Don't Let the Dogs Days of Summer Cost You Your Best Friend!

It happens every year. No matter how much education there is, no matter how much the news media covers it, there is always the case of a child or pet left in a hot car who succumbs to heat exhaustion. This is a totally preventable problem if people would just slow down and think things through. Check the car before you leave it. Bring the dogs in during the heat of the day.  We still see several cases every summer. I do not want to beat up on those to whom this has happened; rather I want to try to prevent it from happening to anyone again . This is the time of the year when life threatening heat exposure and heat stroke happen commonly. Often the pet is left in a hot car or left outside with little to no access to water or shade. Here is some information that may help you understand just how quickly heat can kill. And cracking a few windows open does not change these numbers any significant amount as there is not enough air flow to cool the inside of the car. Heat exhaustion/heat stroke can cause organ failure of any major organs or systems, brain damage, and  uncontrolled clotting of the blood in the body. This then leads to loss of the ability to clot which in turn causes bleeding and life-threatening blood loss. This mechanism is called disseminated intravascular coagulopathy or DIC.  How Long Does It Take For A Car to Get Hot? * Outside Temperature Temperature In Car Time it Takes to Reach 75°F 100°F 10 minutes 75°F 120°F 30 minutes 85°F 90°F 5 minutes 85°F 100°F 7-10 minutes 85°F 120°F 30 minutes 100°F 140°F 15 minutes ?       compiled by DFPS from various national sources Taken from this web site:  http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/seeandsave/hotcars-stats.asp Canine Cooling Mechanisms It is important to remember that dogs cannot control their body temperature by sweating as humans do, since they only have a relatively small number of sweat glands located in their footpads. Their primary way of regulating body heat is by panting.   Remember back if you can to physics class (yes I know this hurts but bear with me) and basic thermodynamics.  Temperature tries to equal out all the time. Heat runs to cold, or cold runs to heat, or however it is best for you to remember. If your dog is overheating and her body temperature is 103°F and she is able to pant in 90°F weather, then she breathes in 90°F air which meets the 103°F air in her body. Heat exchanges and she breathes out air that is between 90°F and 103°F. With each pant the total heat exchanged increases and her temperature drops. The cooler it is outside the faster she can cool. Also the more liters of air she can move per minute, the faster she cools. As she drinks cool water, the heat moves from the body to the water (very simplistic explanation but you get the picture). When she urinates, that body temperature water moves out and brings heat with it as well.  If she has no access to water, or if the water is hot, then she loses this mechanism of cooling. If the air outside is 100°F or greater, then the panting mechanism does not work as well either. Other Less Commonly Known Causes of Heat Stroke  Other common causes of heat stroke include being left in a yard without access to shade or water on a hot day, and excessive or vigorous exercise during hot temperatures. Excited or excessively exercised dogs are sometimes at risk even if the environmental temperature and humidity does not appear hot. This is particularly true if they are kept in a poorly ventilated environment or dog house. Dogs that are muzzled for any reason can be at greater risk since their ability to pant is restricted by the muzzle. (Decreased air flow) Dogs with a restricted airway such as the brachycephalic breeds (flat faced dogs such as pugs, boxers and bulldogs) are at greater risk as clinical signs of heat stroke can occur when the outside temperature and humidity are only moderately elevated. (Decreased air flow) Heat stroke is a medical emergency and needs to be treated ASAP with controlled reduction in body temperature. Temperatures that get too high for too long often result in irreversible damage to the body or even death. If your dog likes to spend a lot of time outdoors, you may consider providing a "kiddie" pool with water in it for  them to play in or stand in. It is best if this is kept in the shade as well. This water should be changed daily. How Hot is it Really? The following chart was borrowed from the National Weather service and one can see that humidity can play a big part in heat exhaustion as well! How Much Water Does My Dog Need? The average dog needs about 30 ml of water/ pound of body weight (or about 80 ml/kg) per day. This is basic maintenance and does not take into effect the increased need for heat, activity, or certain medical conditions such as liver or kidney disease or diabetes, or replacement needs for increased loss from medications such as steroids or diuretics. When the body is stressed with exercise, work, or heat exposure, the water requirement can easily double or triple. It is a good idea to allow your dog access to 2-3 times the daily requirement of fresh water throughout the day if they exercise a lot or are exposed to the heat commonly. Please don't let the water sit in the sun and get hot as they may not be able or willing to drink it then. Also account for some dogs' tendency to play in the water. Also, dogs who have been exercising a lot should be allowed the water in gradual increments as rapidly drinking can lead to other problems such as "bloat." Water intake can be allowed but slowed in these instances by adding ice to the water. This makes the dog either eat the ice or wait as it melts. Below is a chart to help determine water needs for your dog. These are a basic rule of thumb, but your dog may need more for their specific condition or metabolism. These should be considered minimums. Please remember that there are 8 ounce in a cup / 16 ounces in a pint / 32 ounces in a quart /128 ounces in a gallon. Body Weight Daily Maintenance Water Requirement "Stressed" Water Requirements (3X Maintenance) Pounds Milliliters Ounces Milliliters Ounces 5 182 6 545 18 10 364 12 1091 36 15 545 18 1636 55 20 727 24 2182 73 25 909 30 2727 91 30 1091 36 3273 109 35 1273 42 3818 127 40 1455 48 4364 145 45 1636 55 4909 164 50 1818 61 5455 182 55 2000 67 6000 200 60 2182 73 6545 218 65 2364 79 7091 236 70 2545 85 7636 255 75 2727 91 8182 273 80 2909 97 8727 291 85 3091 103 9273 309 90 3273 109 9818 327 95 3455 115 10364 345 100 3636 121 10909 364 105 3818 127 11455 382 110 4000 133 12000 400 115 4182 139 12545 418 120 4364 145 13091 436 125 4545 152 13636 455 130 4727 158 14182 473 135 4909 164 14727 491 140 5091 170 15273 509 145 5273 176 15818 527 150 5455 182 16364 545 155 5636 188 16909 564 160 5818 194 17455 582 165 6000 200 18000 600 170 6182 206 18545 618 175 6364 212 19091 636 180 6545 218 19636 655 185 6727 224 20182 673 190 6909 230 20727 691 195 7091 236 21273 709 200 7273 242 21818 727 How Much Water Does My Cat Need? Cats are "desert species" by nature meaning that they often require less water for maintenance of their body functions. They have very efficient kidneys which work to conserve water (as long as the kidneys are healthy).Cats' prey in the wild is often 70%-80% water so that they very seldom will drink water by itself in the wild unless overheated. Most canned foods match this as well. Most dry foods however are about 8% water. Fresh palatable water must be readily available at all times if feeding a dry food. Cats daily still need about 20-30 ml/pound of body weight per day, but this is combined intake of food and water moisture. Cats do not have a very strong thirst drive. This often means that they have a more difficult time adjusting for excess water loss from heat than dogs do. Even when offered water, cats on dry food often do not drink enough water to make up for what is lacking in the diet. When you combine water intake from food and water, the cat on dry food often takes in about half of what the cat on canned food takes in per day. Cats increase voluntary water intake when fed dry food but not in sufficient amounts to fully compensate for the lower moisture content of the food. In a recent study, cats consuming a diet containing 10% moisture with free access to drinking water had an average daily urine volume of 63 milliliters (ml). This volume increased to 112 ml/day when fed a canned diet with a moisture content of 75%. Several studies have shown that dry cat foods contribute to decreased fluid intake and urine volume. These often lead to kidney disease, kidney failure, or urinary crystal/stone production. So, ideally, canned cat food is actually more beneficial to cats as it most closely mimics the diet they would get in the wild. It is higher in protein and water and lower in carbohydrates ... just like a mouse. Can a cat be maintained on dry food? Yes it can, but it is at a higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and urinary tract disease. More specifics on dry vs. canned food for your cat should be addressed one to one with your veterinarian. Armed with this knowledge, let us all be more aware of the heat for our pets and keep our hot dogs in the bun!