How To Help A Dog With Heat Stroke

In Arizona, it’s important to know how to handle heat strokes in any situation, especially if you’re an active person. Knowing how to save your furry friends during an outdoor activity is just as important, that’s what this article will be explaining.

To start off, here are the tell-tale signs of a heat stroke in dogs:

Heavy panting, breathing issues
Excessive drool
Dry/ reddened/ sticky gums
Disoriented
Lethargic
Collapse
Seizing
Vomiting

So, yeah, a heat stroke is hard to miss with dogs.

Here are the DO’s in saving your pup:

DO Relocate The Pet

Make sure they’re out of the sun and heat, if possible. This keeps the threat of constant heat away from the fur baby.

DO Use Cool Water

Gather water from faucets, water bottles, hoses, or anything with water to gradually cool your pet down, this will increase its chance of survival. Continue pouring cool water in small splashes until its breathing returns to normal.

DO Fan Your Pet

Air movement added to the water is crucial as it is not shocking to the pet’s already shocked system.

DO Make The Pet Drink Water

Hydration is key here! While it is equally important to cool it down externally, its body needs water to replenish its energy.

DO Call The Emergency Vet

We hope this was at the top of your mind and has already been done, as getting your pet to the vet as soon as possible can greatly increase its survival.

And here are the DON’T’s:

DON’T Pour Water

Pouring water on the animal will only worsen its condition, it will have the opposite affect that you’re wanting. It would be too overwhelming for its body to handle all at once.

DON’T Use Cold Water

As previously mentioned, cool water ,between the temps of 15-16 degrees C/ 59-60 degrees F, is the optimal choice. Cold water will only serve to shock the system even further, as it would be too jarring to go from overheated to freezing in a short amount of time.

DON’T Put A Towel Over It

Putting a towel over the furry friend will only trap even more heat over it and quicken the progression of the heat stroke.

DON’T Pour Water Over Its Head

If this is done, you run the risk of the animal inhaling the water, thus causing it to drown or suffocate. Animals who have lost consciousness will stop panting, despite their extremely high temperature, this means you must resort to aggressive cooling.

DON’T Keep Going When It Shivers

When the animal begins to shiver, you must slow down the process of cooling. Its body is overwhelmed, so keeping an eye on its body language is imperative.