Question about dogs that overheat

[djhogdogger]

 Okay, I have a dumb question. I was reading another thread about dogs having a heat stroke and I didn't want to steal the thread so here goes. I see a lot of people saying that when a dog has a heat stroke that you should give fluids like through an I.V. and electrolytes.

 I was wondering why. I know that it is very important to get their temp down and that by drinking cool water that will help to bring their core temp down. But the reason that dogs overheat so easily is because they cant sweat. Mammals that sweat loose electrolytes and get dehydrated when they sweat a lot  but how does that happen to an animal that doesn't sweat?

 I know that this is a dumb question but this is the type thing that keeps me up at night!

[coach]

I will try my best to answer in the most simplest way. Dogs have hair that trap body heat. Since dogs don't sweat they decipate heat through their mouth and nose. aka panting they blow the heat out would be the best way to put it. Now that it is getting hotter when I know I am going hunting I put electolytes in their water a day or two before. It's not a good idea to do it while they are hunting just because by that time it is too late. Their cells and blood start to thicken which starts the onset of getting overheated.

[dub]

Go outside and pant and see if you get dehydrated. You lose moisture through your skin even if you don't perspire, horses sweat. The dog just perspires through its mouth and nose. Cooling off is the most important in a heat stroke but they could also be dehydrated. You should try to prevent dehydration but it is just as bad as a heat stroke and can look the same to a person. Because the dog can't talk you treat both. Maybe a vet can say it better but that is my try.

[kader-curs]

I agree with coach in that if they are had a heat stroke(or overheating) then its too late.... i dont know where the i.v. comes from... heck when i played ball we would have guys on the team come get a heat stroke and i never once saw an I.V. .... your best bet is to have your dogs ready for the heat when it comes time to hunt..JMO

MIKE

[dub]

IV? I don't carry one. But will add those tab things to the water or pour some Gatorade in the water. I may put ice on the dog but I can't get to an IV in time to do any good.

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

This time of year I never hunt without a 500ml bottle of Dextrose in the truck. Dextrose can easly be given sub-Q in the field for de-hydration and shock, I also carry the hydration tabs in the truck.

I usually have a bag of rinngers and an IV set in the truck as well.

Go see your vet and ask for his advise on treating heat stroke and make sure you have what you need with you so you can save a dogs life if need be.

[SCHitemHard]

This time of year I never hunt without a 500ml bottle of Dextrose in the truck. Dextrose can easly be given sub-Q in the field for de-hydration and shock, I also carry the hydration tabs in the truck.

I usually have a bag of rinngers and an IV set in the truck as well.

Go see your vet and ask for his advise on treating heat stroke and make sure you have what you need with you so you can save a dogs life if need be.

i keep IV sets, gatorade recovery drink, and dr pepper

how do the hydration tabs work?

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

hydration tabs are new for me this year but a friend says they are very good

[slimpickins]

Walgreen's and the like also carry a generic Pedialite, about 1/2 price.
They make a clear, no taste, no smell that's great for pouring in a water dish in the field.
Full of electrolytes and everything and the dog thinks its water.

[djhogdogger]

 Thanks for all of the replys. Makes sense about them loosing hydration through panting. We do keep our dogs ready for the heat, I was just curious about the how they de-hydrate since they don't sweat.

[dub]

A hydration effervescent supplement formulated to help restore body fluids and provide your hunting dogs with electrolytes, anti-oxidants, and beneficial bacteria for hard worked and over-stressed dogs. This product is the simplest and easiest way to carry and provide electrolytes to your dog while on a hunt. Just pop one tab into a squirt bottle filled with 16 oz of water and in seconds you have an electrolyte and vitamin rich supplement that you can immediately administer to your dogs orally. Each bottle contains 10 tabs which equals 160 ounces of liquid electrolytes. Each 5 gram tablet contains 250 mg Potassium, 250 mg Sodium, 250 mg Chloride, 6 mg Zinc, Vitamins A, D, E, C, and Enterococcus faecium. PERFECT for hot or long hunting days!

http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/WildBoarUSA/-strse-35/K9-HYDRATION-TABS-VF/Detail.bok

[uglydog]

the Hydration tabs are ver conventient for myself because they are light weight and don't take up much space and disolve really quickly.
The dogs have learned that when I have the bottle they will come and lick the end of my sqirt bottle, so I am not wasteing as much and lets me know that they like it too. I will give drinks throughout the hunt.

I also believe a dog thats real hot,  that vomits up contents of stomach are doing good and want to see them vommit alot, and urinate and drink again as I believe this is getting "heat" out of stomach/internal body and another way of cooling themselves. I just want to make sure after they have cooled down that they replace those fluids again.

If you put them in water and the water is standing (not moving water), like a tank keep moving the dog around or to keep rotating the water around the dog to disperse the heat if you are in the feild get the dog to shade, and try to keep the air moving around them.

You will have some tell you to carry rubbing alcohol along, and let the dog stand in the alcohol to release more heat, I have not tried this myself yet

[coach]

The alcohol works great. We dilute some with water, to use with ice towels.  The alcohol had be rubbed on their body and since alcohol evaporates faster than water the cooling process is faster also.

[geronimo]

i am no vet or expert but where i live and hunt it stays hot 10 months a year. i belive like kader-curs said and that is just to try and keep the condition to the heat and hunt them often and keep them trimed down not over weight. watch them through out your hunt switch out dogs keep water handy. seems to work for us.

[Hog Dog Mike]

I ran lots of bird dogs in deep south Texas where it was hot all the time. You can condition a dog somewhat to handle the heat. Also some lines of dogs are just tougher and can handle heat better.

Here is what we did. We put gallon jugs of water in a cooler and covered them with ice. If it was real hot we would pour some water on the dog when they started. We would run them a few minutes and then pour water  on their head, ears, and belly. The neck and ears are important to cool one off. Just keep extending the time a little each day and it will be as good as it is going to get.

If a dog starts getting weak looking in the back end they are getting ready to fall out. Get hold of a dog that is doing that and get it cooled off immediately. I have seen them die from it.

If a dog's tounge is curling on the end they are hot.