Heat Stroke in Dogs

Heat stroke is an emergency and requires immediate treatment. Because dogs do not sweat (except to a minor degree through their foot pads), they do not tolerate high environmental temperatures as well as humans do. Dogs depend upon panting to exchange warm air for cool air. But when air temperature is close to body temperature, cooling by panting is not an efficient process.

• Common situations that can set the stage for heat stroke in dogs include:
• Being left in a car in hot weather
• Exercising strenuously in hot, humid weather
• Being a brachycephalic breed, especially a Bulldog, Pug, or Pekingese
• Suffering from a heart or lung disease that interferes with efficient breathing
• Being muzzled while put under a hair dryer
• Suffering from a high fever or seizures
• Being confined on concrete or asphalt surfaces
• Being confined without shade and fresh water in hot weather
• Having a history of heat stroke

Heat stroke begins with heavy panting and difficulty breathing. The tongue and mucous membranes appear bright red. The saliva is thick and tenacious, and the dog often vomits. The rectal temperature rises to 104° to 110°F (40° to 43.3°C). The dog becomes progressively unsteady and passes bloody diarrhea. As shocksets in, the lips and mucous membranes turn gray. Collapse, seizures, coma, and death rapidly ensue.