NeylasMom Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 I posted last year when Zuri had his overheating incidents (he had 2). He never fully went into heat stroke, I think (?) because I recognized what was going on immediately and got him into the shower, but his temp did get up to 107 at one point. The first time was running in the dog park on a pretty hot and humid day. He shouldn't have been out and that was my stupid fault. The second time was not too long after. It was still warm weather, but it wasn't particularly hot or humid at the time we were out because it was dusk. That time he wasn't really even running, he was getting worked up because he couldn't get a cuz toy through his muzzle. Both times he recovered fully and seemed no worse for the wear. However, this obviously remains a huge concern for me, especially as the warm weather approaches. I assume this is exertional rhabdomyolysis, but don't know for sure. I'm wondering, has anyone else had this problem? I don't mean a dog that's reluctant to walk in the heat or pants a lot, I mean a dog that has actually overheated and/or suffered from heat stroke on more than one occasion. The weird thing is Zuri had played many times without incident, including in warmer weather. Given that the second incident followed the first relatively closely, I almost feel like the first incident "flipped a switch". Probably me making stuff up. Anyway, anyone in my boat? My vets seem rather clueless on the matter. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadasMom Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 How long a period of time does he run/play for? Quote Carol-Glendale, AZ Trolley (Figsiza Trollyn) Nevada 1992-2008...always in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 He's always been able to run/play for long periods of time. He's a young (he was just 3 when these incidents happened) and very active dog. Hi goes on camping weekends with me where we hike 20+ miles. These particular incidents - I don't really remember on the first one. I assume we played for a usual amount of time in the dog park (20-30 minutes) before heading home. It's about a 5-10 min drive and I noticed something was wrong as soon as we got home, which is when I got him in the shower and called my vet. The second time, he hadn't been playing for very long. Maybe 5 or 10 minutes max - I was dropping him off at a friend's so she could watch him while I went on a date, so I didn't have much time there. Her son had been playing fetch with them, but then Zuri got focused on trying to pick up the cuz through his muzzle and I believe that's when things went downhill (he's very toy obsessed so he started frantically digging, trying to pick it up). Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Some dogs heat up faster than others. Heat stroke (which if I remember right is around 107 temp--you were very lucky) can happen, and does here in Texas during an early morning walk. I know several dogs have died from heat stroke, and quite a few almost died. Interesting that Winslow and Bodie overheat quickly and need to be cooler than most dogs. Glynis said Winslow has a broken thermostat since chemo. He lives in a/c with his personal "fanny" on 24 hours a day! Here are a couple of threads for newcomers that are interested in information: http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showto...;hl=heat+stroke http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showto...;hl=heat+stroke http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showto...;hl=heat+stroke If you can cool the dog down just before getting to the vets, you have a better chance of the dog surviving--but, you have to use common sense. If the vet is one minute away, don't take the time. 20 minutes away, you need to start cooling down then get to the vet--hopefully one person can be cooling while one is driving which would be the best scenario. Of my guys, Huston is my hot little guy--he loves the heat and he is also smart about it. Pablo is my cold guy--hates the heat and will lie down in the yard outside when it's 50 degrees out! The others fall somewhere inbetween those two. Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 There are supplements you can use to help prevent exertional rhabdomyolosis, but I don't know if they help for overheating. I'll have to look around and see if there's anything out there. It's true though that one episode makes it more likely to happen again in the future. Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 There are supplements you can use to help prevent exertional rhabdomyolosis, but I don't know if they help for overheating. I'll have to look around and see if there's anything out there. It's true though that one episode makes it more likely to happen again in the future. Would love to know the supplements so I can do more investigating. Thanks though for confirming the latter, I didn't remember that (although it sucks that it's true and not just coincidence). Interesting that Winslow and Bodie overheat quickly and need to be cooler than most dogs. Glynis said Winslow has a broken thermostat since chemo. He lives in a/c with his personal "fanny" on 24 hours a day! Are you trying to tell me my dog has cancer???!!! Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burpdog Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 No silly! Just that some dogs have different thermostats and chemo seems to break a few. At first Glynis thought Winslow was in pain. Wasn't that at all--he was hot! I doubt any supplements will help a dog stave off heat stroke. Heat stroke is a serious medical condition. I remember sitting in on a seminar a few years back and the vets said by the time they get the dogs, it is almost always too late Quote Diane & The Senior Gang Burpdog Biscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mommydog Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 I have a Chillow for the dreaded menopausal night sweats! And it works very well, they do canine Chillows, and although they're fairly expensive it might be something you'd consider. Hope all goes well for your boy. http://www.chillow.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted May 2, 2008 Author Share Posted May 2, 2008 Heat stroke is a serious medical condition. I remember sitting in on a seminar a few years back and the vets said by the time they get the dogs, it is almost always too late I really do think the only reason Zuri is still with me is because someone had JUST posted about their dog getting heatstroke (it was a dog who got loose in the middle of summer and wasn't found until a half a day or so later) shortly before it happened and I had read the articles that were posted. So instead of ignoring the signs, or putting him in the car and making the 30 minute drive to my vet, I put him in the shower. All of this to say, yes, it's incredibly serious, and I hope anyone who comes across this will read the links you posted in case they're ever in the situation. The way I knew something was wrong with Zuri, aside from the really heavy panting, was that his gums were bright red, his eyes looked really funny, and he was very weak, wouldn't jump into the car on this own and then wouldn't walk around, just stood there. When I called his name, he was non-responsive, which is totally unlike him. Time for us to revisit what we need to carry on walks and in our car too! Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TBSFlame Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Beecher would heat up fast. I remember taking him on trips and freezing b/c he had to have the AC so high. lol. I once had to call dh to come get him at an event b/c he was so hot. Beecher spent most of his retirement on the sofa with his feet in the air. He raced till he was 4.5. He only wanted to walk a couple of blocks and was ready to come home. When i would be getting ready to go out he would lay on his sofa while the others would follow me around the house. He was really a homebody. I miss that boy so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicocat Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 he was getting worked up because he couldn't get a cuz toy through his muzzle. When I ran the adoption kennel at the Woodlands, we exercised the dogs by letting them play with toys in the turnout pens...a few dogs at a time muzzled. We had one little girl who would get so worked up that we couldn't let her play more than a few minutes. If we had let her continue for more than 3-4 minutes she would have overheated. It's rare, but it can happen from so little stimulation. Quote Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryJane Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 You may want to consider getting a "cool-down" coat for your pup. It's usually made of terry cloth and you can soak it in cold water before you take walks. It helps to keep the dog cool and comfortable. You also need to take a container of water with ice and regularly wet down the coat so it stays cool. You can't let it dry out, if it does, it would make the dog even hotter. I used this all the time with my "black dog" in the summer and it helped but, I also made sure NOT to walk at the hottest parts of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonsmom Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Like Zuri, my Minty is black. Her bridge brothers were both basically white..and didn't seem seem to be as affected by the heat as she is. (BTW..she's 5, and got a clean bill of health a couple a couple of weeks ago). But in the 2 years she's been with us; we have to watch her carefully in the heat.. she just can't seem tolerate it much. I picked up one of those cooling beds somewhere on clearance sale last fall. I brought it with me to GIG this year..and Saturday I had it ready and in the car. DH had her and he was talking to someone; she'd been walking around for awhile...first with me then with him.. when I saw her with him I told him she needed to get cooled off..she was panting...also looking rather stressed...maybe a minute or so later I looked and she'd stopped panting..but her head was hanging down..long string of thick drool sorta just hanging there... she looked sorta...I don't know...like.."I don't feel so good." Course, DH wasn't quite done with his conversation.. so I took her and fortunately our car (with the cool pad and water and wet cloths I'd packed) weren't far. I tossed that thing down ...got her to lay on it..(surprised since she's weird about laying on strange things..but she actually sighed when her belly hit the coolness of hit and laid her chin right down too) I used the wet cloth I'd brought and cooled off her ears and stuff...she took some water. DH finally arrived..(with that.."why didn't you tell me she was overheated?" After I was absolutely positive that she was A-ok I made him sit there with her in the shade....by then she was happily looking around...poking me for a treat...(but mean old me wouldn't let her be in the parade.) It's funny...because I have friends that also have black greys...that don't seem to get hot as quickly..yet they also mention their greys are cold on winter nights; whereas Minty won't tolerate blankets or jammies while she's sleeping. Somewhere in my Sewing Guild stuff I have a resourse list to make those "cooling neckwraps" ..I gotta do some digging...they'd be handy to have...for greys and people! Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest karma98104 Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I haven't dealt with overheating before- can someone point me the way to directions on what to do if one of them gets overheated? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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