Surviving Summer in a Fur Coat : Heat Dangers for our Pets

By the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association

M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM

With temperatures on the rise, many people don’t realize that our pets can have trouble with heat too. If you think it’s hot outside, imagine wearing a fur coat in this heat! In addition, our pets have very limited ways of cooling themselves. Pets pant and that’s about it.

It’s the season of street fairs, festivals, and other community events for humans. While you are enjoying the attractions, in the crowded venue your dog is being jostled, stepped on, eating who knows what that’s fallen on the ground, and often, overheating. Many events prohibit dogs for this reason and the fact that often people will leave dogs in the car to avoid the above dangers. This is even worse for them.

Sadly, every year veterinarians see cases where dogs die from heat stoke after being left in a parked car, often with the windows rolled down a couple of inches. A pet would last only for a short while in a parked car – this is true even with the windows rolled partially down: the inside temperature of a car can reach 120 to 160 degrees in just 30 minutes. If we have to sit in the car while a friend runs into a store, the first thing we do is turn on the air conditioning or roll the windows all the way down, or even keep the door to the car open. Now imagine how hard it is for your dog, who has a fur coat, cannot sweat, and is locked in the car with the temperatures rising and the windows just open an inch or two. If you leave your pet in your car on a hot day, you are risking their lives and potentially criminal charges. Police and animal control officers will not hesitate to break a car window to access a distressed dog locked in a hot car if you can’t be located. And, once they find you, charges will likely be in order.

The solution? If you cannot bear to leave your dog at home before heading off to that fun summer event, check in advance to make sure dogs are allowed. Bring water for your pet to drink and also to wet him down. Keep dogs on a short lead and keep a close eye on them to avoid them eating people food that’s been dropped. (That can cause serious stomach upset). If you are going to leave your dog at home, outside, it is extremely important to provide pets with a few basic survival items in this heat.

If your dog is going to spend the day outside, remember to provide shade, keeping in mind that a shady area in the morning could be a sunny one in the afternoon. Leave a sprinkler on or hose down the dog two to three times a day. Provide a lot of drinking water, and put ice cubes in it to help it stay cold. Some owners run a fan on the porch for their pets, or bring them inside during the hottest hours of the day. Many dogs dig cooling holes this time of year: it is normal. Don’t forget your outdoor cats. Leave a bowl of fresh water out for them at all times.

All veterinarians have seen and treated many cases of heat stress and heat stroke: many of them fatal. If your pet’s temperature goes just a few degrees above normal, organ damage and potentially death can occur. Signs a pet may be in trouble from the heat include vigorous panting at rest, unwillingness to rise, frothing from the nose or mouth, or rigid muscles. If you find a pet in trouble, remove it from the hot environment: (shade, indoors). Wet the body with cool (not cold) water and wet the pads of the feet with rubbing alcohol. No ice or cold water should be applied. (This is because serious clotting disorders can be triggered by cooling the pet too fast.) Then call and transport your pet to your veterinarian as soon as possible.

We cannot prevent summer heat, but we can prevent most cases of heat stroke and stress in pets with common sense precautions. Don’t leave your pet in the car, even for a few minutes, and if you leave them outside at home, follow the above preventative guidelines. They may save your pet’s life.

***The Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA) is a professional organization of 350 veterinarians dedicated to compassionate animal care and quality medicine. For more information, visit www.vtvets.org or call (802) 878-6888.***

Lyme: A Serious, But Preventable, Disease in Dogs

By M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM

Vermont Veterinary Medical Association

Lyme disease is a very serious concern for people and pets. It is carried by deer ticks which emerge in the spring, remain pretty active during the summer months, and then go through a burst of activity in the fall. While we think of dogs who spend time in the woods or playing in grasslands becoming exposed to deer ticks, they can be present in your backyard lawn, too. (Cats can become infected and form antibodies to Lyme, but clinical signs -if they occur at all -are extremely rare.)

Dogs can become infected with Lyme in less than 24 hours after a deer tick attaches to them for a blood meal. Since the immature (nymph) form of the deer tick can transmit Lyme and is tiny – the size of the head of a pin – it is important to do everything you can to prevent these ticks from attaching to your pet. By the time the tick is swollen with blood and you find it, it is likely it has already been there long enough to transmit Lyme disease.

If your pet becomes infected by this disease, the initial symptoms can be mild and easily overlooked. The most common sign of Lyme disease in a dog is limping or lameness. This means the Lyme disease organism has already made it to the joints and is causing arthritis. Some dog owners may also notice painful joints, a lack of appetite, fatigue and fever. In the early stages, a diagnosis can be difficult to make based on clinical signs. Rarely, Lyme can settle in the kidneys – without the classic limping that we associate with Lyme – and cause kidney failure and death.

Treatment within the first few weeks is very effective and almost always results in a decrease of symptoms. It is unlikely that your dog will ever be completely cured, as flare-ups can occur in the future. If Lyme affects the kidneys, it is rarely cured and almost always results in death of the dog. Since we can’t predict which of the two Lyme will affect, prevention is key.

Prevention is simple and inexpensive. One of the best ways to prevent transmission is to check your pets over very carefully after outdoor activity and remove any ticks before they become swollen with blood. If you find a tick, wear gloves and tweezers to remove it. Grasp as closely as you can to the skin and pull straight out. Tick removers are also available at your veterinarian’s or local pet store. Remember, ticks cannot jump or fly: they only attach after direct contact with your dog. Usually they are found around the head and neck, but can attach anywhere.

There are many options now for tick (and flea) control for your dogs. Most of us are familiar with the topical liquids that are applied to the skin on the back of your dog’s neck. Recently, oral medications have arrived on the market that can prevent fleas and ticks for up to three months. These work well for those dogs who have skin reactions with the topical preventatives. They also work for owners or who don’t like the topicals or can’t remember to apply them. There are also some collars available for prevention. It is important to remember that one product is not ‘best’ for all dogs. Talk with your veterinarian who can provide you with guidance based on your dog’s medical history and lifestyle. For instance if your dog is a frequent swimmer, a topical or collar may not be the best option, as some products lose their efficacy after water exposure.

It is important that you talk with your veterinarian if you are considering buying a product online or over the counter. There are many products out there that do not work, regardless of the claims on the website/package. Before you buy these products, write down the name and active ingredient of the product and have it available when you consult your veterinarian.

Also, we now have highly effective vaccines that will prevent Lyme disease in dogs. Certain Lyme vaccines actually block the transmission of the disease from the tick to the dog. These vaccines are recommended for all dogs exposed to deer ticks.

Medications to prevent ticks from attaching, checking your pets frequently in case they have, and vaccination can save your pet from useless suffering. Ask your veterinarian for more information on prevention of ticks and Lyme disease or visit www.vtvets.org.

***The Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA), founded in 1898, is a professional organization of 340 veterinarians dedicated to compassionate animal care and quality medicine.***