Almost Collapse

[Guest kar]

took snow for a walk last night at 8 pm. did not get very far and her legs started to wobble and she went around in circles and I thought she was going to collapse. she finally recovered and I got her home. has anyone ever experienced this. she goes to vet today at nine thirty.

[cleptogrey]

yes, it's the heat. every dog reacts differently, felix did that last year and it was only in the high 80s, annie was fine. as long as she has recovered she should be o.k. i now always hose felix (annie too) down prior to a walk on a hot nite. we spent the summer in san antonio last year and our cool tempt. at night was in the low 90s.we felt like vampires going out when the crazy night winds kicked in. so, every night that were both soaked as we got our nightly walkies in. if you can't hose your pup down (chest, groin, back, legs, neck and always check the tempt. of the water in the hose, it heats up during the day)then sit this heat wave out. better safe than sorry. if the hosing works then you can also cool her off after, but keep the walks short and late at night. i found early mornings too hot.

[a_daerr]

Yep, this happened to Truman once after a heavy run on a hot day. It was like his legs turned to jelly, and he started walking drunkenly. As soon as we got him cooled down and rehydrated, he was fine.

[Victor]

Hopefully it was just the heat, but it's good you're getting her checked. I believe walking in circles can also be a sign of a stroke.

[XTRAWLD]

It certainly is alarming isn't it?

 

My pom did this, had trouble breathing and his heart was having difficulty keeping up. He was older (14-15) and things just started to age and creep up on him.

 

Interesting to hear what the vet has to say. Fingers crossed.

[racindog]

Sounds like heat. Some houndies just cannot tolerate any heat. Goldie got heat exhaustion and his temp went up over 107 one evening not long after I adopted him! We were just hanging around the park in the evening and it was only in the 8o's outside. From that point on I made sure he was always air conditioned for the rest of his life. I also now do like the poster above and wet down houndies with the hose before I walk them. I've used cooling jackets too- I think they help a little but the main thing is to wet them so evaporation gets going.

[Guest kar]

vet believes it was the heat. no more walks till it cools down

[cleptogrey]

i found that cooling jackets do buphkahs. don't even think of wasting your $$$.

[rsieg]

Sounds like Snow's response was actually a blessing in disguise, gives you a better handle on her heat limits.

 

You can't tell which dog will have a problem with heat -- Max is 12 yo and has thick black fur and raced in the midwest, while Logan is 6 and has thin brindle fur and raced in Florida, but Logan is the one that has heat problems. Logan's sensible response to the heat is to stop and lie down, preferably in the shade. He has never done the walking in circles response, though he does drag behind after a while when it is hot. I get annoyed with him about lying down after a while and start encouraging him to get up. (He has stopped panting by this time, he really just likes lying down). What is funny is that Max has now joined in -- when Max gets tired of waiting he will start barking at Logan, and that does usually get him up.

 

I haven't tried hosing them down, interesting idea -- worth it just to blast them with the hose :-) Logan will actually stop and drink out of an in-ground lawn sprinkler if he is hot and it is running by the sidewalk. I carry a folding dish to catch some of the sprinkler water for Max figuring if Logan is thirsty then so is Max. None of the homeowners have complained so far.

[Neal]

My Ned just can't take the heat at all. Prevention where possible being the better cure, its important to remember that cooling down slowly, cool not cold water is best. The shock to a dogs system if ice, or cold water used can cause a major shock to their system and some awful outcomes. They have a lot of physical issues to contend with with the lack of sweat glands, higher body temperature and in the magnificent greyhounds case, more muscle less fat naturally ( some more than others of course

[Guest kar]

snow checked out at the vet. I have not been walking her. I am afraid to walk her even when the weather cools. It was really a scary situation. Should I chance walking her when it cools off. she is nine years old, almost ten and until that episode loved her works. I am just afraid. we walk with a three year old mixed breed who can go forever. I guess those days are over. how long does everyone walk their senior greys or do you walk at all?

[Remolacha]

I don't walk here in the summer at all. The cut off temperature depends on the dog, Fletcher got increasingly more heat sensitive as he got older. By the time he passed, at 11, he couldn't tolerate anything over 70. Conner (11) does fine with anything up to about 80, but we don't walk far because of his other mobility issues.

 

I would try walking your dog again again when it gets cooler, and maybe less humid, depending on where you live. Just keep a close eye on her, you probably won't be able to go as far as you used to.

[Guest kar]

it saddens me because we walked twice a day for almost an hour each time. I will miss spending that time with her. we both enjoyed it. but I know she is getting older, just don't want to accept it.

[Guest Scouts_mom]

Newcomers -- Be aware that, while this girl is okay, heat stroke or exhaustion can be deadly. At the first sign of trouble, you need to cool the dog down. As someone stated, don't use ice water, but cool water on paws, belly, armpits, groin and ears will help. If it doesn't get the dog back to normal--get the dog to the vet asap--this is an emergency. When a dog over heats, it's systems begin to shut down and it dies.

 

When I need to walk my dogs but am not sure about the heat, I walk with a squirt battle, so I can mist my kids if they start to get hot (and immediately get home). Luckily I don't live where there is high humidity, but it does get into the 90s and 100s occasionally over the summer and I have learned to be very cautious on those days.

 

Once I was dogsitting a friend's dog. It was only in the 80's and the dogs were playing. Mine were fine, but the visitor started to be wobbly on his feet. We immediately put him in the wadding pool and wrapped him in soaked towels. He survived with no problems, but I remember how scared I was at the thought that I would have to explain to my friends that their dog had died.

Edited July 30, 2016 by Scouts_mom

[dmdsmoxie]

You said snow checked out at the vet. But, you didn't say what the vet found. If it was the heat I don't understand why you wouldn't walk her when the temperature gets in the 60's and lower. If the vet said the episode was from a heart condition or something else that can be deadly then I understand not walking her.

[rsieg]

Max will be turning twelve next week, but he still walks twice a day, usually 0.9-1.7 miles per trip depending on temperature and other factors. He has been panting more during/after the walk and I have been shortening them, and I just bought a Nalgene bottle to carry water along with one of those cloth portable water "bowls".

 

I can easily understand being nervous about walking Snow, if Max did something squirrelly on a walk like that I would be as well. But you should consider the risk/benefit. It sounds like both you and Snow really like the walks, so if you can go when it is cool enough, maybe start with very short walks and see if she is up to it, it sounds like the risk is low and the benefit is high. I do think Max is healthier because he does walk than he would be if he never got to walk, both physically and mentally. But of course it does depend on the dog.

[XTRAWLD]

When Kasey got visibly slower, we couldn't make it around the block. Most times we just went 20 feet or so to go pee and back. I know its sad when they age and you don't want them to. I had to take Ryder separately since I wasn't being fair to either one of them if we all went out together. What did the vet find? Is her heart ok? Fluid in the lungs?

[RedHead]

If she checked out medically and still enjoys her walks, I don't think you need to deny her those in cooler weather. Maybe just start short and see how she does. I don't know where you live, but temps have been unseasonably hot here, so this summer has been a bit extreme compared to most.

 

Glad this post came up, because I have never heard of this before and would probably panic if it happened. Teague is 9 and we do long daily walks or jogs every day. We try to go earlier when it is cooler and he goes for a dip in the water halfway, but a good reminder of the dangers of overheating (even when it doesn't seem overly hot).

Edited July 31, 2016 by RedHead

[Feisty49]

Good advice about taking precautions but when the weather is cooler, I'd start up again with walks -- starting off slowly and with short distances. Walking is good exercise for people and dogs.

 

My Annie *hates* the heat but loves to walk. I too hate the heat but love to walk. Even on the hottest days (90+ with high humidity and dew point), we get out in the morning and evening, but only walk a few hundred feet because the weather dictates it. Thankfully, we've got a lot of trees where I live so we usually can do at least half a mile in the morning because we're out early, with the sun still low in the sky, and we're in the shade.

 

I hate to wish days of my life away (when one is 67, there are a lot fewer in front than behind), but I love Autumn and walking when it's cool. Annie jumps for joy when it's cool and hustles that skinny butt down the street as if she were a puppy instead of almost 9 years old.

[Guest kar]

it was a little cooler this morning, but when I asked her if she wanted to walk she did not move. same thing tonight. I don't want to push her. vet said heart sounded good, lungs were clear but this was so scary I am actually afraid to walk her too, and don't want to push her. usually when I mentioned walk she will get off the couch and wait for me. but not this morning and tonight. I really miss the walks with her. she is supposed to have an ultrasound cystocentesis next week. don't know if I should still take her. she keeps getting uti's and vet wanted to make sure it was gone, but I don't know whether or not to stress her. she wants to be sure it is a clear urine sample. what are your opinions? I live in Connecticut and it has been hot and humid. but better today.

Edited August 1, 2016 by kar

[Guest kar]

she got up wanted to go. took her for a short walk just up and down my street. she was ok. but we certainly did not walk more than 5 minutes and took our time.

[rsieg]

That sounds great. 5 min of slooow walking is all I do with my guys when it is hot. They are happy just to get out. And if you do run into a problem less distance to get home. Another thing I sometimes do is go one way, turn around and pass our house the same distance the other way and then back. That way we get four times the maximum distance from our house.

[3greytjoys]

We've had two Greyhounds with laryngeal paralysis. Since heat can be a quick death sentence for LP dogs, we've been extra careful with all of our Greyhounds to keep them in cool conditions with water available at all times. Both LP hounds continue/d to take slow, limited duration walks (harness + leash only) from age 6 into their teens, but only if weather is cool (below 70 degrees, near dawn in shade or after dusk). If air temperature and cement/pavement is too warm, they don't take walks period -- until seasonal weather permits. All of our greyhounds comfortable exercise threshold is up to the low 70's F. Even our healthiest, younger Greyhounds are so temperature sensitive that they could overexert if above about 73-75 degrees F.