HEAT STROKE IN DOGS
One of the most common misunderstandings in dog ownership is how dogs are affected by heat.
I often see people walking their dogs on hot days and I wonder if they actually knew the risk they are putting their dog into.
I have therefore put pen to paper to hopefully advise dog owners just what is going on.
Firstly let’s get a handle on what climatic conditions are and how they affect your dog and they are;
To understand how these affect your dog lets look at this scenario;
If the temperature is 25deg C this is measured in a shady controlled box at 1.5m above the ground. This temperature is known as Ambient Heat in Shade.
On this same day the temperature in direct sun can be as high as 30deg C.
This temperature is known as Ambient Heat in Sun.
On this same day the footpath absorbs heat and re-radiates it back in to the environment and can have an ambient temperature of 35deg C at ground level.
In addition to this as the footpath gets hotter it retains a degree of heat as well as radiating it, therefore on this same day the actual surface of the footpath can easily be as high as 40deg C.
Scary stuff……!
Now lets consider a dog. They don’t sweat, but rather lose heat through breathing (panting), radiation from their underbody and through the pads on their feet.
Imagine this 25deg C day and walking your dog in it.
The dog is getting hotter as he walks, he is trying to lose heat via breathing but is breathing air possibly 10deg hotter that we are breathing and we don’t notice the impact.
The dog’s paws are getting hotter and no longer are able to shed heat and thus making your dog hotter by the minute.
Your dog is getting closer and closer to heat stroke and we don’t notice.
A few key points to remember to keep your dog cool and safe on hot days;
All these points apply even more to puppies as their systems are not able to deal with hot temperatures.
Enjoy the weather, but be mindful dogs cannot tell you they are getting too hot and will often play and run with us because they enjoy it all to their detriment.
I often see people walking their dogs on hot days and I wonder if they actually knew the risk they are putting their dog into.
I have therefore put pen to paper to hopefully advise dog owners just what is going on.
Firstly let’s get a handle on what climatic conditions are and how they affect your dog and they are;
- Ambient Heat,
- Radiant Heat,
- Surface Heat.
To understand how these affect your dog lets look at this scenario;
If the temperature is 25deg C this is measured in a shady controlled box at 1.5m above the ground. This temperature is known as Ambient Heat in Shade.
On this same day the temperature in direct sun can be as high as 30deg C.
This temperature is known as Ambient Heat in Sun.
On this same day the footpath absorbs heat and re-radiates it back in to the environment and can have an ambient temperature of 35deg C at ground level.
In addition to this as the footpath gets hotter it retains a degree of heat as well as radiating it, therefore on this same day the actual surface of the footpath can easily be as high as 40deg C.
Scary stuff……!
Now lets consider a dog. They don’t sweat, but rather lose heat through breathing (panting), radiation from their underbody and through the pads on their feet.
Imagine this 25deg C day and walking your dog in it.
The dog is getting hotter as he walks, he is trying to lose heat via breathing but is breathing air possibly 10deg hotter that we are breathing and we don’t notice the impact.
The dog’s paws are getting hotter and no longer are able to shed heat and thus making your dog hotter by the minute.
Your dog is getting closer and closer to heat stroke and we don’t notice.
A few key points to remember to keep your dog cool and safe on hot days;
- Always have large amounts of cool, clean and fresh water to drink. Dogs will often place their paws in buckets to cool down,
- If your dog is hot only wet it underneath its tummy to cool it down, Wetting your dog’s back will cause evaporation of water on the fur and heat your dog more,
- If walking in any temperature above 25deg C try to walk in shade or at least on grass. Try to consider the effect of radiant heat caused by the surface,
- DO NOT WALK on extreme heat days or even peak heat times on hot days,
- DO NOT RUN YOUR DOG ON HOT DAYS,
- Avoid walking your dog on black surfaces such as Bitumen given the heat it retains,
- If you think your dog may be suffering any adverse heat affects, go to the Vet immediately.
All these points apply even more to puppies as their systems are not able to deal with hot temperatures.
Enjoy the weather, but be mindful dogs cannot tell you they are getting too hot and will often play and run with us because they enjoy it all to their detriment.