Mother's Day: Feeling Warm All Over And What it Means to Dogs

Finally! A warm, sunny spring day. I turned the heat off today -- for the second time this spring! My old rule of thumb "on in October, off in April" just didn't cut it this year.

My kids and I spent the day outside basking in the sun. The baby learned how to swing -- or rather soar -- on his belly today. My oldest boy wandered around "blind-folded" with a box covering his head and torso while his sister acted as his eyes (she only ran him into a few trees). Dad worked on safeguarding this spring's compost "crop" from flying weed seed. I examined our surly 8-year-old white Saanen billy goat's hooves -- time for a trimming. And in and out and around all the commotion trotted our faithful Labrador Retriever, EdGrrr.

On May 1, John commented in response to "Climate Change and Heartworm":

What about heat exhaustion. Are larger dogs like labs more likely to suffer heat stroke than smaller dogs like spaniels or beagles?

Even at five years of age and with some arthritis from an old "hit by car" injury, EdGrrr bounded to and fro under the hot sun as we rode bikes, took walks and generally meandered around the farm all weekend. Although it is merely May and the humidity and temperature are mild, is heat exhaustion a possibility for EdGrrr and other active dogs? Sure.

Heat exhaustion can be a tricky and unpredictable thing in dogs. Yes, a Yorkie left in a car for even short periods on warm, sunny days is a good candidate for heat exhaustion, as is a short-nosed "brachycephalic" breed (think Pugs and Bulldogs) with even mild exertion. Yes, the Pointer who chases the kids on the four-wheeler for 40 minutes on an 80 degree August day is certainly at risk. But is the large Labrador bird dog more at risk than his hunting companions, a mid-sized Spaniel or small Beagle? Not necessarily. As long as each dog is equally well conditioned, has adequate shade and water during rests, and his owner limits his exercise based on the heat and humidity, I would not expect the Labrador to fall prey to heat faster than the other two breeds.

However, sometimes dogs -- even the best of athletes -- succumb to heat exhaustion, and sometimes on mild September days. When this happens, it's an emergency. Most dogs suffering from heat exhaustion pant heavily, collapse, may vomit or even seizure. Wetting the dog down with cool NOT ICY water is best with immediate transfer to a veterinarian for follow-up care. After the initial hyperthermic event, heat exhaustion can lead to life threatening bleeding disorders, neurologic problems, gastrointestinal events and kidney failure so close monitoring and treatment by your veterinarian are in order.

Hot, humid days loom on the horizon. I say, hip-hip-hurray! While this is a lovely time of year in Wisconsin for people and pets, simple precautions and common sense help make sure play time stays safe!