Heat stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency
that occurs when an overheated dog's body
temperature soars four to seven degrees above
the normal range of 100 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
What to look for:
Excessive panting
Brick-red oral membranes
Weakness, loss of coordination, or collapse
What to Do:
Contact your veterinarian, who may direct you
to begin cooling the dog yourself or bring it in to the clinic.
If you begin cooling your dog, use cool---not
ice-cold--water and a fan to bring the dog's body temperature down to 103
degrees.
How to prevent heat stroke:
Never leave a dog unattended in a car during warm
weather.
Keep your dog inside on hot, humid days--particularly
if its heat-regulation mechanisms are compromised
by age, heart or lung disease, or a pug nose.
If you leave your dog outside, provide plenty
of fresh water (with a backup supply in case one bowl tips
over) and access to shade at all times of day.
Don't shave longhaired dogs in hot weather. Hair
coats operate as air-filled buffers shielding the dog's skin
from heat.
Ventlock Tail Gate ventilation in cars for dogs.