Heat Related Illness
Heat related illness can quickly turn into a life threatening emergency. Preventing your dog from overheating is best, but when weather and activity combine you can't always prevent your dog from becomeing too hot. But if you do all you can to prevent overheating your dog will be safer.
The most important first steps are to be aware of your dog's signals, providing fresh cool water, and understanding what to do if your dog begins overheating.
One of the most common situations for overheating of your dog takes place in the owners vehicle. And humans are not always good at estimating the amount of time they will be away from their car doing an errand. Unexpectedly long lines, meeting a friend and chatting "a few" minutes can delay you to a point that makes your dog suffer.
For example, if you leave all the windows in your car open two inches and the outside air temperature is 70 degrees farenheit, the temperature in the car can rise to 89 degrees farenheit in a matter of only 10 minutes. The longer your dog is in the vehicle, and the warmer the outside air tempperature the worse it is for your dog. To prevent your dog from becoming loose from your vehicle, windows simply can't be left open far enough to allow for enough air exchange to maintain a safe temperature inside the vehicle.
Even normal exercise on a warm or muggy day can increase your dogs temperature quicker than expected. Walking on pavement can mean your dog absorbs extra heat through his paw pads. A heightened level of excitement can also increase your dogs core temperature. Add to this, the amount of coat your dog wears. A Finnish Spitz' coat, being a thicker double coat puts him at a higher risk of overheating, but any dog is vulnerable.
Being aware of your dog's signals can help you intervene on your dogs behalf before his situation gets critical. This means keeping a check on his breathing, or rather panting. Panting is your dogs way of expelling excess heat. At a normal, comfortable temperature your dog's mouth is closed, or almost completely closed while breathing. By the time he is moderately hot you dog will be breathing with his mouth open about half way. But when your dog's temperature is high, where he is at real risk of a serious heat illness his mouth will be fully open with tongue hanging out. The longer his breathing is like this, the more he also dries out and becomes even hotter.
Helping your dog cool down at moderate, and especially at high temperatures is imperative. But as much as it seems pouring cool water over his back and head might see to be the right thing, it is actually not. Providing a cool shaded spot in the grass where he can stretch his chest and belly against the cool ground can provide some relief. Dogs will sometimes dig down into soil to reach a cooler spot not warmed by the sun, lying in the "well" he just dug. And having a wet spot or even a pool he can walk into will help even more. Having a cool surface beneath him to lie against helps him dissipate excess heat much better and his panting will prove this as it eases.
There are actual cooling pads or beds that are designed to help keep your dog cool. They work by containg "beads" that absorb water when they are soaked, then, over time they release the water to provide cooling.
The video below explains how quickly the temperature rises in a car, even with windows cracked 1.5 inches on a breezy day.
The most important first steps are to be aware of your dog's signals, providing fresh cool water, and understanding what to do if your dog begins overheating.
One of the most common situations for overheating of your dog takes place in the owners vehicle. And humans are not always good at estimating the amount of time they will be away from their car doing an errand. Unexpectedly long lines, meeting a friend and chatting "a few" minutes can delay you to a point that makes your dog suffer.
For example, if you leave all the windows in your car open two inches and the outside air temperature is 70 degrees farenheit, the temperature in the car can rise to 89 degrees farenheit in a matter of only 10 minutes. The longer your dog is in the vehicle, and the warmer the outside air tempperature the worse it is for your dog. To prevent your dog from becoming loose from your vehicle, windows simply can't be left open far enough to allow for enough air exchange to maintain a safe temperature inside the vehicle.
Even normal exercise on a warm or muggy day can increase your dogs temperature quicker than expected. Walking on pavement can mean your dog absorbs extra heat through his paw pads. A heightened level of excitement can also increase your dogs core temperature. Add to this, the amount of coat your dog wears. A Finnish Spitz' coat, being a thicker double coat puts him at a higher risk of overheating, but any dog is vulnerable.
Being aware of your dog's signals can help you intervene on your dogs behalf before his situation gets critical. This means keeping a check on his breathing, or rather panting. Panting is your dogs way of expelling excess heat. At a normal, comfortable temperature your dog's mouth is closed, or almost completely closed while breathing. By the time he is moderately hot you dog will be breathing with his mouth open about half way. But when your dog's temperature is high, where he is at real risk of a serious heat illness his mouth will be fully open with tongue hanging out. The longer his breathing is like this, the more he also dries out and becomes even hotter.
Helping your dog cool down at moderate, and especially at high temperatures is imperative. But as much as it seems pouring cool water over his back and head might see to be the right thing, it is actually not. Providing a cool shaded spot in the grass where he can stretch his chest and belly against the cool ground can provide some relief. Dogs will sometimes dig down into soil to reach a cooler spot not warmed by the sun, lying in the "well" he just dug. And having a wet spot or even a pool he can walk into will help even more. Having a cool surface beneath him to lie against helps him dissipate excess heat much better and his panting will prove this as it eases.
There are actual cooling pads or beds that are designed to help keep your dog cool. They work by containg "beads" that absorb water when they are soaked, then, over time they release the water to provide cooling.
The video below explains how quickly the temperature rises in a car, even with windows cracked 1.5 inches on a breezy day.