Our resident vet, Vicky Payne, chats about the types of cases she sees when the weather gets warmer
I work in a practice on the south coast with lots of holidaymakers enjoying our beaches and countryside, but this does mean I see more than my fair share of preventable summer health issues.
The most common summer emergency remains heatstroke, despite all the education out there. Heatstroke can become a risk for some dogs at temperatures as low as 16°C. Dogs that are overweight, brachycephalic (short nosed), heavily coated, and very old or very young are at higher risk. Humid weather makes panting less effective at cooling dogs down. As temperatures rise, choose walks with shade or where a breeze is likely and try to exercise your dog in cooler parts of the day.
Early signs of heat stress include heavy panting with an enlarged tongue. As the condition worsens, your dog may seem confused, slow, or wobbly. If untreated, your dog may collapse and have a seizure. If your dog is showing any signs of heat stress, move them out of the sun and start cooling immediately, preferably with running water. Conscious dogs can be placed into a bath, the sea, or a stream but their head must be out of the water.
Call your vet while you start to cool the dog, and continue cooling on the way to the vets by turning on the car air-conditioning or opening all the windows. There is some very dangerous advice on social media about treating dogs with heatstroke but the faster you cool the dog down the less damage is caused; tepid water and damp towels are not going to cool fast enough.
Is ice a killer? Another summer myth is that you shouldn’t give dogs ice or iced water. It is true that very cold water is not a good idea for an overheated dog as it can cause stomach cramps and vomiting, but if your dog will drink more in the summer if you add ice to their bowl then go ahead! Frozen treats are also great for helping to keep your dog cool and entertained. There is obviously a choke risk with ice cubes so monitor your dog carefully.
If it’s too hot for walks, then what is better than a swimming session? Choose your doggy swim spot carefully as still water can be at risk of growing blue-green algae in the summer. Blue-green algae are actually bacteria, and some types are extremely toxic to dogs. Avoid ponds and lakes with a pea-soup scum, green flakes or dots, a greeny-brown paint-like surface, or foam at the edges. If your dog becomes unwell after contact with water, contact your vet as soon as possible.
Swimming can bring other dangers, too, including injuries on submerged objects. I will never forget the dog who came in with a small wound next to his sheath which turned out to be a 10cm- deep hole where a stick had gone in while he was jumping into water. There was a lot of duckweed to remove! Try to teach your dog to get into water gently instead of taking big leaps. Easier said than done, I know.
Always take fresh drinking water on summer adventures as wild water could be contaminated. Although we want to make sure our dogs stay hydrated, watch that they don’t ingest excessive water. This can happen if they go too long between water stops or if they are swallowing water when grabbing toys. Excess fresh water in a short period of time can cause hyponatremia, or water intoxication. Initial signs include vomiting but can progress to lethargy, confusion, seizures, and coma as cells are damaged by the electrolyte imbalance.
Similar signs occur in hyponatremia where there is an excess of salt in the bloodstream. The most common cause in dogs in the summer is swallowing salt water while playing with toys at the beach. Nobody is saying don’t play games with your dogs in the water, but have short sessions with breaks in between. Sadly, by the time a dog starts to show symptoms of either imbalance it can be too late to save them.
Intestinal foreign body issues are more common in the summer and often the dog has eaten something from a picnic or barbecue. Watch your dog carefully at summer gatherings and on walks to avoid the hazards of cooked chicken and rib bones, kebab skewers, and corn cob middles. Many of these will pass through, especially if you feed some high-fibre food (brown rice and vegetables) for a couple of days. But contact your vet if your dog starts vomiting, refusing food, or looks like their belly is uncomfortable.
Barbecues also risk burns for dogs as the coals can stay hot for a long time after the party is over. Dogs will want to investigate as fat will drip onto the coals. Thankfully, many parks and beaches have now banned disposable barbecues as they are often left behind causing littering and a risk to dogs, children, and wildlife. One of my own dogs burnt his foot in smouldering ashes and dogs have also burned their tongues. Burns from barbecues are less likely than burns from a hot pavement in the UK, but do consider the temperature of the Tarmac before heading out for a walk.
There are real downsides to being a vet, like being unable to think about a lovely summer dog walk without spotting all the dangers! But planning ahead and being aware of the risks means that your summer fun is less likely to end up in a trip to the vets.
Vicky Payne BVetMed MRCVS, is based in East Sussex, and qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 2001. She uses a range of complementary therapies alongside conventional medicine and surgery