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How to Treat Heat Stroke in Dogs
Article by PawFriends Animal Rescue Organization
Dogs are not as efficient at releasing heat as we are. Built to conserve rather than release heat, they tend to heat up faster than we do. As such, we may not twig to the fact that a dog has become overheated until symptoms suddenly develop. Heat stroke in dogs is a very serious condition and its onset can often take you by surprise, escalating into an emergency situation in a matter of minutes. Knowing how to treat a dog experiencing heat stroke may be vital to saving your dog's life.
Recognize the symptoms of heat stroke in a dog. React quickly if you notice that your dog is dehydrated or is suffering from some or all of the following heat stroke symptoms:
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Unusual breathing - rapid and loud
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High rectal temperature (see how to take this below)
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Extreme thirst
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Weakness and/or fatigue
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Frequent vomiting
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Disorientation
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A bright red tongue and pale gums
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Skin around muzzle or neck doesn't snap back when pinched
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Difficulty breathing
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Collapse or coma
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Thick saliva
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Increased heart rate.
If you suspect that your dog is overheated, immediately take them to a shady spot or into a cool indoors room. Removing the heat source is an important immediate response. If possible, take them into a building such as a room with air conditioning. If circulating the air through air conditioning is not possible, see if you can locate a fan.
Cool the dog down
Depending on what you have available to you, do your best to cool down your dog quickly. Some possible ways to approach this include:
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If a dog has been active and is panting, he / she will not drink water. You need to allow time for the breathing/panting to normalise when watering a dog - do not assume he doesn't want to drink immediately after exercise if he turns away from the water bowl. Give him a few minutes, he'll drink in short 'bursts' until he's had enough.
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Much of a dog's heat is dissipated through the bottom of their feet, so if available, apply rubbing alcohol to the bottoms of their feet.
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Pour cool water water over the dog's head and body.
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Drape wet towels over your dog. Don't leave wet cloths in place for too long though, as the fur will get damp.
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Gently hose them using a very gentle stream of water, preferably a dribble or light spray (do not use it at full strength).
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Where it is possible, submerge your dog in a bathtub or tank of cool (not cold) water. Never use ice water or ice––this will close the skin pores, shrink the skin's surface vessels and can exacerbate the heat stroke. It can lead to shock or even cause hypothermia.
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Fan the dog and spread their fur open using your fingers. It will help to fan your dog as you cool them with water, and run your fingers through the coat to lift it up and help the air to flow through. Fur acts as an insulating blanket trapping heat, so opening it up and exposing the skin underneath to air can help the dog to cool down faster.
Take the dogs temperature
A dog suffering from heat stroke will have a temperature of 39.5ºC or above. Ideally, don't try taking the temperature until you have removed the heat source and tried to cool them down. Moreover, only take their temperature if it's not likely to disturb or upset them. Use a rectal thermometer to take the dog's temperature:
If you're using a mercury thermometer, you will have to reduce the mercury to below 94ºF (34.4ºC) by shaking it lightly.
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Lubricate the thermometer with a lubricant such as petroleum or KY jelly.
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Ask a helper to hold the dog by holding the head and front part of the body.
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Locate the rectum and lift the tail for access.
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Carefully insert the thermometer into the rectum about 2.5cm; do not let go of it.
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Wait two minutes for a mercury thermometer, or until a digital one beeps. When this happens, carefully remove the thermometer and read the temperature.
A normal rectal temperature is about 38.6ºC to 38.9ºC. If the dog's temperature is above this, heat stroke is likely.
Keep tabs on the dog's rectal temperature as they recover. If it returns to a normal level (below 39.5ºC), you can stop the cooling techniques; however, keep the dog in a cool area and make sure they have water. Once body temperature reduces to normal, the cooling will continue naturally provided the dog is in a cool place.
When your dog comes around, try to give them a small quantity of water to drink. It is also okay to try and give them pediatric electrolyte solution, repeating as often as they want to drink it.
Contact an emergency vet clinic. As you cool the dog, call any emergency vet clinic for advice on treating the dog's heatstroke. As soon as the rectal temperature is at an appropriate level, bring the dog to an (emergency) vet clinic. Be aware that even if the dog does not appear to be suffering from any issues, there may be internal damage. It's best to have a check-up to be reassured of the all-clear.
How To Perform The Heimlich Maneuver On Dogs
Dogheirs.com
http://www.reshareworthy.com/heimlich-maneuver-for-dogs/#hvpGFZqHBGrUMi3O.99
Do you know what to do if your dog is choking? Knowing a few emergency procedures, such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and the Heimlich maneuver for dogs, is critical to saving lives because you may not have time to get to a vet and your dog could suffocate.
Dogs love to chew bones, sticks, toys, socks and anything small enough to fit into their mouths. But on occasion, an object may become dangerously lodged in your dog’s throat or windpipe. If your dog is choking and suffocating, he will likely panic. A dog signals he is choking by either: coughing violently, wheezing, gasping for breath, pawing at his mouth, and/or has his eyes bulging out.
Check your dog’s mouth for the lodged object
If your dog cannot clear the object from his throat himself within a few seconds, immediately check your dog’s mouth. Always be extremely careful when attempting to remove anything from your pet’s mouth because you could push the object farther down your dog’s throat, tear at the throat tissue, damage a dog’s throat bones, or get bitten in the process.
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Open your dog’s mouth. Put one hand on the upper jaw with your thumb on one side and your other fingers on the other side.
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With your other hand, push gently down on the lower jaw, and keep your index finger free to sweep to the back of your dog’s mouth.
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Look inside the mouth to see if you can see the obstruction and reach it with your fingers.
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Do not grab something you simply feel. Dogs have small bones that support the tongue, so you can seriously injure them if you assume the bones are a foreign object.
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If you do see the object, be very careful not to push the object further down your dog’s throat and do not attempt to extract it if it does not come out easily.
Move on to either tilting your dog or the Heimlich maneuver:
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If you cannot see anything in the dog’s mouth
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You cannot remove the object with your hands
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If your dog has fallen unconscious.
Tilting a Dog:
The first option to try is to see if you can dislodge the object using gravity.
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For a small dog: pick the dog up by his thighs, with his belly toward your face, while gently shaking him.
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For a large dog: with the dog standing on all fours, pick up the dog’s rear legs like you would a wheelbarrow, and tilt him forward.
If tilting the dog does not work to dislodge the object, move on to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
Heimlich maneuver for a dog:
Only use the Heimlich maneuver if you are certain your dog is choking on a foreign object, as performing the maneuver can cause additional injury.
Be careful when using this method, as you could potentially cause damage to a dog’s internal organs if you apply too much force. Also, canine ribs are more flexible than human ones and thrusting can cause the lungs to flail, which may not create enough pressure to expel the foreign object.
The technique is basically the same as for a human. There is a slight variation between treating a small dog and a medium or large dog.
For a small dog:
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Kneel behind the dog, with the dog facing away from you.
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Put your arms around the dog’s waist.
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Instead of making a fist, use a few knuckles of one hand and place them just below your dog’s last set of ribs on the soft part of the abdomen.
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Place your other hand flat on the dog’s back to keep him steady.
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Give a quick, hard poke with your knuckles.
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Press in and up four to five times gently, in a thrusting motion. Do not repeat more than four to five times.
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If the dog is lying down, place one hand on the back for support and use the other hand to squeeze the abdomen upwards and forwards.
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Check the dog’s mouth and remove any objects that may have been dislodged with your fingers.
If you are unable to dislodge the item, you may need to perform CPR to provide oxygen to the dog while someone rushes you to a veterinarian.
For a medium or large dog:
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Stand behind the dog, with the dog facing away from you.
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Put your arms around the dog’s waist.
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Make a fist with one hand.
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Place your fist (thumb side up) just below your dog’s last set of ribs on the soft part of the abdomen.
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Wrap your other hand around that fist.
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Push firmly in and up in a quick and rapid manner, just behind the rib cage and toward’s the dog’s backbone. Apply enough force to move the dog’s whole body.
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If the obstruction is not dislodged try again for a maximum of four or five times.
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If the dog is lying down, place one hand on the back for support and use the other hand to squeeze the abdomen upwards and forwards.
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Check the dog’s mouth and remove any objects that may have been dislodges with your fingers.One variation of the Heimlich maneuver for dogs is to try chest thrusts.
With your dog standing, place your hands on each side of your dog’s chest and thrust inward, pushing with your shoulders and elbows in the direction of the mouth. The motion would be similar to using a fireplace bellows or squeezing a pillow.
After two thrusts, give the dog a moment to cough, and/or look inside his mouth to see if the object is now reachable. If not, repeat for a maximum of four times.
If you are unable to dislodge the object, you may need to perform rescue breathing and CPR, while someone takes you and your dog to a veterinarian or emergency animal clinic. Read more about performing CPR in our article: CPR For Dogs And Cats.
If at any time your dog becomes unconscious due to the obstruction of his airway, begin rescue breathing and CPR right away.
Please share this useful information with your pet-loving family and friends. You never know when you might save a life!
When to Call for Help: How to know when to take your Cat to the Vet
Source: The Cat Care Handbook by Catherine Davidson
Illness in a cat is not always easy to spot because cats often try to act as if they are not ill. This goes back to their more primitive days when a sick-looking cat would make an easy target for predators. For its own protection, a cat will try to look healthy, or otherwise hide away. This is why a normally sociable cat can become withdrawn when it is unwell.
Should you notice any of the following symptoms (besides any obvious wounds or broken limbs, etcetera), your cat is probably ill and needs urgent medical attention. Use this handy checklist as a guide:
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Blood in urine, faeces or vomit
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High temperature – very hot ears can indicate a high temperature
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Vomiting with diarrhoea
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Repeated vomiting or severe diarrhoea
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Bleeding from the genitals
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Straining to pass urine
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Noisy, shallow or laboured breathing (other than natural panting)
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Seizure, collapse or balance problems
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Severe pain or discomfort
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Involvement in a traffic accident – even if your cat “seems” fine
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Ingesting a toxic substance or plant
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Lumps around the neck
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Discharge from the nose
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Cloudiness or redness in the eyes
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A drop in weight of more than 225g in an adult cat
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A build-up of tartar at the base of the teeth
It is important to note that your cat may become severely ill or injured outside of your vet’s normal clinic hours. Make sure that you have your vet’s emergency number saved on your phone, as well as a number for a 24-hour medical clinic in your area, should there be one.