How To Prevent Heat Stroke in Dogs

Hot summers for pregnant dogs can be risky especially if your dog is an outdoorsy.

Formulating a plan to prevent heat stroke for your pregnant dog is very important especially for the development of the pups.

If a dog’s internal temperature raises above 105 degrees F, a chemical reaction occurs that breaks down your pet’s cells and can be fatal.

Avoiding this can be simple if you follow simple common sense steps to prevent this from happening to your dog.

Step by Step

Make sure to Give your dog appropriate shade and water. Your dog will naturally look for shade so build a make shift shelter for them and lay out plenty of bowls of water for them.

If you have an exercise routine with your dog, limit this to the morning and at night time when temperatures are cooler.

When walking your dog check them for signs of over heating, like tiredness, heavy panting or if they are stumbling or seem weak. Rest in a shaded area and give them plenty of water and if her symptoms don’t stop, take her home and look for your closest veterinarian for assistance.

Never leave your dog in a parked car, even if it’s with the windows down. You wouldn’t leave a baby in a parked car so don’t do it with your dog. The internal temperature can increase to

fatal levels for your dog in just minutes.

If your planning a long road trip, use window shades on your car to minimize increasing the heat in your vehicle. Bring water and ice for hydration, but be careful, some vets think ice cubes are bad for dogs.

Tips

Use cool pads or bandanas, pour water on them to keep the temperature low in your dog’s crate or in your car.

Athletic ice packs cause less mess and spillage and can be applied to specific areas.

Notes

•Spray your dog with water from a bottle, but be aware that this is sometimes used for punishment so your dog might interpret the action as a punishment before anything else, if it has done something wrong.

•Bulldogs are especially prone to heat exhaustion so keep them under shade for as long as they need.

•Use a rectal thermometer to check your dog’s temperature. If it is around 105 F then sponge him down with water or put him in a cool bath, when the temp. drops to around 103-104 F take him out of the bath so the temperature change isn’t too sudden or doesn’t drop drastically.

•If you show some negligence and leave your dog in the car by accident, some people might report to the police so always look out for your pet’s well being.

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