Escaping the Heat
- Mary Malucci
- Jul 20, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 24, 2024
As the summer heat has all of us seeking a cool spot, our pets are at risk for the possibility of heat stroke. Defined as a dramatic increase of the pet’s core body temperature caused by environmental circumstances, heat stroke is the most severe type of hyperthermia, or elevated body temperature.
When human beings need to cool down in situations of extreme heat, we sweat from glands all over our bodies. As the perspiration evaporates from our skin, heat goes with it. Dogs and cats, however, only have a few sweat glands located in their paw pads and around their noses, which help disperse a little bit of heat. Our dogs cool themselves primarily by panting. Cats, on the other hand, groom themselves (licking their coat) as a method of evaporative cooling to lower their body temperature. In my ER experience, I have noticed many of the most devastating heat strokes occur on days humans consider warm but not hot, with temperatures in the high 70s and 80s. Often the scenario is the weather is now warm after a long winter and the human family members want to engage in outdoor activities for long periods of time. So they bring along their family dog, who has spent much of the winter sleeping on the couch. With their limited ability to cool off and unathletic condition, these dogs quickly overheat.
The early stages of environmental hyperthermia are heat stress and heat exhaustion. Signs of heat stress can be as subtle as drinking more water, panting or grooming more and seeking cool spots, like tile floors or deep shade. If the pet cannot find relief, heat stress will progress to heat exhaustion. Now your dog’s panting is noticeably heavier or your cat is grooming excessively. Your dog cannot drink enough water. They may start drooling thick saliva and their gum color will change, becoming purplish or pale. In both of these situations, your pet is still aware and responsive. Taking action and seeking treatment during these early stages is more likely to be successful.
If the unlucky pet progresses all the way to heat stroke, the chances of successfully treating the pet diminish significantly. The majority of these pets die regardless of aggressive veterinary care. Signs that your dog or cat is now dangerously overheated are vomiting or diarrhea (possibly with blood), increased heart rate, lethargy or collapse, dizziness, muscle tremors, seizures and unconsciousness. Cats normally do not pant for any reason. If your cat is panting with an open mouth, it’s dangerously overheated. If left untreated, recovery from heat stroke is almost non-existent. Death from untreated heat stroke can occur in under an hour. Some pets can fully recover from heat stroke if it is caught and treated early enough. Others can suffer permanent damage to their organs and require lifelong treatment. Any pet who survives a heat stroke is at much higher risk of suffering another one.
If you suspect your dog or cat is suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, get your pet to a veterinary ER clinic as soon as possible. Start cooling by removing the pet from the hot environment first. Dampen the pet’s body and the surrounding area and blow a fan across him or her to encourage evaporative cooling and gradually lower the pet’s body temperature. Offer water if the pet is alert enough to drink. Adding some tuna water or low salt chicken broth to the water may encourage an overheated cat to drink.
When cooling our pets at home, it is important to monitor their temperature so cooling efforts can be discontinued when the core body temperature reaches 103 degrees. Normal temperatures for our pets range between 100 and 102.5 degrees. Ideally, they should be measured rectally using a pet thermometer. We stop cooling at 103 degrees to avoid the possibility of driving the temperature too low, a condition known as hypothermia.
Ice bathing and wrapping the pet in wet towels actually inhibits cooling and are Not recommended. Ice cools the skin by constricting blood vessels which makes it harder for the pet’s core to cool down. Wet towels will trap heat and discourage cooling.
Even if it looks like your pet is cooling off, it’s still recommended you get your pet assessed by a veterinarian as soon as possible. The veterinarian will recommend hospitalization if your pet’s temperature is still elevated and your pet is showing symptoms. More severe cases may spend several days in the hospital. Treatments will include IV fluid therapy, oxygen support and medications needed to treat symptoms. Blood work will be done to assess the impact of prolonged hyperthermia on internal organs as well as the blood’s ability to clot. Some pet’s may require a blood transfusion. The prognosis for any pet is based on the severity and duration of heat stroke they have experienced.
The good news is that heat exhaustion and heat stroke are preventable conditions. The two primary contributing factors are the pet itself and the environment.
Some pets will be more susceptible to heat stroke for several physical reasons. Short nosed, flat faced (brachycephalic) dogs include Pugs, English bulldogs, French bulldogs, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu. Brachycephalic breeds are 146% more likely to suffer from heat stroke than any other dog breed. Their small, narrow nostrils, long soft palate, and under-developed airways prevent efficient airflow, which means they struggle to cool themselves on any day. Just being outside on a hot day with a brachycephalic dog can cause heat stroke. Brachycephalic cats include Persians, Himalayans, Burmese, Scottish folds and exotic shorthairs.
Small animals like birds, guinea pigs, rats, mice, rabbits, and ferrets are often confined to cages and hutches and are unable to move to cooler places. To minimize the risk of heat stroke for such confined pets, owners need to ensure these enclosures are located in cool, shaded and well-ventilated areas with plenty of drinking water. Partially draping cages with wet towels and providing an ice pack or frozen water bottle for them to lean against may help these small animals regulate their body temperature.
Dogs or cats struggling with respiratory, cardiovascular or neurologic disease are at greater risk, as are very young and very old pets, obese pets, pets with long thick hair coats and dehydrated pets.
Dogs and cats with white or very light fur and unpigmented skin are at risk for sunburn. Ask your veterinarian about pet friendly sunscreens to protect their skin. If you are considering clipping your long haired pet, do not cut the hair shorter than about one inch to protect skin from sunburn.
Environments that contribute to heat stroke in our pets all have certain factors in common. We can’t do much about high temperatures and high humidity in the warmer months. However, we can address other environmental circumstances like inadequate airflow and ventilation, no access to or inadequate shade and no access to or inadequate drinking water. Water bowls will need to be refilled more often in warm weather. Access to shade will change throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky.
Dogs who spend most of their time indoors may need up to 60 days to acclimate to significant changes in outside temperatures. This is important to consider if you plan to take your dog on vacation to a much warmer climate. If you decide to leave your dog at home, you may want to consider boarding. Pet sitters may not be at your home often enough to address sudden environmental changes, like a loss of air conditioning.
Even athletic dogs will overheat if asked to exercise too much in the heat. Avoid exercising any dog during the hottest hours of the day, generally between 10am and 2pm. Avoid walking pets on hot sand, concrete, asphalt or any other surface that reflects heat. If you can’t comfortably lay your hand on such a surface and keep it there for more than 5 seconds, that surface is too hot for your pet to walk on. Dogs who travel in pick up truck beds are at risk of burning their skin, especially paw pads, on the hot metal of the truck bed.
Every year, the Weather Channel broadcasts a campaign to raise public awareness of the danger of heat stroke in cars. It only takes ten minutes for the temperature in a parked car to increase 10-20 degrees, even with the windows partly open. In the first half hour, the temperature will continue to rise about 1 degree per minute. By the end of the first hour, the average car is 43 degrees hotter than the outside temperature.
So, on an 85 degree day, the temperature inside the car could be as high as 95-105 degrees in 10 minutes. The interior temperature will continue to rise and may be 115-120 by 30 minutes and may be over 128 degrees in an hour. Once our pet’s body temperature reaches 106 degrees, internal organs are damaged and failure occurs. The central nervous system is also affected and many pets develop seizures. If the pet is unable to escape the heat and its temperature climbs over 109 degrees, the internal damage has become too severe to reverse. These pets always die.
An environmental situation that seems to be unique to cats is getting trapped in a clothes dryer. Most commonly seen with kittens and young cats, the pet jumps into the dryer unseen as the owner is loading wet clothes. The owner closes the door, starts the dryer and walks away. By the time the owner comes to check on the now dry laundry, the cat has died of heat stroke. To avoid this, keep cats away from the laundry machines and double check before starting the dryer.
Garages are typically uninsulated so are not much cooler than being outdoors. If the air conditioner stops working in your home, it will get dangerously hot for your entire family. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pet.
Once we have cooled the environment to the best of our abilities, we can continue to support our pets by creating cool spots and ensuring access to plenty of cool water. Cold spots can be made using commercial cooling mats or by refrigerating ceramic tiles or baking trays for pets to lay on. Provide multiple bowls of water in case one gets tipped over. Check water bowls frequently so they never run dry and place ice cubes in the water to keep it cool.
Owners can make pupsicles by freezing low sodium chicken, beef or bone broth in an ice cube tray. Feed them to your dogs as treats. For outside time, provide a small children’s wading pool for dogs to lay in. Be aware, if you need to muzzle your pet, it will inhibit their ability to stay cool so don’t use it any longer than necessary. Cats will benefit from extra grooming to help remove excess hair.
Whether or not you believe in global warming or climate change, statistics show the average high temperatures during summer in Virginia have risen 2.8 degrees since 1979. We are also experiencing more extreme heat days with temperatures above 90. Already this year, Virginia is recording warmer than average temperatures. The increasing intensity of hot humid weather makes it even more important to be diligent about ensuring our pets stay cool in the summer heat.
Heat Stroke in Dogs (what you need to know)
Heat Stroke in Cats (what you need to know)
Heat Stroke in Cats by Jennifer S. Fryer, DVM
Heatstroke: A medical emergency
11 Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion in Dogs
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