4 Ways to Protect Your Dog from Heatstroke in Tulsa, OK

Heatstroke in dogs is a life-threatening condition. If your dog has begun to show symptoms of heatstroke, you will have about a half-hour to save their life. This can be a very sneaky ailment in some cases because a dog that is exerting might already be panting before the heatstroke starts to be an issue. Heatstroke in dogs can at first seem like your dog is just a little warm, but things can quickly escalate to a dangerous level if you do not notice early heatstroke symptoms.

If you have a dog that likes to go with you on adventures, you will need to remember that there are certain conditions that are not safe for dogs. When the humidity and the temperatures are too high, your dog might be better off staying home where they can be cool and comfortable. Often, the best way to deal with heatstroke in dogs is to avoid it happening at all.

Ways to Prevent Your Dog from Having Heatstroke

There are some great ways to prevent heatstroke and to protect your dog from becoming a heatstroke case. If you are ready to learn some more about the ways to keep your dog safe from this life-threatening condition, you need to keep reading.

1.      Keep Your Dog Inside

When you live in a hot area, you need to make sure that you are aware of the temperature during the warmest part of the year. If it is very humid or very hot out, you cannot assume that your dog will be comfortable and safe from heatstroke outside. Even if your dog is not exerting and is in the shade, when it is very hot out, your dog could still get heatstroke.

When the weather is very hot and humid, the best place for your dog is inside. Even if you do not have air conditioning, the yard is often hotter than the interior of your home. You can also pay more attention to your dog’s condition when they are inside with you and you will recognize signs of heatstroke right away which could be missed when your dog is outside alone.

2.      Provide Them with Lots of Water

Dogs have limited options to help them to cool off once their body temperature gets too high. Your dog’s best means of keeping their body temperature under control is to drink water. Making sure that your dog has access to lots of clean drinking water is important to their ability to regulate their temperature.

This means that your dog should have access to a large bowl of water in the yard, and if they come with you to do activities, you need to bring a jug of water and a water bowl for your dog specifically. Dogs have a hard time drinking from water bottles, so having a collapsible dog bowl along with you on hikes or runs is important for your dog’s well-being.

3.      Make Sure Your Dog Has Shade

Your dog should never be left outdoors without any shade. Even if the ambient temperature is not that hot, your dog might still get heatstroke due to being in the sun for a long period of time. This is particularly true if your backyard has lots of concrete or other hard surfaces that catch the heat and reflect it back.

Making sure that your dog has shade is very important, even if you are only going to leave them outside for a little while. It is always best for your dog to be indoors when the weather is hot, but if your dog has to be outside, they need to have shade. A shady tree, an awning, or even a dog shelter of some kind can make all the difference in protecting your dog from the heat.

4.      Limit Your Dog’s Activity

Some dogs love to play and run, no matter what the weather is like. The trouble with this is that your dog might not understand the risk that they are exposing themselves to by playing too hard in the heat of the day. If you have a dog that is always busy and active, your best bet during the heat of the day is to put them indoors or to put them in a location where they cannot be so active.

Dogs that tend to overexert will be at major risk for heat stroke when the weather is hot. You will need to help your dog to regulate their behavior to eliminate the chance of heatstroke when the weather is too hot for your dog to be playing. This also includes leaving your dog home when you decide to go on a hike or for a run when it is hot out.

Preventing Heatstroke is the Best Way to Keep Your Dog Safe When it is Hot Out

If you are concerned about your dog getting heat stroke, you need to be aware that the best way to manage heatstroke is to prevent it from happening. Heatstroke can be life-threatening in dogs, and the situation can escalate quite rapidly from non-threatening to dangerous. You will usually only have a half-hour to save your dog from heatstroke, so it is just best to keep your pet from falling prey to this condition.

Making sure that your dog has enough shade, access to water when they need it, and keeping them from exerting when the weather is very hot are all good steps to take to keep your dog from getting heatstroke. Make sure that you check the ambient temperature before you decide to take your dog with you on a hike or a run and keep them indoors when the weather is too warm for them to exert in safety. Your dog might feel left out if they cannot go with you on a run or a hike, but they will thank you later when they are not sick because of the weather conditions.

Call 918-665-0508 to talk with a veterinarian at Animal Emergency Center if you have any questions about dog heatstroke!