A vet has issued a heatstroke warning for dog owners after a “fit and healthy” pooch died after playing 'fetch' in the heat. The owners had been out with their pet at 9am, while the temperature was 21C, playing with a ball.
Soon the unnamed vet, who wrote a post on Facebook, came across the dog collapsed with its owners trying to get it to drink water. At the time though, the dog was lying flat on its side, semi-conscious and with a dark-red swollen tongue.
The vet intervened by dowsing the dog’s coat in water and using a wet towel to move the dog into the owner’s car so it could be taken to the surgery. After this, the owner rushed off to try to get the dog to their own vets.
Later on, the vet at the scene called the practice to find out what had happened. Sadly, the five-year-old dog had died, reported Yorkshire Live.
When the dog was brought in, its internal temperature was just short of 42C, much higher than the average for dogs, which is 38.3C to 39.2C. The vets tried to help by cooling the dog and putting it on a drip for fluids and electrolytes.
Soon, the dog began to experience seizures and so the vets attempted to administer an anaesthetic to reduce the seizure and drop the respiratory rate. However, the dog soon began to vomit and its diarrhoea was filled with blood.
The dog was then suffering with internal bleeding and so they made the hard decision to put the pup to sleep. It was described by the vet as a “terrifying death”.
The vet wrote: “For all those dog owners who think this was because the dog was chasing a ball and that is why he overheated, this can happen with your dog sat in the garden. It can take up to 60 days for a dog to acclimatise to a change in the climate. I am pretty sure 60 days ago it was pouring with rain.”
As dogs cannot sweat, they have to lose their body heat through panting. This can cause even more overheating if it is “prolonged or laboured”.
The vet added: “So, if you think it is too hot to put a thick coat on and go for a run, don’t make your dog do the same. If you think it is too hot to sit in the direct sunshine for more than a few minutes while wearing a woolly jumper, then don’t make your dog do so.”
If you have any doubts, the vet recommended you talk to your local vet for further advice.
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