I Know These Dogs Overheat Quickly, But...

[Guest BrindleBoy]

After walks when it's hot out... and by hot, it could be 75 degrees and hotter, even after a short walk (1/2 mile, leisurely pace), Indy seems to pant REALLY fast. For a REALLY long time. He won't drink, he won't lay down for the first 15-20 minutes, he just stands there, hyper-panting. Eventually, he lays down, but is still hyper-panting. He grew up in FL, and did race, I'm surprised he's not more acclimated to heat.

 

Today, it's 91 outside, low humidity. We walked about 1/2 mile in partial shade, at a leisurely pace. And he's panting like a freight train. I got him to drink twice right after we walked, then he stood around for 20 minutes hyper-panting, now, 20 minutes later, he still hasn't drank anything, and finally laid down... but his panting is just as fast as it has been the whole time.

 

The last time this happened, we were on a road trip, I stopped to walk him, it was 85F, we went 1/2 mile, and when I put him back in the car, I blasted the AC vents right at his face (he was in the back seat, between to 2 seats). Still took him quite awhile to calm down.

 

I guess I'm just checking in for other's people's pup's behaviors, to make sure my pup's reaction isn't out of the norm? And if it is, is there anything I can do? I know fans won't help, because dogs don't sweat thru their skin, right? They have to cool themselves from the inside out? I guess getting him into a kiddie pool might help? If we could get him in one... he HATES water...

[Shaysmom]

Seamus has a really low tolerance for heat--anything above 70 degrees causes him to wilt and lose energy. I have to be very careful in the summer when and how long we walk. However, what you are describing with your pup sounds out of the norm to me. There are health problems that are connected to heat intolerance, including heart issues and thyroid. It may be worth checking out with the vet if it doesn't improve.

 

How long have you had him? When I first got Seamus, he didn't have any stamina for long walks at all. He would abruptly lay down on the grass mid-walk when he got over-tired, just lay there and pant. And we weren't walking very far. Eventually when he built up his endurance, he stopped doing that, but it was a few months before he could handle even half a mile.

 

Sometimes when it is warm, I hose down Seamus' paws with cool water before we go in the house. You can also make a simple coat out of a terry cloth towel to wet down and drape over their bodies, but if he doesn't like water, he may not go for that. Some people use those cooling kerchiefs you can drape over their necks, but I'm not sure how effective that is.

[Guest Eyeblaura]

We've only had Enzo since December. I live in the midwest and it has been warm mid 70s but can be humid. He doesn't tolerate the heat well either. He gets to panting really quickly and seems to lose a good bit of stamina. He does like water and will lie down in any he can find to try to cool off. He does tolerate cold quite well and seems to prefer it a bit colder out, he is also quite fuzzy and has one of the hairiest greyhound butts I've seen.

 

When we return from a walk he often won't drink right away but he will go lay down and pant but after about 10 minutes he'll drink and the panting has slowed or stopped.

 

I try to walk him in the evenings when the sun is down and the air is cooler.

[greyhead]

Sounds very excessive to me. I'd be checking for TBD's and other things. And I wouldn't go out if it's over 75 until I had it figured out. But that's just my approach, having had a TBD dog with heat issues.

 

ETA: The one time we had an episode at a play group where our guy couldn't stop panting like a freight train, the adoption people hosed his tummy and paws down for a couple minutes. And then a rest in the barn. Can you hose Indy like that, or apply cool clothes to his belly?

Edited April 16, 2012 by greyhead

[msjpk]

My two are experiencing the same- we are in Rockaway, NJ and you would think we are in Arizona- Pant, Pant, Pant-

[Guest BrindleBoy]

He's been to the vet, just last month. He wasn't tested for TBDs, but he WAS when we got him, like 10 months ago, and has been using Frontline Plus ever since.

 

I thought cool/wet towels on them wouldn't help? Because they don't sweat thru their skin like we do? Or is it just a heat convection thing?

 

I can definitely try hosing him down, but I don't think he'll like it very much! I remember last summer, the morning and evening walks were ok, but the noon walks were the same... we kept them short & easy, just enough for him to do his business.

[OwnedBySummer]

I guess I'm just lucky, Summer doesn't habitually do that. If I had to classify her panting, I would say she is a "normal dog". She never really pants any differently from my previous, non-grey dogs. But that being said... I never walk her in the full heat. We don't walk all that often (fully fenced backyard plus she runs several times a week with other greyhounds in playgroup) but once the temperature starts to climb, walks are only early morning or night. Greyhound playdates are also early morning by that point. If I'm camping with her, walks are whenever because it's mostly in shade. I love to sit outside mid-day and and Summer likes to be with me and she may or may not have some zoomies -- but whenever she gets hot, she'll flop into her kiddie pool. On walks, she'll flop into rivers and lakes, too -- whatever is handy.

 

The amount of panting your pup is exhibiting sounds really excessive to me. Especially since it doesn't seem to slow down in a reasonable timeframe. Are you doing much to assist? I would be misting him or perhaps lying a cold wet cloth across that huge femoral artery inside his hind leg and refreshing it when it gets warm. And I've also had good success with those "keep cool" kerchiefs -- that lets me have her out somewhere with me at high noon if I have to and she is okay because her neck artery is being cooled.

 

And when Summer IS panting a lot, I don't give her very much water at all. I don't think that's a good idea. When her panting is under control, I'll let her have some more. But not right after or right before a lot of exercise.

 

I would be concerned.

 

ETA: You say he hates water. He won't even stand in it? Many hounds that don't like water will happily stand in a kiddie pool. Some of them seem to not like bathwater, which is a very different thing. Other can be put off by lakes and rivers as there is just too much water. But a small pool is often okay.

 

ETA: And yes, a cooling jacket can help. But be careful! -- as soon as it warms up, you MUST remove it. You can re-wet it and put it back on if you like. But if you leave it on him warm, it's a sauna and will overheat him even more. I have read that some hounds have passed away because the owners didn't closely monitor the cooling jacket. I have one but I just use it on her after a bath.

 

And yet another ETA: Here is how it was explained to me: Basically, when he was racing, he was kept in an air conditioned kennel and transported to an air conditioned building before the race. I'm not sure if the kennel trucks are air conditioned. Then he ran his race and went to the vet area afterwards and perhaps got hosed off. Then trucked back to the air conditioned building. They really don't build up any climate tolerance at the tracks.

Edited April 16, 2012 by OwnedBySummer

[tbhounds]

My two are experiencing the same- we are in Rockaway, NJ and you would think we are in Arizona- Pant, Pant, Pant-

NJ here too-- my dogs are melting today but, I just can't bring myself to turn on the a/c yet!

[greyhead]

At some point you have to do anything you can to cool them off, ideal or not. I know the hose works when applied to the underside of the dog. Just keep the flow on the gentle side, and I really doubt that he'll mind at all. You'd probably have to change the towels too frequently for it to be pratical; I just mentioned that in case a hose wasn't available.

 

Ideally, you'll avoid the heat with Indy. Even in Seattle we don't do noon walks in the summer. (For another thing, the sidewalk is too darn hot. They also cool themselves through their paws, so hot sidewalks are not helpful.) We go out in the early morning and late evening. Some days (fortunately, not too many) that means 7 a.m. to avoid the heat and way late at night since the sun doesn't set here until 10 p.m. in July. I'm afraid you folks in the East are headed for a really hot summer, so it's good you're getting this figured out now.

 

If you avoid high heat and still it takes him a long time to stop panting, you might need to consider medical issues. (The first vet we consulted on this for Shane said, "Well, some dogs are just like that, same way some people just sweat a lot." A couple years later we tested and found Babesia. Later tested and found Lyme. And TBD tests don't cover every possible TBD, so sometimes you just throw doxy at the problem and see if anything good happens. Oh, and with TBD treatment, the overheating and excessive panting went away. We wished we'd caught it earlier.)

 

 

 

 

[Guest BrindleBoy]

Won't step foot in a kiddie pool. Not last summer anyway. We had only had him a couple months at that point, he has changed a lot since then. We're going to try again this summer. The ONE time we gave him a "bath" (using warm water, hand-sprayer in the big metal "tub thing" at the local "wash your own pet place", he was shaking like a leaf. HATED it.

 

I do avoid heat with him. But I can't very well avoid 80 degree temps in the dead of summer... we wake up and it can be in the high 70's already!

 

I don't remember the panting being this bad last summer... I'm keeping a close eye on it, because if he doesn't acclimate at least SOME, I will take him to the vet for a full round of testing. Otherwise, he seems a perfectly healthy, happy dog in every way. No problems. And I "worry" about that stuff, so the slightest behavior change I catch immediately.

[FiveRoooooers]

It is hot here in CT today, too, and my campers are wilted. They are going out to the pools once the sun goes down a bit - even if they just stand in them for a moment it seems to cool them down enough that they seem comfortable. We don't have A/C so on those really awful days they do get to have the indoor pool.

[Hubcitypam]

Unless they have a cool down pool at the tracks they cool them by hosing their belly and feet.

Personally, if it gets in the mid to high 80s we don't walk in the daytime. We go for a walk not long before dark after it cools off, or if I'm working after dark.

 

If I didn't have a yard the daytime trips would be short and to get business done with half mile ones in the early morning or late evening.

 

 

[PrairieProf]

They are worse when it first gets really hot -- they are not acclimated yet. And they still have a heavier coat, too. He may be OK in July with what he's not OK with in April. Even half a mile might be a lot above 90, though. In the hot summer we do serious exercise only early in the morning. We have to walk during the day but we keep it very short at those temps.

 

I second the idea of hosing him off (legs, belly, groin), or if you can't do that, wet him down in those areas using a spray bottle.

Edited April 16, 2012 by PrairieProf

[Time4ANap]

Rocket pants like this once it warms up also. He also raced in Florida, but anything over 65-70 degrees results in panting, worse if it's humid.

 

You must be careful not to trap heat under the towel . Trapping the heat under the towel makes it worse. If your dog will lay on them, you could also try putting some cold damp/wet towels on his bed to lay on. Cooling the underside helps a great deal, whether with towels or a cool trickle of the hose. I might also try a kiddie pool. Rocket hates the kiddie pool, but lots of pups love them.

 

Good luck.

[Riverhound]

Also in NJ. I spent the day puttering in the yard/drinking/hanging out with my Dad, and kept the dogs out with us. Joe was fine laying in the shade, but if I'd tried to walk him he would have been a panting, heaving mess. (He's black on top, so he soaks up heat!). Brees seems to do better in warm weather so far. Above 75 is where we have to be careful with Joe: make sure he gets watered enough, encourage him to stand in creeks, spray him down, etc. He will mostly be walked in the morning and late evening through the summer, or to places we know he can get wet. Joe's been tested for TBD's and been fine, so he's just a spoiled wimp who wants A/C!

 

It was freakin' hot today! I haven't adjusted, either!

[DesiRayMom]

Another one here in Ohio that hates the warmer weather. He'll pant when it's 60 degrees...not excessively, but still.

Over 70? He'd rather just take a quick pee break outside & then come right back in.

 

His favorite temps are the 40's. Makes him feel frisky.

[Guest BrindleBoy]

Indy DEFINITELY prefers cooler temps, and acclimated to winter FAR better than I expected. Maybe he's just like ME... hates the heat, gets hot fast, stays hot longer than normal.

[Guest Fasave]

Interesting topic. My newbie pants like he's going to hyperventilate when he's hot. Also a FL pup. He also got very sluggish on a walk this weekend. I asked my vet about the panting and she said he has a greyhound mix who does the same thing. At first she though something was wrong but years later, it appears it is just the way he is. She told me to just keep an eye on him. It's always hard when you first get them and don't know what's "normal". Tucker is my fourth greyhound but he does lots of things I've never seen before. Hopefully Indy will get used to heat once it's around for a while. I'll be interested to hear if you learn something different.

[Feisty49]

It seems unanimous that the heat negatively affects the Greys. I adopted Annie Bella last July and she immediately showed me that walking in the dead heat was a big no no for her -- as it was for me. Now that winter is over, it only takes a sunny day at 60 for her to start panting quickly. On a day like today, where the temp reached over 90 and the humidity could be felt at 6 AM this morning, we did an early walk and did less than half a mile because she starts panting within an hundred feet.

 

Water: She drinks a lot of it but not immediately upon coming into the house. She waits about 30 minutes then goes for the water bowl. I assume she knows her body and if she's too hot, lapping up water might make her vomit.

 

I walk her slowly and at the coolest times of the days and though my house is not hot, I keep a fan going and she has the option of laying near it or not.

[Guest aowam]

My pup today did the same thing after a short walk. Normally he'd go drink and lie down, but not today he stood there for a good 20 minutes like yours drank a little ( i put ice in his water bowl) and followed me around the house. I soaked a paper towel and ran it over his ears, belly and joint areas. He ran off, not liking it, but he did eventually lie down.

[Feisty49]

Gotta be careful about making the water too cold. It can cause problems. Also, I was told by my adoption group not to give ice.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Feisty49

[krissn333]

We simply don't go outside for much more than bathroom time once it's 80 degrees or if it's humid (Saturday it was 72 but very humid here-too humid for Carrie for sure, she came in wheezing...she has very mild LP).

 

None of my big kids self cool very well so we just avoid it. We don't do too many walks in the warmer months and we play inside when it's too hot. I know that sounds boring but IMO its better than taking the chance they'll get heatstroke.

[NeylasMom]

What you're describing seems excessive to me. I would talk to your vet about it. And I would be very careful not to let him run in temperatures where you suspect he would react to simply a walk like this. Also, educate yourself on the signs of heat stroke and keep a thermometer nearby (including in the car if you take him places to walk or run) so you can check his temperature if you suspect he is in heat stroke. Temps over 103 are generally not considered normal and BEFORE taking him to the vet, you need to cool him down by running cool water over him until his temp returns to 103. It's equally important to stop the cooling process when you reach 103 because you can over cool. Then get him in the car with windows down and AC on and get to the vet immediately. It's no joke, it's a life or death situation.

 

As far as the walks go, I would actually wet him down before you walk. If he doesn't tolerate the hose (although he should, just use a straight hose without any sprayer) then take a large water bottle and pour that over him. You'll probably have to "rub" the water into his fur a bit so it doens't roll right off, and I would pour some into your hand and get it on his chest and belly. Don't forget his feet. Wouldn't hurt to refill and take the bottle with you so you can rewet him as needed.

 

Zuri has overheated twice now. Once it happens, they can be more prone to it. Trust me, it's not something you want to play around with.

[Guest itsagreytlife]

Wow, that is a great idea, about wetting them down, or even misting, before a walk. Selah is all black (with cute little white sneakers) and has been panting on our walks for the past 3-4 weeks. Its like 65 degrees and she's panting!! She also slows down and tries to tell me she doesn't want. to. go. any. further! So I wait usually until the sun is going down. She still pants but at least she will walk. She takes about 10 mins inside to chill out too. Will be getting a baby pool soon! Can't wait, as she loves laying in the water. Went to the beach this past weekend; the water was freezing cold, but first thing she plopped herself right down and let the waves run right over her. Ahhhh...

[NeylasMom]

I wish my dogs would learn to do that. Instead every time we go hiking I get to painstakingly scoop water from the stream into my hands and over their body again and again until they're nice and wet.