TIPS FOR PREVENTING HEAT STRESS
Now some hot weather "tips" (from years of living in S. Florida and
working as a Vet Tech )
1) Pack a cooler with some ice and put some water over the ice. Throw in some
hand towels (along with anything else you need to keep cold). Use the cold hand
towels around your neck (cooling off the blood flow to the brain) and also on
your dog - the dog can stand or lay on the cool towels, you can cool down the
stomach and large muscle groups (inside of thigh) and you can wrap the towel
around the dogs' neck to cool down the blood flow to the brain.
2) Make sure to take your dog out of the A/C a little while before their run
time to acclimate to the heat. If your dog has NOT seen coursing, let them
watch a few runs but try and keep them from getting over excited and
consequently, over heated.
3) After your dog runs make sure to allow plenty of time to cool down - take
the dog on a walk AWAY from the course. Walk the dog down until the tongue
returns to a light pink and is not hanging almost to the ground. Allow sips of
tepid (NOT ICE COLD!!) water while cooling down. Do NOT allow the dog to gulp
down buckets of water!!!! You can rub the inside of the thighs with the
cold hand towel to help cool the dog down. Only put the dog back in the crate
when the panting has slowed down.
5) Isopropyl Alcohol applied to the pads of the feet will
also help cooling. Check the pads first to make sure they are not raw (OUCH!)
6) Wire crates help the air circulate - VariKennels will hold the body heat IN.
7) DO NOT wet a long coated or double coated dog completely!!! This will
just cause the dog to over heat as the coat will basically "steam"
the dog. Only wet the stomach, inside of the thighs, feet and you can get the
top of the head wet as well.
8) Remember YOU are your dogs advocate. As a Field Trial Secretary I will be
happy to issue a refund of entry fees in the form of a VOUCHER to be used at a
future GANG event if you think it will not be safe for your dog (note: not all Trials
will do this!)
9) Remember to hydrate yourself – you are no good to your dogs if you suffer from Heat Exhaustion! Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum as it will dehydrate you quickly!
Here are some other words of wisdom from a Veterinarian
familiar with Heat related issues and prevention: Avoiding Heat Related
Injuries in Dogs
>
> Nate Baxter DVM
>
> The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are
different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to
know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in
first aid.
>
> Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference,
but if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiology changes will make
them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need
intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it.
> Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient mean of cooling.
> However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so
cooling does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will
use ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog,
so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. When you immerse a dog
in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the dog, and
act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops. If you can run
water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the best. Misting the
dog with water will only help if you are in a dry environment or in front of a
fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point, you want the water to be cool
itself, or to evaporate.
>
> For MOST situations all you will need to do is get the dog in a cooler
> environment, ie shade, or in the cab of the truck with the air
conditioning on (driving around so the truck does not overheat and the AC is
more efficient). Up to a couple of years ago, I was very concerned about my
dogs getting too hot in the back of my black pickup with a black cap. New white
truck fixed a lot of that problem. When I had one dog I just pulled the wire
crate out of the car and put it in some shade and hopefully a breeze. But
having 2 dogs and running from one stake to another, that was not feasible. So
I built a platform to put the wire crates on, this raises the dog up in the
truck box where the air flow is better. Then I placed a 3 speed box fan in
front blowing on the dogs with a foot of space to allow better airflow. I
purchased a power inverter that connects to the battery and allows the 3 speed
fan to run from the truck power. It has an automatic feature that prevents it
from draining the battery. When I turned that fan on medium I would find that
the dogs where asleep, breathing slowly and appeared very relaxed and
comfortable in a matter of 20 minutes or less, even on very hot muggy days.
>
> Alcohol: I do carry it for emergencies. It is very effective at cooling
due to the rapid evaporation. It should be used when other methods are not
working. You should be on your way to the veterinarian before you get to this
point. We recommend using rubbing alcohol, which is propylene alcohol, not
ethyl, for those of you not aware. So do not try to drink it. Alcohol should be
used on the pads and lower feet area where there is little more than skin and
blood vessels over the bones. Use a little bit and let it evaporate, you can
use too much as some is absorbed through the skin. There are concerns about
toxicity, but you have to get the temperature down.
>
> I purchased those cooling pads that you soak in cold water, but found that
the dogs would not lay on them. I would hold them on the back of a dog that
just worked to get a quick cool, but have not used them for years. I also
bought a pair of battery operated fans but found them pretty useless. Spend
your money on the power inverter and get a real fan.
>
> Watching temperature: If you feel your dog is in danger of heat injury,
check its temp and write it down. Keep checking the temp every 3 minutes. I
recommend to get a "rectal glass thermometer. The digital ones for the
drug store I have found to be very unreliable, Don't forget to shake it down
completely each time, sounds silly, but when are worried about your companion,
things tend to get mixed up. This is VERY IMPORTANT**once the temp STARTS to
drop, STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS. The cooling process will continue even though
you have stopped. If the temp starts at 106.5, and then next time it drops to
105.5, stop cooling the dog, dry it off, and continue monitoring. You will be
amazed how it continues to go down. If you do not stop until the temp is 102,
the temp will drop way too low. I cannot emphasis this point enough.
>
> When the dog is so heated that it is panting severely, only let it have a
few laps of water. Water in the stomach does not cool the dog, you just need to
keep the mouth wet so the panting is more effective.
>
> Do not worry about hydration until the temp has started down. A dog
panting heavily taking in large amounts of water is a risk of bloat.
>
> Due to the heavy panting they will swallow air, mixed with a large amount
of water they can bloat. Once the temp is going down and panting has slowed to
more normal panting then allow water. The dog will rehydrate it self after temp
is normal. If the dog has a serious problem and even though you have gotten the
temp normal, get the dog to a vet, as it can still need IV fluids and some
medication. Also, a case of heat stroke can induce a case of hemorrhagic
gastroenteritis (not parvo), with a ton of very bloody diarrhea and a lot of
fluid and electrolyte loss. These cases need aggressive treatment.
>
> The best method of treatment is prevention. Learn to watch your dog, and
see the changes in the size of the tongue, and how quickly it goes down. Learn
your dogs response to the different environments, and be careful when you head
south for an early season hunt test or trial. I have been to Nashville at the
end of May, only 5 hours away, but the difference in temp and humidity did
effect the dogs as they were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different
things in training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. Another
very important point=> Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put in put
in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not take place in a tight
space, and the box will turn into a sauna and you will cook your dog.
>
> Carry a stake out chain, and let the dog cool and dry before putting it
up. I demonstrated this lesson this spring with my 10 month old pup. After
doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree day, she was
panting pretty hard and was pretty hot. She was OK but it was time to stop.
Just for the heck of it I took her temp. She was 103.6, above normal but too
bad for a dog that had just finished working. In my back yard I have a 300
gallon Rubbermaid tub filled with water. I took her to it and she jumped in and
out 3-4 times. She appeared totally improved, tongue was much smaller, and eyes
brighter and her full spring was back into her step. So I re-took her temp and
it was 104.2, so even though she looked better she was hotter. This is a
perfect lesson to show not get a hot dog wet and then put them in a box. The
water on her skin caused the blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow
to the skin. Therefore the hot blood was shunted back to the dog's core a nd
retained the heat. You may have felt the same thing, after exercising but still
being very warm, take a shower and get cooled off but as soon as you turn the
shower off you start sweating again.
>
> I know this is s bit long, but hopefully this is easy to understand and
helps provide some useful information.
>
> Remember: Prevention, learn your dog. It is worth the time and effort.
>
> ____________ ______
>
> Nate Baxter, DVM
>
As always, I am HAPPY to answer any questions you might have. Sharon 770-778-4346