monty who are both being treated at our Dorchester clinic for front leg injuries.

If you think your pet might benefit from veterinary acupuncture or are just interested to learn more, contact us on 01305 267083 or using Petsapp

Castle Vets have partnered with Virtual Veterinary Specialists!

Castle Vets have partnered with Virtual Veterinary Specialists, a team of world-class specialists who work alongside our excellent veterinary team here at Castle Vets to achieve the best possible outcomes for your beloved pet.

So if we feel that your pet would benefit from being examined by a specialist for a more complex health issue, we can now use cutting edge technology to enable us to work together with the specialist to examine and treat your pet, here at Castle Vets.

This option is not only very convenient for you as there is no need to travel or take time off of work, but it is also much less stressful for your pet as they remain in the familiar environment of our practice with our caring veterinary team.  And you can rest assured that your beloved pet has received the best possible veterinary care all under one roof, here at Castle Vets!

Mitral Valve Disease (MVD) in Dogs

Does your dog have a big heart?

We should check it’s the right kind!

Here at Castle Vets we are launching a campaign to get as many dogs as possible diagnosed and staged with their heart disease because it can make a real difference to the outcome.

There are different types of heart disease but one of the most common causes of a murmur is Mitral Valve Disease (MVD).

What is Mitral Valve disease in dogs?

Mitral Valve Disease, Canine Myxomatous, or MVD, is a condition that primarily affects small to medium sized dogs, although it can affect any size dog. Degenerative changes thicken the valve in the heart, causing it to leak. When the disease progresses, the heart enlarges. This can eventually lead to heart failure.

Not all dogs with MVD will go into heart failure. Dogs with MVD who do go into heart failure are normally those with an enlarged heart. Usually dogs with both MVD and an enlarged heart will develop heart failure within 1-2 years.

There are certain breeds that are known to be likely to develop this condition, such as; Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Dachschunds. Although the genetics are being investigated, the disease is very common in small breed dogs as they age.

Dogs with MVD and an enlarged heart have been shown to stay outwardly healthy for longer and live longer with treatment. This is why it is important to check your dog’s heart so that treatment can be started at the right time to delay the onset of heart failure and keep them happy and healthy for as long as possible.

What can I do about MVD?

Here at Castle Vets, we have partnered with Virtual Veterinary Specialists to offer a Mitral Valve Screening ultrasound scan with a Specialist Cardiologist. Find out more about Virtual Veterinary Specialists here

Get £50 off an MVD Screening with a Specialist Cardiologist

For October and November we can offer MVD Screening for just £250. (Usually £300)
The scan will assess the severity of the heart disease and whether the heart is enlarged. If indicated then medicine can be prescribed to slow the progression of the disease.

Call the surgery to book an MVD Screening today
Simply call the surgery to book a Mitral Valve Screening Ultrasound appointment today and we can keep your dog happy and healthy for as long as possible.

Dorchester: 01305 267083 Weymouth: 01305 813303
LIMITED OFFER!

If you would like further information on Mitral Valve Disease then we recommend taking a look at http://bit.ly/beatdogheartdisease