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As soon as your dog’s body temperature approaches 103 degrees (you can check with a rectal thermometer), you should be on your way to the vet’s office. Again, contact your vet.
You can allow your dog to have access to cool water or to Pedialyte. Don’t try to force water into him. He could choke.
Your vet will continue to bring your dog’s body temperature back down to normal. He will provide your dog with oxygen and IV fluids. He may wish to keep your dog to check for any lingering effects such as shock or organ failure.
If your dog has had moderate heatstroke he will likely recover without serious problems. A severe heatstroke could cause organ damage and your dog may require a special diet and other care. He will be at increased risk for another bout of heatstroke afterwards.
To prevent heatstroke be sure to do the following:
- Keep your pet out of hot cars even on slightly warm days. Cars heat up quickly and may reach temperatures of 140 degrees.
- Make sure your dog has access to water at all times.
- Make sure that your dog always has access to shade.
- Restrict or moderate exercise on hot days. Better yet, wait until the cool part of the day – early mornings or evenings.
- Don’t muzzle your dog. It prevents panting which allows your dog to get increased air.
- Avoid the beach, black pavement and concrete areas on hot days since there is no shade.
- Wet your dog down, let him play in a kiddie pool or let him swim on hot days.
Air conditioning is great if your dog is indoors, but it’s not always reliable. If your dog spends the day in the house you can help make sure that he stays cool by purchasing a cool pad. These are pads that can be dampened and frozen overnight. Your dog can lie on the pad if he chooses, to cool himself off.
If you take the appropriate precautions you should be able to keep your dog from ever experiencing heatstroke. If your dog does have an attack of heatstroke follow the suggestions here and get him to the vet as soon as possible. Take the heat seriously! Stay cool in the summer time.
And, show this article to your veterinarian and/or ask for his or her recommendations!