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Dog Heatstroke and Blisters on the Paw - it's all in a day's outing

Posted by Clare Bristow

When the weather heats up we all love spending time outside in the sunshine, and having our dogs with us makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

However, our dogs don't always share our enthusiasm for trips out in the sun.

In an earlier post I mentioned how quickly dogs overheat - it only takes a 4 degree Fahrenheit increase in their body temperature to go from normal body temperature to moderate heatstroke - and with sweat glands only on their paws and nose, it takes a great deal of panting to keep their body temperature at its normal level in warm weather.

To avoid giving your dog heatstroke and paw blisters this summer, please remember the following:

• don't subject your dog to strenuous exercise unless it's early morning or late in the evening - he'll overheat;
• if your dog has a dark colored coat he will absorb more heat from the sun's rays than a dog with a light colored coat;
• dogs that are overweight, older dogs, and puppies up to 6 months old are less able to regulate their body temperatures than young healthy dogs;
• snub nosed breeds - bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, Llasa apsos and Shih tzus - are prone to overheating;
• don't let your dog stand on hot pavements during the day - not only will his paws blister because of the hot asphalt but his whole body will heat up. Pavements also take a while to cool down in the evening, so schedule your walks for early morning and late evening; and
• spending time at the beach is not much fun for your dog either - the hot sand can scold his paws and even if your dog is in the shade his body can heat up from lying on the sand.

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