Pet Talk: How to help your pet beat summer heat

Warm weather often means more time outside with your pets, but higher temperatures also increase the risk of heat stress, which occurs when an animal’s body cannot properly cool itself, causing its core temperature to rise. 
“The problem with heat stress is it can start happening a lot faster than you would initially think it would,” said Dr. Sarah Manning, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “It can really start after just 10 minutes of a good play session and it’s really subtle.”
 To help owners recognize the early signs of heat stress, Manning shares key warning indicators and how to respond so that owners can act quickly at the first signs of overheating. 
Heat stress can occur when a dog or cat’s body temperature rises only two degrees above their normal temperature, which is typically 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.   
Because this can occur quickly, early recognition of signs is important. 
According to Manning, subtle facial changes can be one of the first signs in dogs. Others can include: 
•Panting or mouth breathing (less heavy in cats)
•Seeking shade and water 
•An elongated tongue 
•Excessive grooming for cats
•Increased respiratory effort (harder breathing)
“You might see heat stress in the facial expressions of dogs, if their eyes start to get a little bit narrow and their tongues can start to get really long,” Manning said. “They’re panting a lot, so you tend to see their teeth a lot more as their lips pull back.”
Cats, on the other hand, groom themselves more and tend to spread their bodies out rather than curling into a ball. 
As pets spend more time outdoors and their body temperature climbs, the brain and internal system begin to be affected, and the progression to heat stroke can happen quickly.
“A technical heat stroke is when their temperature rises to 106 degrees Fahrenheit,” Manning said. 
At this point, serious health issues also can occur — dogs can get dizzy, too weak to stand, become inattentive, and symptoms could progress into seizures. 
Heat stress has many side effects, all of which are equally important to notice before serious health issues appear.
Certain breeds are more susceptible to overheating, particularly those with short muzzles, such as bulldogs, boxers, Boston terriers and Persian cats. 
While panting facilitates cooling in all animals, “because their heads are smaller, it makes panting less efficient — so each breath results in less heat dissipation,” Manning said.
Environmental conditions also play a major role in heat risk — the heat index and relative humidity are important to monitor, especially during sudden temperature spikes before pets have time to acclimate. 
In addition, when temperatures reach above 90 degrees, Manning suggests checking paved areas where your pet may play using a simple test: if the pavement or concrete is too hot for your hand, it is too hot for your pet’s paws. 
If changes occur in the animal’s behavior and body, the heat index or humidity begins, the pet struggles to acclimate to a new environment, or your pet starts seeking out shade, Manning advises that owners act quickly to:
•Bring your pets indoors
•Offer water to rehydrate
•Use shades, fans, or air conditioning to cool them
If your pet continues rapidly breathing and experiencing weakness or lethargy after proper cool-off time, contact your veterinarian.
Hydration and planning ahead are key to prevention.
“If you know that it’s going to be a hotter day and you will be spending time outside together, increase their hydration beforehand,” Manning said. “This could be by adding water or wet food into their diet and increasing water intake daily.”
For cats, a primarily wet food diet can help maintain hydration, and additional water can be mixed in. The same approach can be used for dogs by adding water to dry kibble.
Prevention can also come in the form of staying on top of routine grooming needs during warmer months, as pets with dual coats can lose their ability to keep an insulated layer if not groomed properly. If your pet appears to be overheating, the best way to cool them is to put room temperature water on their bodies and blow a fan over them, a method called active cooling. 
As with any situation, pet owners should have a plan for accessing veterinary care in case of an emergency. Delayed or improper cooling can lead to serious complications.
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.