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By Veronica Beltran

hot dogs

TYH: Preventing heat stress in dogs

Aug 11, 2020 | 8:00 AM

Hot dogs!–and no, I don’t mean the ones you eat.

I mean actual hot dogs, like when your dog is too hot on a summer day. A hot dog can lead to a hot dog with heat stress, and heat stroke if symptoms are not treated by owners. In this week’s To Your Health, we spoke with local veterinarian, Dr. Emma Gillis at the Prince George Veterinary Hospital.

For dogs, a body temperature that goes above 38-39 degrees Celsius is what defines heat stress, according to Gillis. What differentiates heat stress from heatstroke is that heatstroke is when your dog’s high body temperature stays elevated for a long period of time.

“You may notice that your dog is really laying down, maybe walking a little bit funny…trying to find some shade, and then when we’ve really hit that heatstroke marker, they actually stop panting.”–Dr. Emma Gillis, veterinarian, Prince George Veterinary Hospital

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Excessive panting, drooling, agitation and restlessness are also symptoms of heat stress. Certain breeds are more predisposed to heat stress during the summer including, larger dogs and breeds with breathing problems such as bulldogs or pugs. For dogs with thick coats, grooming them for the summer months can help keep them cool.

Gillis says that if you do begin to see any symptoms of heat stress on your pet, as an owner, there are certain things you can do. Dousing your pet in cool water–not ice-cold as it can have the opposite effect– can help bring your dog’s temperature back down, finding some shade for them to lay in, and placing wet towels on them to cool off, while doing these things keeping an eye on their panting and their alertness to ensure it stays normal is key.

In order to prevent heat stress dog owners are recommended to provide them access to shade on a hot day, access to a pool with luke-warm water, indoor and outdoor access, or having them in a room with air conditioning. If symptoms worsen, Gillis recommends pet owners bring their dogs in to see a veterinarian.