Hyperthermia and heatstroke in a dog. Heat stroke in dogs Heat stroke in dogs

Summer heat may cause your dog to overheat. Which dogs are most susceptible to overheating? How to avoid overheating? What to do if your dog is overheated?

The forecast promises a hot summer. Heat can be dangerous for our dogs, as their ability to cool down is limited: dogs cool themselves only through rapid breathing and through the sweat glands on their paws - such a developed system sweat glands like people, they don't. Thus, the dog quickly overheats, and the cooling process takes a long time. Brachycephalic dogs with difficulty breathing, as well as elderly and sick animals are most at risk. Sunstroke and overheating often lead to serious problems and even death of the animal: when body temperature rises to 40 degrees, blood circulation is disrupted, and at 43 degrees, death is possible.

Dogs left to their own devices are able to avoid overheating on their own, for example by moving into the shade or refraining from physical activity. But they are often forced to obey the will of the owner and cannot always avoid problems arising from high temperatures. On the contrary: often owners themselves lead their dogs into a state that is dangerous to their health.

So, there are people who, despite the heat, take their dogs for a walk around the city. Someone forces the dog to wear a narrow muzzle, which does not allow the dog to cool itself through the mouth. Someone ties up their dog in the yard or near a store, not paying attention to the baking sun. Some people leave it in the car for a long time. Particularly “dominant” owners force the dog to train in the heat or suffocate it with narrow collars. Many of us probably forget to take water with us on walks or do not make sure that our dog has constant access to water. Many people believe that the sun is good for their health and want to “heal” their dog with its rays, forcing it to spend many hours on the hot beach. However, dogs are very sensitive to a strong increase in temperature - so in this case we must also be able to look at the world through the eyes of our pet.

The dog should always have the opportunity to go into the shadows at will. One day I saw a bulldog tied up in the sun (the dog was waiting for its owners to leave the dining room). There were dense, shady bushes a few meters away from the bulldog, but the dog could not reach them on his short leash. Typically, a dog suffering from overheating becomes restless and strives to go into the shade at all costs. The tethered bulldog was no longer capable of even this - he was truly ill. So he stood with his head bowed low, his eyes closed, and he breathed so heavily, as if every breath was her last. I carefully approached the bulldog, untied it from the post and took it into the shade. At the old place, I left a note for the owner: Your dog is overheated in the sun. Now she is in the shadows around the corner. It was a little awkward for me to intervene in a situation with someone else’s dog, but when I saw the suffering dog, I simply could not overcome myself. Now I know that I had nothing to be ashamed of: by law, every citizen of the EU (and, I hope, Russia) is obliged to help a living creature if it is in danger. We are obliged to help, even if providing assistance requires damaging someone else's property (for example, breaking a window in a car where a child or dog dies from the heat)!

In means mass media Horrifying statistics are published on the deaths of dogs and small children from overheating in cars: an adult, apparently, is rude enough and is not able to imagine that he is killing his child or dog simply by leaving them in the car.

Therefore, we just have to focus on the facts: due to the greenhouse effect that occurs in a parked car, at an external temperature of +30 degrees, after 10 minutes the interior heats up to +40 degrees, and after 30 minutes the temperature reaches 70-80 degrees. Moreover, open side windows do not always help to avoid overheating. Therefore, in hot weather, a dog or child can be left in the car only if absolutely necessary, no longer than 2-3 minutes.

Symptoms of overheating

The dog’s body is very hot, the tongue turns blue, the gait becomes unsteady, salivation increases, the dog gasps for air; with severe overheating, vomiting is possible, the dog loses the ability to walk, facial muscles become less mobile, and blood circulation is impaired.

What to do if your dog is overheated?

• Avoid stress, try to calm the dog.
• You can spray your dog for cooling. cold water, move to a cold room, turn on the fan, place the dog in cold water or make compresses with cold water or ice from the refrigerator wrapped in a rag (to avoid too much hypothermia). You need to start cooling from your feet. Next, cool the stomach and chest, then the head and neck.
• Give the dog something to drink cold water in small sips (but do not force water into her mouth). The dog must drink, but not much!
• To improve blood circulation, foot massage is recommended.
• Monitor your dog's temperature. Stop cooling as soon as the temperature drops to 38.5 - 39 degrees.

First aid measures should have an effect within 10 minutes. If there is no improvement, contact your veterinarian.

It is important to remember that in hot weather your dog needs special care. Overheating of the animal's body can cause heat stroke and, as a result, malfunction internal organs. In some cases, heatstroke in a dog can lead to death. In this picture you will find simple tips about how to help an animal in the heat, as well as signs heatstroke at the dog.

What to do if your dog gets heatstroke?

If you notice signs of overheating, take the animal to the emergency room as soon as possible. veterinary clinic or call your veterinarian. First aid should be provided immediately: move the dog to the shade, wet its ears, armpits, thighs and abdominal area with cool water or place a damp towel on these areas. Under no circumstances douse the animal with cold water - the cooling must be gradual, otherwise the dog will only get worse.

Even if the dog has regained consciousness and it seems to you that the danger has passed, still show it to a veterinarian. Sometimes the effects of heatstroke can appear even several days after first aid is provided.

Heatstroke in dogs is not uncommon. It occurs as a result of prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Most often this happens when in the summer the animal is left in a closed, unventilated room, car or cage for a long time. It is also dangerous to leave your pet on a leash or in conditions limited space on a hot day, as this can lead to sunstroke. Both of these conditions pose a serious threat to life, as they can lead to irreversible processes or death.

Postpone extreme heat help humans and many warm-blooded animals sweat glands, located in skin. As the air temperature rises, they begin to intensively produce liquid, which, when evaporated, cools the skin and prevents the body from overheating.

In dogs, this mechanism of thermoregulation is practically absent, since their sweat glands are located only on the pads of their paws. However, the main evaporation of moisture occurs from the surface of the tongue. At a comfortable ambient temperature, the number of respiratory movements in a pet is from 30 to 40 cycles per minute. In hot weather, this figure can reach from 300 to 400.

In dogs with a flat face (pugs, Pekingese, french bulldogs and some other breeds) heatstroke can occur much earlier than in pets with an elongated jaw. This is due to the inability to perform a sufficient number of breathing movements to maintain thermoregulation.

Dogs with overweight bodies, weakened animals. Thick fur, which has thermal insulating properties, can aggravate the situation. Although at the same time it protects the skin from sunburn.

Hazards of exposure to high temperatures

Normal body temperature in dogs various breeds varies from 37.5 to 39°C. Increasing it to 40.5°C poses a threat to the health of the animal, and at 42°C irreversible processes begin, the consequences of which may not appear immediately, but 4-5 days after overheating in the sun. This is explained by the coagulation of proteins, entailing both functional and structural changes in tissues, which appear as:

• bleeding disorders;
• renal failure;
• seizures and paralysis;
• cerebral edema;
• destruction of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines;
• arrhythmias;
• paralysis respiratory center, leading to death.

A temperature of 43°C is considered critical, since the blood begins to intensively clot, numerous blood clots form, brain swelling occurs, the animal falls into a coma and dies.

Symptoms of excessive heat exposure

In order to take timely measures, you need to know the main signs of heatstroke in a dog. These include:

The animal stops responding to commands and surrounding objects. The dog lies down and cannot get up due to loss of coordination. Gradually, convulsions begin, and the pet may lose consciousness.

If at this moment first aid is not provided and the animal’s skin is not cooled, brain swelling occurs, the temperature drops sharply below normal, and the mucous membranes become blue. This is followed by coma and death.

Having discovered symptoms of heatstroke in a dog, the owner should try to remain calm and keep the pet conscious for as long as possible. To this end, you need to constantly talk to him in a calm, fairly loud and confident voice. It should be understood that the owner’s panic is very quickly transmitted to the animal and aggravates the current situation.

Having eliminated the first signs of overheating, the animal must be shown to a veterinarian. After this, you should carefully monitor the dog for another 5 days, during which symptoms may appear. Negative consequences heatstroke.

Symptoms sunstroke very similar to excessive heat exposure. It is worth adding that dogs with thin coats and light colored noses may develop burns.

First aid for heatstroke

At the first sign of heatstroke, move the animal to a cool place with adequate ventilation. Next you need to proceed according to the following scheme:

Do not apply ice to your fingertips or pour very cold water on your pet. This will lead to narrowing of skin vessels and overheating of internal organs, which will only worsen the situation.

All cooling procedures must be carried out within 10-15 minutes after the first symptoms of heat stroke appear. Next, you should take the animal to a veterinary hospital or call a specialist to your home.

In cases where this is not possible, you should do it yourself intramuscular injections caffeine or cordiamine. Subcutaneously or intravenously inject a 5% solution of glucose and saline.

How to help your dog cope with the heat

There are several rules on how to help a dog in the heat:

Rules for transporting dogs in a car

The main rule, to which there are no exceptions, is that a dog should NEVER be transported in the trunk of a car. This is fraught not only with hyperthermia, but also with stress, trauma, and subsequent nervous disorders and even death.

Consequences of sunstroke

Even if you know the rules on how to save a dog from the heat and provide first aid in case of heatstroke, you should not neglect contacting a veterinary medicine specialist.

The fact is that the relief that occurs may be temporary, and after 3-5 days it will manifest itself as a disturbance in cardiac activity, renal failure, such nervous phenomena as convulsions, paresis, paralysis and epileptic seizures.

What it is?

Thermalhit- This critical condition, which develops if an animal overheats for one reason or another (in the sun, in a closed car, due to great physical exertion), and its body temperature rises above 40.5 ° C.

All warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, and humans, know how to deal with excess heat. Animals are looking for a cool place, trying to lie on the cold floor on their stomachs, spreading out their arms “like a frog.” hind legs. A person who is hot sweats and thus cools down.

Dogs and cats have very few sweat glands (they are mainly located on the pads of their paws), therefore, in order to increase heat transfer, the animal has to breathe frequently - a lot of heat is lost with exhaled air. In addition, the heart rate increases and the blood vessels of the skin and mucous membranes dilate to increase heat transfer from the surface of the body.

However, if there is no opportunity to go to a cool place, if for some reason breathing or blood circulation is impaired, if it is so hot that the body, using all its capabilities, “cannot cope” with the release of excess heat, heat stroke develops. Therefore, the likelihood of heat stroke is high in dogs with short, “flattened” faces (bulldogs, boxers, pugs), in the elderly, pregnant women, and in animals with overweight, with diseases of the upper respiratory tract or lungs, or cardiovascular system.

Any dog ​​or cat can suffer from heatstroke if they are exposed to a lot of activity in hot, humid weather, and especially if they have thick, warm fur.

Most patients who come to veterinarian with heat stroke are animals left in a tightly closed car. Even on a cool day, in a car parked in the sun, the temperature can rise to 48° C within 20 minutes.

Heatstroke may be suspected if the animal has a very heat, shortness of breath, high frequency heart rate, redness of mucous membranes, and it is known that it has overheated. The latter is very important. The fact is that similar symptoms can be observed in other diseases that occur with an increase in body temperature (fever), for example, in severe inflammatory processes, and the treatment in this case will be completely different.

If in case of heat stroke the animal needs to be cooled, and antipyretic drugs are ineffective and can cause harm, then in case of fever dangerous cool the animal without using antipyretics. Heatstroke may also cause vomiting and diarrhea, impaired consciousness, and convulsions. If shock develops, the temperature may drop and the mucous membranes may become pale.

Very high temperatures have a damaging effect on all organs of the animal, primarily the kidneys, nervous system, lungs, gastrointestinal tract. Blood clotting disorders may develop.

When the temperature rises to 43 and above, the damage can become irreversible. Unfortunately, successful cooling of an injured dog to normal temperature does not guarantee recovery. Signs of severe complications may appear within 3 to 5 days after suffering heat stroke.

How to help?

If you suspect your pet has heatstroke (that is, you are sure that he is overheated!), you need to immediately begin cooling and urgently take him to the doctor. To cool the animal, you need to move it to a cool place, wet its fur with cold water, apply cold compresses to the armpits and inner surface hips

It is very important to be careful and stop on time! Too fast and strong cooling is no less dangerous than overheating. It is necessary to constantly monitor body temperature - not “by the nose”, but using a thermometer. It is necessary to reduce the temperature to 39.0 - 39.5 in 30 minutes - 1 hour and stop cooling. Even if you managed to reduce the temperature to normal, it is necessary to show the animal to a doctor, since severe complications may develop after heatstroke.

Like most illnesses in general, heatstroke is easier to prevent than to treat. Never leave your pets in a closed car in the sun. In hot weather, it is better for animals, like people, to limit physical exercise- shorten the walk, refuse long trip or from playing with a ball or stick in the sun. This is especially important if your friend is at risk. No victory at an exhibition or competition hunting dogs or sporting competitions is not worth the health and life of the animal.

Orlova Maria Eduardovna
anesthesiologist-resuscitator

Heatstroke in a dog - serious condition, which occurs against the background of overheating of the body when exposed to high temperatures environment and high humidity. The disease is accompanied by a violation of natural thermoregulation and dysfunction of the internal organs, cardiovascular and nervous systems.

The risk group includes:

• with long hair;
• representatives hunting breeds who have to search for trophies for a long time in an open field and under the scorching sun;
• overfed (obese) animals;
• brachycephals (pug, Pekingese, );
• elderly and pregnant pets;
• dogs brought from the northern regions to the southern ones, which were not accustomed to the hot climate.

Predisposing factors to heat stroke are fatigue, congenital weakness of the heart and lungs, as well as dark color wool

Why is this possible?

The answer lies in the peculiarities of physiology: they have practically no sweat glands (only a small amount is located on the pads of their paws), therefore, to cool down, the pet has to breathe often and deeply - with the exhaled air they release significant amount heat.

Natural cooling is also facilitated by an increase in the number of heart beats and expanding blood capillaries skin and tongue, which is why dogs stick it out when they are too hot.

At a certain point, when the body is no longer able to cope with the heat with its own protective devices, a crisis is coming.

Causes

Like all warm-blooded animals, including humans, a dog can experience heatstroke as a result of:

• exposure to direct sunlight;
• high air temperature;
• lack of wind or shady places where one could hide from the scorching sun;
• lack of drinking water;
• overheating of the body in the heat with high air humidity;
• prolonged physical activity in warm weather.

How to understand what's going on

Symptoms of heatstroke in a dog are:

1. First of all, there is excitement, turning into apathy and general weakness. The pet has a wild, frightened look, the conjunctiva is red, the eyes protrude beyond the orbit of the eye. The head is hot. Breathing is frequent, pulse is arrhythmic.
2. Coordination of movements is impaired (unsteadiness of gait, the animal falls on its side), the mucous membranes take on a bluish tint, body temperature rises above normal, and vomiting is possible.
3. On the background sharp decline cardiac activity, pulmonary edema may begin, which is manifested by shortness of breath and foamy discharge from the nasal passages.
4. The dog is in a semi-fainting state: falls to the ground, does not respond to pain or touch, the pupils dilate.
5. Fainting may give way to a coma: lack of response to external stimuli, involuntary defecation and urination, shallow breathing.
6. Death occurs during clonic convulsions, due to paralysis of the heart or respiratory center.

Making a diagnosis is not difficult, especially if the fact of overheating of the animal is known for certain: hot weather, stuffy room, prolonged stay in a closed car in the sun, etc.

It should be understood that similar signs may be present in others no less dangerous diseases(poisoning, brain inflammation, plague, some bacterial infections), which is why it is so important to correctly collect an anamnesis, that is, to carefully analyze the latest events that happened to the dog.

Therapy

When the pet is outside, the first step is to move it into the shade. The head is watered with cool water (it is important not to overcool the animal and not catch a cold). Instead of water, you can use ice packs; they are also applied to the heart area, stomach and inner thighs.

At the first symptoms of heatstroke, the animal can be bathed in the nearest body of water (under no circumstances should it be allowed to dry for a long time in a draft, otherwise there is a chance of developing sciatica).

With significant deterioration of the condition and obvious signs heart failure, when simply wiping with a wet towel is unlikely to help, cardiac glycosides and camphor preparations are used.

In some cases shown intravenous administration glucose and saline solution. Resorting to treatment with droppers without the recommendation of a specialist can be dangerous by further deteriorating the functioning of the heart, since the increasing volume of fluid in the bloodstream creates additional stress on it.

Severe agitation is treated with sleeping pills or sedatives.

Breeds such as Pekingese, etc. on especially hot days of summer it is very good to organize “glaciers”.

Prevention

To prevent it, just follow simple rules:

• Never leave your dog in a parked car, not only in the sun, but also in the shade, even when open windows The car gets very hot in hot weather. In the absence of wind, high temperatures can become fatal;
• When traveling by car, do not forget to turn on the climate control; if it is not available, then periodically wipe the animal with a wet cloth and give it water - this will help increase heat transfer;
• The apartment or house should be cool; if there is no air conditioning, then the dog should have secluded shaded places where it could hide from the scorching sun; windows are curtained or equipped with blinds;
• Unobstructed and 24-hour access to water is also mandatory;
• Always monitor your pet's weight: obesity predisposes to heatstroke;
• Walk with your pet better in the morning or in the evening, when the sun’s activity is not so great, spend more time on the lawn and in the shade of trees, avoid asphalt or concrete paths;
• When transporting an animal, the carrier must be well ventilated on all sides;
• For owners of dogs with long hair, one more rule should be followed: cut the animal's hair well in advance of the onset of hot weather.

Fox Terrier enjoys a cold shower :)