honoringintimates
New member
Warmer days are coming. Those of you that own any brachycephalic dog (smashed face), or obese dogs like labs need to be very careful. The heat can be deadly. Dogs cool mostly by panting. Brachycephalic dogs and older obese dogs don’t cool as well by this method because their airway is compromised. Brachycephalics tend to have an elongated soft palate, stenotic nares (narrowed nostril openings) and a stenotic trachea. This means their airway isn’t sufficient to move air as much as a normal dog, so their ability to cool and oxygenate are compromised and they overheat easily. Any dog with Laryngeal Paralysis is basically in the same situation, this is common in old labs. The folds of tissue in the laryngeal area prevent the dog from taking in as much air as they can per breath. Decreased oxygenation and heat equals heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
When one of these dogs presents to me in the ER, they are in dire straits. They are hypoxic and hyperthermic. We try to cool them as fast as possible as hyperthermia can contribute to DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy) and potentially seizures. Seizures cause the body temperature to elevate even more and compounds the problem. We have to sedate them and intubate, monitor their breathing until they come down to a normal temperature and we think they can breathe ok on their own.
At this point, it matters what internal temperature they reached and if they have had any seizures. If they had a higher body temp for a prolonged period of time, they are at risk for DIC and need plasma transfusions as their body has destroyed the ability to clot blood. The smallest injury can cause them to bleed out. We also treat the seizures with benzodiazepines. There is higher risk for a stroke.
If you have a brachycephalic dog or an older obese dog, please do not take them on long walks or hikes in weather above 80 degrees F. I’ve seen so many hot days where we have three bulldogs present within an hour in heat stroke. The owners took them on a hike, they couldn’t cool themselves properly. And it took them time to get back to the car with the pet in distress. It doesn’t usually end with the dog walking out of the hospital.
Keep them in AC or as cool as possible. There is zero reason to go for a hike in this weather. It will cost you thousands to try to fix the problem with no guarantees. Just keep them home.
When one of these dogs presents to me in the ER, they are in dire straits. They are hypoxic and hyperthermic. We try to cool them as fast as possible as hyperthermia can contribute to DIC (Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy) and potentially seizures. Seizures cause the body temperature to elevate even more and compounds the problem. We have to sedate them and intubate, monitor their breathing until they come down to a normal temperature and we think they can breathe ok on their own.
At this point, it matters what internal temperature they reached and if they have had any seizures. If they had a higher body temp for a prolonged period of time, they are at risk for DIC and need plasma transfusions as their body has destroyed the ability to clot blood. The smallest injury can cause them to bleed out. We also treat the seizures with benzodiazepines. There is higher risk for a stroke.
If you have a brachycephalic dog or an older obese dog, please do not take them on long walks or hikes in weather above 80 degrees F. I’ve seen so many hot days where we have three bulldogs present within an hour in heat stroke. The owners took them on a hike, they couldn’t cool themselves properly. And it took them time to get back to the car with the pet in distress. It doesn’t usually end with the dog walking out of the hospital.
Keep them in AC or as cool as possible. There is zero reason to go for a hike in this weather. It will cost you thousands to try to fix the problem with no guarantees. Just keep them home.