What to Do If a Dog Has Heat Exhaustion: Dog Care Guide

While many pet owners are well informed about the danger of heatstroke for animals, heat exhaustion in dogs may be easily overlooked. However, you have to be able to recognize this condition, as it’s a stage that precedes heatstroke, and addressing it immediately prevents health complications for your pet in the future. 

In this blog post, you’ll find out more about signs of heat exhaustion in dogs, how to treat it properly, and how to keep your furry companion safe in the summer weather. Let’s get started! 

What Is Heat Exhaustion in Dogs?

Heat exhaustion is an illness that canines develop due to exposure to high temperatures.

How Can Dogs Get Heat Exhaustion? 

The condition occurs when a dog’s body temperature is 102.5°F (39.2°C) or higher and the animal loses the ability to maintain their core body temperature within a normal range (101°F–102.5°F (38.3°C–39.2°C). It can happen due to several factors or a combination of them. All of them decrease a canine’s ability to regulate their body temperature. 

Contributing factors include:

• Intense exercise: Engaging in rigorous outdoor exercise on a hot day, particularly under direct sunlight, can quickly lead to overexertion and fatigue, thereby preventing natural cooling-down mechanisms from functioning correctly.

• Age and/or medical problems: Older dogs often have a range of chronic health conditions that develop due to aging. Some of them, including respiratory and heart-related issues, can make it more challenging to cool down and regulate body temperature on a hot day. 

• Exposure to a high environmental temperature: Prolonged exposure to a hot environment without shade or being in a confined car can lead to overheating. This type of exhaustion is particularly likely if a dog is exposed to a high environmental temperature, high humidity (which makes panting less effective), and direct sunlight. 

• Lack of access to fresh water: Being hydrated is crucial to maintaining a canine’s ability to cool down, as they primarily cool down through panting by evaporating moisture and cooling down the lungs.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion in Dogs

Since exhaustion is the initial stage of heatstroke, these two conditions do share some similarities. In the latter, though, the symptoms are more pronounced and easier to notice. 

6 Tips on How to Treat Heat Exhaustion in Dogs

1. Move to a cooler environment

Take your dog back home as soon as possible and keep them in a cool, ventilated area (preferably with air conditioning). Block the sunlight by closing the curtains. If you can’t return indoors, find a shaded area outside with a soft breeze to help the animal cool down. 

2. Cool the dog down

Place wet towels on your pet’s paws, neck, or belly to help them cool down more effectively. You can also offer them a cooling mat if you have one. Any activities involving water play, such as swimming in a pool or using a garden hose to wet fur, are welcome too. 

3. Fan the dog

Use an electric fan to provide a stable air flow that can help your pet cool down faster. Remember to monitor your pooch’s reaction, as not all pets like fans. 

4. Offer cool water

Ensure your furry companion has unlimited access to fresh drinking water to replenish their body’s water resources. You can add ice cubes to the water bowl to make it cooler. 

5. Monitor the dog's temperature

Keep an eye on your furry family member to make sure their body temperature doesn’t go up, and you see no signs of progression. Your main task is to help your dog cool down effectively and bring their temperature back to normal. Unless you do it, your pet risks developing heatstroke. 

6. Seek veterinary attention

If these measures aren’t effective, you need help from a veterinary professional. Since heat-related illnesses can be fatal within hours, you must take your dog to a veterinary hospital for more advanced cooling measures.

Heat Exhaustion vs Heat Stroke in Dogs

Despite sharing some common symptoms, these two are different conditions, and you need to know how to tell the difference. Both conditions appear due to exposure to high temperatures. However, heat exhaustion is a stage that precedes heatstroke.  

Key differences include: 

• Severity of condition: Heatstroke is more dangerous and can turn lethal if not treated 

• Temperature: Heatstroke involves a higher body temperature than heat exhaustion 

• Symptoms: Heatstroke symptoms are more severe and include neurological signs like seizures and loss of consciousness 

• Treatment: Heat exhaustion may be treated at home, while heatstroke requires immediate veterinary care.

Wrap Up

Heat exhaustion in dogs is less dangerous than heatstroke, but it still must be addressed correctly. It’s essential to recognize the signs of the condition and act immediately. Help your dog decrease their body temperature by changing the environment to a cool one, offering enough water, and facilitating the process of cooling down. 

Frequently Asked Questions