Heatstroke symptoms in dogs: What to look for

Heatstroke is something to be wary of during the summer, but do you know what the heatstroke symptoms in dogs are?

What are heatstroke symptoms in dogs? It’s a problem for everyone during the summertime, but it can be easy to overlook the pupper’s needs in the rush of summer activities.

According to Pet Supermarket, symptoms of canine heatstroke include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Heavy panting
• Bright red tongue
• Red or pale gums
• Thick or tacky saliva
• Refusal to move after lying down (This sounds fairly reasonable)
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

How to determine if a dog suffers from excessive dizziness wasn’t explained.

What can you do to avoid heat-related illnesses?

Bringing your pets indoors as soon as possible, ideally on a tile or wood floor, and giving them cool (NOT ice cold) water to drink is a good place to start.

If bringing them inside isn’t an option, then making sure they have a shady area (a tree, a doghouse, the crawlspace under the back porch, whatever) to rest in is important, and making sure the water in their water bowls isn’t boiling is as well (changing it once or twice a day would be a good plan).

Towels or cloths on the paws, head and/or hairless areas would also be a good idea, if possible.

If you’re outside, try to keep their walking lanes on grass or dirt, avoiding hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt as much as possible, since they can burn paws. The rule of thumb here is if your bare hand can’t stick on the ground for seven seconds (“One Mississippi…”), then paws will likely scorch (OUCH).

Also, NEVER leave your dog in a hot car, as temperatures can reach up to 140 degrees on hot days, as any NASCAR driver could tell you.

Actress McKenna Grace (Gifted, The Haunting of Hill House, Fuller House, Captain Marvel) teamed up with PETA to explain the effects of leaving your dog trapped inside a hot car – it doesn’t end well.

If heatstroke symptoms persist after doing what you can, call your vet.