High Heat Health Risks for Dogs

4 BIG health issues that could affect your dog during high heat!

We are moving into our second year of a heat wave here in Coquitlam, BC. Last year we had crazy heat as high at 38 C and it didn't cool down below 25 C overnight! We are lucky our heat is peaking this week for only one day at 36 C and cooling down to 20 C overnight.

Every year we run into trying to exercise and take care of our dogs when the temps start to rise at the beginning of Summer. There are many different issues that can come up when the temps spike but these are the 4 most common conditions that occur each year:

Heat Stroke

Everyone always talks a lot about heat stroke. And most times you just avoid taking your pup out, but here is an idea of the progress and severity in which it can effect your dog.

Heat stroke is a very severe situation for any dog. Even if hot pavement, rigorous exercise and peak heat times are avoided during the day, your pup can still be at risk. Even if heat stroke is survived, it can cause long term health issues.

Heat stroke occurs when the core body temperature rises above what is normal for your dog, and they can't cool down, creating a fever or "hyperthermia". Dogs have only a couple of ways to cool off: blood vessel expansion and panting.

Early signs of heatstroke include: heavy panting and rapid breathing, excessive drooling, dry mucous membranes, bright red gums and tongue, skin hot to the touch, and a higher heart rate. Affected dogs become hyperactive and may have difficulty maintaining balance.

If exposure is continued, the dogs condition worsens and you start to see signs of shock: pale mucous membranes, white or blue gums, rapid heart rate, and blood pressure drops.

Then the dog will start to hyperventilate leading to severe dehydration. Pupils dilate, the pulse becomes more irregular, and the dog has muscle tremors; he may become lethargic and unwilling to move; bowels will empty uncontrollably; usually ending in a total collapse and become comatose.

The best thing for pups during these hot days are early morning walks and late night walks with potty breaks mid day and mental stimulation indoors.

But if you are noticing signs of heat stroke, it is an immediate medical emergency. Although you want to cool your dog down during this emergency, the reduction in body temperature needs to be done in a controlled manner to keep your dog safe. Otherwise you can send your dog into shock by applying extremely cold water to their extremely hot body temperature.

These actions could save a dogs life:

- remove dog from the heat, choosing a cool area out of immediate sun or heat source

- apply cool (but not cold) water all over body

- use a cool towel to head, arm pits, stomach, and replace them often as they warm up

- continuous flow of air across the dog (a small fan) to help increase evaporative heat loss

- give cool water, drink in small sips

But most important of all: call your vet and get your pup there asap. Medical emergencies should be overseen by a certified vet. This information is meant to provide you the education and awareness to catch heat stroke before it progresses. This information is not supposed to be a substitute for your vet's care.

Prognosis:

Most pets recover quite quickly if their temperature didn't increase very high, or the hyperthermia didn't last long. It is also dependent upon the physical and medical state of the dog prior to the condition. But more severe damage can occur if the condition is experienced for long durations, their temperature was elevated to extreme levels or due to medical conditions present prior.

"Some pets may experience permanent organ damage or may die at a later date from complications that developed secondarily to the hyperthermia. Pets that experience hyperthermia are at greater risk for subsequent heat stroke due to damage to the thermoregulatory center." - VCA Animal Hospital Heat Stroke in Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital (vcahospitals.com)

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Burnt Paws

Burnt Paws can occur on almost any surface in as low heat as 18 degrees depending on how long the surface has been in direct sun. Common surfaces that get extremely hot are pavement, asphalt, concrete and sand, but also includes gravel/rocks, tennis courts, or pool surfaces.

Recognizing a paw pad burn through behavior:

• Limping

• Abnormal/uncertain behavior - stopping, pacing

• Licking at their paw

• Holding a paw abnormally

• Vocalizing when using the leg

Recognizing a paw pad burn through visual inspection:

• Swollen pads

• Red, ulcerated, or bleeding paw pads

• Fluid filled blisters

• Peeling exterior skin layer (underneath is raw)

*Even black pigmented pads can turn red and ulcerated when burned.

** Some symptoms can be a part of a separate issue and not always caused by paw pad burns (example: paw licking can be a symptom of allergies, or a cut) This is meant to increase awareness and encourage inspection if symptoms are present. Please seek medical advice from your vet.

A good test is: If you can’t keep your hand on the surface for at least five seconds without it feeling uncomfortable, it is too hot for your dog to walk on.

Treatment

will depend on the severity of the burn. Severe burns should be treated by a veterinarian immediately. Usually care will require dressing the paw with gauze and a bootie to avoid infection to the pad. Since the paw is in contact with the pad, antibiotics may be prescribed as well, either oral or topical depending on the extent of the burn and temperament of your dog.

Exercise will be restricted to prevent additional trauma to the healing skin, and the wound should be monitored closely a few times a day when not bandages. Hot pavement and rough terrain should be avoided during healing, and for a time afterwards. Even though the external wound looks healed, the damage internally might not be complete and can be easy to open up again.

Dogs love to lick wounds, and paws are one of the easiest for them to get at and lick. But licking should be avoided during healing as it can cause additional trauma, and create infection. A cone might be needed to prevent them from reaching their paw. Dogs are notorious for getting wrapping undone, so wrapping their paw well and adding a bootie that they can't remove might be needed if they are left for a time unsupervised.

It may take a week to ten days to heal a paw pad burn, but more severe burns can take multiple weeks to heal. The healing process really depends on how your dog is handling the injury, their immune system and how severe it was. But these wounds tend not to have long term complications and side effects if kept clean and infection is avoided.

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Surface Pyoderma

Surface Pyoderma is a bacterial skin infection, or "acute moist dermatitis", most commonly referred to as "hot spots" or "intertrigo". This inflammatory skin disorder develops in skin folds, such as facial folds, lip folds, and in the groin or armpits or under harnesses or gear that has gotten wet or during hot, humid weather. It may also occur in overweight dogs when adjacent skin folds upon itself. Skin folds allow the surface of the two adjacent areas to lie in close contact, creating a warm, humid environment. In the presence of moisture, the normal skin bacteria then multiply, creating an infection in the fold.

Often we see this during the summer when dogs are out and about in the water, and their skin traps the moisture afterwards, or their wet gear (such as harnesses or collars) rubs creating hot spots.

To avoid this issue make sure to help dry your pups chaffing areas such as groin, or arm pits, and remove or switch their wet gear before exercising.

Pyoderma Symptoms:

• Itchiness

• Dandruff

• Scaling or flaking skin

• Hair loss

• Redness

• Excessive licking of the affected area

• a foul or musty odor

• Bad-smelling skin

• Discharge the lesion

• Fever and inflammation

• Coat sticking up, especially in short-haired breeds

** Some symptoms can be a part of a separate issue and not always caused by Surface Pyoderma. This is meant to increase awareness and encourage inspection if symptoms are present. Please seek medical advice from your vet.

A vet exam should always be the first thing, especially since pyoderma can be caused by so many different things. Treating the underlying cause of the hot spot is the best course of action for long term relief. But if you aren’t able to get to the vet right away, there are a few things you can do at home to help heal hot spots:

Human medications such as Neosporin, hydrocortisone, and Vaseline should NOT be used. Topical creams and ointments tend to cause dogs to lick the area even more, so they should be avoided if possible, but not all human creams are safe for canines.

These steps can help promote healing of the hot spot:

1. Trim the area around the hot spot with clean dog hair clippers (not scissor). This will allow the affected area to air and prevent trapped moisture

2. Clean the skin with a mild, water-based antiseptic spray or wipe or an antibacterial shampoo.

3. Apply a veterinary-recommended hot spot treatment spray that is safe if ingested. One example is Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Pet Hot Spot Spray.

4. Place “the cone of shame” on your dog to help prevent them from biting, licking, or scratching the hot spot. Depending on the spot, I have seen collars made from pool noodles or inflatable collars used to give the dog more movement instead of big cones

5. Monitor the area for improvement and signs of healing (decreased redness, drier wound site, smaller lesion size).

* Scissors, while usually great for human hair cutting, are hard to use on a moving dog, are hard to sterilize and can transfer germs to the open wound. I also can't imagine trying to cut fur on an uncomfortable dog around a wound without nicking the skin. The risk is just too high.

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Dehydration

Dehydration is caused by either a lack of food or water intake or an increase in water loss through illness or injury.

Signs of dehydration include:

• Loss of skin elasticity

• Lethargy

• Depression

• Sunken eyes

• Dry gums

• Increased heart rate

• Slow capillary refill time

Make sure you are stopping often and encouraging your pup to drink water. If they are having a tough time with drinking enough water, cutting the water with some broth can help add flavor. The best broth you can use is bone broth, but regardless of store bough or home made: make sure there is no sodium or spices in your broth.

Other things you can do to encourage water consumption is water play with a hose or pool with fresh water (but limit to 15 minutes to avoid over consumption), ice cubes or even frozen veggies in water bowls, or water fountains if your pup prefers moving water.

Keep Your Pup Safe

By following the preventative measures, catching early warning signs and staying aware of your environment, you and your pup can get through high heat without any issues!