Heat Stroke and Your Pet

Our pets are very important to us and we love to spend time with them. However, we have to use caution when including them in our plans. Florida's climate makes it especially important that we consider their welfare when including them in our daily activities. When people get too hot we are able to perspire over our entire body surface and the evaporation of this perspiration cools us down. Our pets are limited to sweating from the foot pads and panting to cool themselves, limiting their ability to cool down after exercise. We can protect our pets by following some simple rules.

1. Never leave your pet alone in your car with the windows up. Even parked in the shade, the interior of a vehicle can reach extreme temperatures with the windows closed. Leaving the windows open slightly usually is not enough to prevent overheating in the summer in Florida even when parked in the shade. Also leaving the windows down can allow pets to escape. It is best to leave our pets at home when running errands rather them leaving them in the car even if the errand is expected to be short. When traveling, plan ahead to make stops where pets are welcome to prevent leaving them in the car.


2. Never leave a dog tied outside when no one is home to supervise. Even if you leave the dog access to shade and water they may become tangled, turn over the water, or be injured. If they have no water they can become dehydrated from panting, increasing the chance of heat stroke.


3. When exercising, only include your pet if you walk or run in the early morning or late evening when the ambient temperature is not as high and limit the distance. If your pet is having difficulty keeping up they may be overheating. Allow them to rest and allow access to cool water for drinking and even a quick swim or a hosing down. If you suspect your dog may be overheated, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Also, when running or walking with your dog be careful about the surface temperature. The sand and asphalt can become superheated and actually burn your pets' foot pads. Some breeds, because of their conformation, are not good pets to run with us. For example those breeds with short faces often times cannot cool themselves as easily and are more prone to heatstroke, like English Bull Dogs and Mastiffs. If you're not sure about your pets risk ask your veterinarian for their advice. Having pets has been shown to increase human longevity and decrease our stress levels. It becomes our responsibility to protect our pets so they too can enjoy a stress-free long life.

Presented as a public service by Lisa Paxson, D.V.M., Beneva Animal Hospital 3240 Gulf Gate Dr. Sarasota (941) 923-2731.

Last Updated Tuesday, March 1, 2005