As a veterinarian, I am very fortunate to have a great group of coworkers. Because of this, we take turns taking emergency calls on weekends. Don't get me wrong -- I love my job. Just like everybody else though, I have other interests vying for my time and energy.
After-hours calls tend to be the most exciting and unusual. One such call this past weekend gave me the idea for this column.
About five o'clock on Sunday afternoon, I received a call about a Boxer named Max. Max was playing in his backyard several hours while his family went shopping. When they returned, Max was laying down in the yard and breathing so hard they could hear him from inside the house. Was Max poisoned? Did he get in a fight with another dog? Why did he go down so fast? I told Max's owners to meet me at the clinic in just a few minutes.
It didn't take long for me to reach a diagnosis of heat stroke. When I examined Max, his body temperature was over 108 degrees Fahrenheit. His eyes were glassy and he couldn't sit up. All of his effort was focused on panting. I gave Max a cool bath, started IV fluids, and laid him in front of a fan. We were lucky -- in a few hours Max was back on his feet and his breathing finally returned to normal. Blood work revealed no damage to his internal organs, and he got to go home on Tuesday.
All of the elements were present for Max to suffer so much from exposure to the heat. So far, Sunday was the hottest day of the year. Max spends most of his time inside the house, so he isn't acclimated to the summer heat. To make matters worse, Max is nine years old. Finally, the backyard doesn't have any shady areas in the afternoon. Even the warm water in his bowl wasn't enough to keep Max cooled off.
Unfortunately, we see emergencies exactly like this several times each summer. To avoid heat stroke in your pet, there are several steps we need to take. First, make certain your pet has protection from the blistering sun. If he has a dog house, move it into the shade. Also, provide plenty of fresh water and place the water bowl out of direct sunlight. During the hottest part of the day, keep your pet inside if you can. It's also helpful to know who's at greatest risk. Geriatric dogs (those over 9 years old) and short-nosed dogs including pugs, Boston terriers, and bulldogs, are the most susceptible to overheating.
Finally, never leave your pets in a vehicle, even for a few minutes, in the heat.
We consider our pets members of our family, and rightfully so. Just remember to take extra precautions in the hot weather, just like we would for any other family member. If you don't, your pet could end up like Max!
-- Dr. Richard McCarver is a veterinarian at Siloam Springs Veterinary Clinic. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
General News on 07/23/2014