As temperatures rise even higher this week, we need to remember our dogs’ safety during outdoor activities. While your pup loves running under clear summer skies, extreme hot weather introduces serious health hazards. Protecting your pet from heat related illness/heatstroke must be your top priority during this heatwave and all summer.
Heat related illness is the medical umbrella term to include and describe any injury resulting from elevated temperature, and is usually environmentally induced. It can include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Any animal is at risk of developing these injuries, but those at a higher risk include working dogs, athletic dogs working in the heat of the day, brachycephalic dogs and cats, and dogs outside without adequate access to shade and water.
Other than being concerned for a high temperature, heat related illness can have catastrophic effects across the entire body. This can look like diffuse muscle damage, multiple organ failure, coagulopathy and hemorrhage, lung injury, seizures and/or coma, and in severe cases, death. Rapid recognition and rapid correction are the most important things for treatment and reversal, and astute observation and monitoring of our pets is the best way to avoid these effects.
In veterinary medicine, heat cramps are the hardest to identify, as they occur first and may be very mild lameness or reluctance to move around. At this stage, no tissue damage has occurred and rest and transition into a cooler environment (i.e., going inside to the AC) will correct it.
Heat exhaustion is the next stage in progression of heat related illness. In this stage, the body temperature is substantially increased (usually over 104-105°F), but the bigger concern is the impending and developing organ damage. At this stage, our dogs can’t regulate their own temperature and their panting won’t help thermoregulate, and the hyperthermia is becoming harmful. We can start to see mild changes to organ systems and function, but if rapidly recognized and addressed, most of these injuries are reversible.
Heat stroke is the last stage in progression and the most severe. In this stage, the hyperthermia is so severe and persistent that neurologic damage is present, and can develop seizure activity. Unless treatment is started immediately and steps are taken to reduce the core temperature, prognosis is poor and the risk of significant organ damage is high.
If you suspect your dog (or cat) to have a heat related injury, the most important thing to do is to start cooling them down IMMEDIATELY. Hose them off, dunk them in a pool but keep their head up, and move them into an airconditioned area. You can place them on cool surfaces (tile floor, etc.) and use fans to help keep cool air circulating around them. While starting these measures early is beneficial, the only way to reduce risk of permanent organ damage and to definitively help the problem is to seek veterinary attention emergently. As you are cooling your pet down with hosing them off and putting them on a cool tile floor in front of a fan, find the NEAREST veterinary emergency room and set up a plan to take your pet there. Once there, an emergency veterinarian can do a thorough assessment and help decide what the next steps are to get your pet taken care of.
As much as we want to let our dogs have fun outside in the sun with us, keeping them safe is the priority. Keeping them inside during the heat of the day is the best way to avoid risk of heat related illnesses. Short walks without prolonged play outside can be allowed, but try to stick to shaded and grassy areas as much as possible. Ensure your dog has constant access to fresh water, especially after a walk or outside play, and let them enjoy the AC too!
Dr. Owen Hurst is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. He graduated from Georgia Southern University and attended veterinary school at the University of Georgia before completing a 1-year Small Animal internship followed by a 3-year Emergency and Critical Care residency program at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in Manhattan. Dr. Hurst joined Friendship as part of the Emergency and Critical Care team in 2025.
