My American Bulldog, Rufus, has a tendency to overheat, and last summer I had to rush him to the emergency vet as he had heat stroke. Can you suggest ways to prevent this happening again?
L.P., via email
In both humans and animals, body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus. This is a special area of the brain that functions like a thermostat, aiming to maintain the body temperature at a normal set-point. For dogs and cats, a normal body temperature is between 101 and 102.5°F.
Fever is a regulated form of hyperthermia (abnormally high body temperature) where the heat loss and heat gain mechanisms are adjusted to maintain the body temperature at a higher set-point.
In true fever the temperature seldom goes above 106°F. With heat stroke, there is hyperthermia that is not due to fever but rather to unregulated heat gain or heat production, resulting in temperatures over 106°F.
Heat stroke, when your pet’s body temperature is above 106°F, is an emergency. Signs include panting, gasping and a bluish tongue. Some pets may develop disorientation and delirium. In such cases, death can occur if your pet is not cooled down, so it’s vital to seek emergency veterinary attention. A lot of pet owners are unaware of the dangers of heat and will go running with their dogs in the hot sunshine.
Simple overheating, on the other hand, is different to heat stroke. Your pet may be panting but seem well otherwise. Often dogs appear exhausted and will choose a cool floor over a warm bed. Parts of the body may feel hot to the touch. This can happen even if the weather is not that hot, or your dog’s rectal temperature
is normal.
It is important to remember that dogs and cats (except the Sphynx cat) are unable to sweat or take off their furry coats. They tend to cool themselves by panting, but this helps them only to a certain extent.
Certain dog breeds are more prone to heat stroke and/or overheating, like the short-nosed, so-called brachycephalic breeds (Pugs, Boxers, Bulldogs, etc.) and very thick- or dark-coated dog breeds.
Dogs usually cool themselves in hot weather by finding shady spots or jumping into water. However, if left in a car or taken on long walks in the summer in the midday heat without shade, they can end up with heat stroke.
Try these cooling tips
You can try these tips if your pet is stable and has a temperature of less than 104°F. If your pet is obviously sick with heat stroke, with a temperature over 106°F, you can use them on the way to your vet.
1) Cool your dog down with wet, cold towels. Dip some towels in ice cold water and place them on his head and body. Change them regularly. You can also keep ice packs ready in the fridge during the hot months and use them to cool your dog down.
2) Settle your dog in front of a fan or near an air conditioner so the air circulates through the fur and cools the body.
3) Hose your dog down or make him wallow in a paddling pool. If his rectal temperature is too high, you can squirt cold water up his anus into the rectum with a syringe. This can save a dog’s life!
4) Encourage your pet to drink more water, especially in summer. Ice cubes are a good way to get more water into your pets. Keep changing their water so it is clean and cold. You can also add coconut water to your pet’s drinking water—it’s cooling and tasty.
5) Add an electrolyte formula like Pedialyte to your dog’s water to make sure he does not become depleted of vital minerals like calcium, sodium and potassium.
According to homeopathic vet Dr Francis Hunter, the following remedies can help.
Aconite 30C. Dose immediately if your pet has heat stroke and keep giving the pellets every hour for four hours, then four times daily as needed.
Belladonna 30C. Dose one pellet every
30 minutes for small pets less than 15 lb (7 kg), or two pellets every 30 minutes for larger dogs, until they improve. Once better, give three times daily for two or three days.
Use this as a spritz mixed with water to spray on your pet’s body, or spray 3–5 drops directly onto his tongue when overheated.
Acupressure, a traditional Chinese technique, can help if your dog has a tendency to overheat, and is something you can learn to do on your pet yourself. See my book You Can Heal Your Pet for a detailed guide to the technique, but here’s what to do if your dog is too hot.
Gently hold the following points for 30 seconds with your index finger:
Ki-3—located on the inside of the hind legs just above the ankle, in the pocket between the Achilles tendon and the leg bone.
Lu-11—located on the skin webbing on the inner side of the dew claw (“thumb”) of the front paw, at the level of the nail bed.
TH-5—located about one-sixth of the way from the wrist to the elbow on the outer front leg, at an indentation between the radius and ulna, the two bones of the forearm.
If your dog is known to have overheating issues, feed him cooling foods such as eggs, pork, cucumber, celery or duck, and avoid warming foods like chicken, venison and lamb. Work with a holistic vet to come up with a diet that is neutral or cooling.
You can also try my berry and yogurt dog treat recipe (left), which can help to cool your dog and is also tasty.
Make sure your dog does not become dehydrated due to excessive panting while trying to cool down. Lift or pinch the skin on the neck or between the shoulder blades. If it goes back like elastic when you let it go, all is well. If the skin slowly settles or stays pinched for four or five seconds, it means your pet is dehydrated and you should rush him to your vet for fluid therapy.
Blackberries are rich in vitamin C and adored by dogs. If you can, pick your own—a warm sunny afternoon is when they’re at their juiciest—and place them on a sheet of baking paper for an hour to allow moisture to evaporate and any insects that have taken up residence to vacate the berries. You can also use raspberries, blueberries or strawberries if you prefer.
Dogs will love licking the cubes on hot days, and the treats will help to keep them cool and hydrated.
Ingredients
500 g (17.6 oz) organic natural yogurt
200 g (7 oz) ripe blackberries
1 ripe banana, mashed
3 Tbsp smooth peanut butter*
Directions
1) Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl until the mixture comes together to make a loose consistency.
2) Spoon the mixture into a silicon ice cube or cupcake tray and place into the freezer.
3) After two hours the cubes should be firm to the touch. Pop one out when you want to offer your dog a treat.
*Choose a peanut butter that contains a high percentage of peanuts (95 percent or more) and no palm oil or added sugar, such as those by Pip & Nut, Meridian and Woodstock.
Rohini Sathish, DVM, MSC, MRCVS, MHAO, MCIVT
Dr Sathish is an award-winning holistic vet with 22 years of experience. After training in acupuncture, acupressure, energy healing, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), animal communication and herbal medicine, she now actively integrates conventional veterinary treatments with complementary therapies and is co-author of You Can Heal Your Pet (Hay House UK, 2015). You can contact Dr Sathish at her website: www.rohinisholisticvetcare.com
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