The Dog Days of Summer are Nothing to Bark At!

The warmth of summer can mean lots of fun and outdoor activities. It can also mean heat stroke for your dog. Dogs are unable to cool off as efficiently as we can. We need to be extra careful not to put them in situations where they can over heat.

A dog left in a car, even on a day that seems comfortable to us, can get in to trouble in a few minutes. Strenuous exercise can cause heat stroke on a hot day, even for an athletic, well-conditioned pet.

Other factors such as obesity and a dark colored coat can increase the risk level. The very young, the very old plus the infirmed are unable to tolerate elevated temperatures well.

The symptoms of heat stroke include excessive panting, deep red or purple tongue, vomiting, diarrhea and disorientation. If you think your pet is experiencing heat stroke, run cool water over his body and get him to the veterinarian as quickly as possible. Heat stroke can kill.