By Matt Williams
Outdoors Writer
NACOGDOCHES —
Hot rod. High energy. Wound up tight.
Those are all viable descriptions of Harley. At 7-years-old, our souped-up Jack Russell Terrier knows only one speed. If he’s on the loose, he’s on the move. Wide open most of the time. It’s always been that way.
Harley weighs about 21 pounds, but only stands about 10 inches tall at the shoulders. He is solid as a rock and tough as boot leather with a disposition that can go from sweet to nasty like the flick of a light switch.
I’ve seen him tangle with snakes and varmints and bumble bees and other dogs more than three times his size.
Amazingly, he has yet to earn the first battle scar, although he did get KO’d once when nipped at the heels of our quarterhorse, Dude, one too many times.
I know. Those are not necessarily good traits, but it’s the way God made him. Try to physically discipline Harley and you won’t make the same mistake twice.
Tough he is. Invincible he is not. Harley met his match last week. But it wasn’t the jaws of a Rottweiler or the bite of a copperhead that almost put him down for the count.
Mother Nature and the sweltering Texas heat dealt the wiry pooch a blistering one-two punch he nearly didn’t walk away from. In fact, had my wife not been close by to come to his aid, chances are I would be writing another doggie obituary instead of a survival story built around a close brush with death.
Here’s what happened:
It was mid-afternoon and the August sun was blazing. The thermometer at our barn read 102 degrees, but the heat index was much warmer.
I had made a couple of trips to the house on the four-wheeler, and Harley lead the way back and forth. Wide open, just like he always does.
Over and over he followed me to the beer cooler, just like he always does. At one point I noticed he was panting a little faster and louder than normal, but didn’t think much about it. A pale of fresh water was nearby and there was plenty of access to shade. I assumed he would take advantage of it if he needed it, just like he always does.
As I went about my business, I heard Jan’s alarm whistle all the way from the house, about 80 yards away. The volume overpowered that of ZZ Top, so I knew there had to be trouble.
There was. Harley was down in the front yard and Jan was at his side. When I arrived, she was on her knees with the water hose in hand, dousing his trembling body with the cool spring water.
“Something bad is wrong with him — his tongue and gums are blue!” she said.
Harley was panting wildly, gasping to grab every breath. His eyes were bugged and pupils fully dilated. Neither of us had seen heat stroke or heat exhaustion in a dog before, but I felt certain I was looking at it now, or something real close to it. Especially after my wife explained how she had seen the dog stumbling across the yard moments earlier, almost as if he were in a drunken stupor.
“He was having trouble keeping his rear legs under him,” she said. “He could barely stand up.”
Neither of us was certain if running cool water over the dog’s body was the right thing to do, but it seemed like the most logical treatment at the time. We live in the country, about 20 minutes from the nearest veterinarian’s office, and Harley didn’t appear to have two minutes left, much less 20.
Amazingly, his condition began to improve within seconds. The change was so evident that I actually watched his purplish blue tongue and gums make the gradual return to pink in less than a minute. Moments later, Harley was on his feet. He seemed a little addled at first, when began moving about normally.
We have since made a point to keep Harley confined to his kennel during the heat of the day, and he appears to be getting along just fine with a fan and plenty of shade. Other dogs haven’t been so lucky.
Dr. Wendy Blount, DVM, of Nacogdoches, said her clinic has treated a number of dogs with heat related problems this summer. Most recently, a client brought in a Dalmation suffering from extreme dehydration. The dog spends its days in a fenced backyard while its owners are at work.
Blount said the dog apparently knocked its water bowl over sometime during the day and subsequently went for hours without drink in 100-plus degree heat. The dog recovered, but it took several days on IV’s to get it done.
Harley’s condition could have been equally serious, even life threatening, had it not been caught early on. That’s the word from Dr. Mike Connally, who operates a small animal clinic in Nacogdoches.
Connally, who has a long history with sporting dogs like labradors and golden retrievers, said Harley was likely on the high road to having a heat stroke. Heat strokes typically occur in dogs when the body temperature rises to 106 degrees and beyond. The normal body temperature for dogs is around 101.5 degrees.
Dogs don’t have the ability to sweat, except through their their paw pads. They dissipate heat primarily through panting or breathing. Extremely hot and humid weather conditions can complicate a dog’s ability to regulate its body temperature and greatly increase the chances hyperthermia setting in, especially in an animal that is very active.
“Heat strokes can be very dangerous,” Connally said. “If a dog has a true heat stroke, it can cause tissue damage to the liver and kidneys. It can also damage the red blood cells and lead to hemorrhaging later on.”
This condition, known as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), is treatable if caught during the early stages, but the process is extensive. Connally said the prognosis can be dire if the DIC goes untreated and reaches the advanced stages.
If you suspect a dog might be experiencing hyperthemia, it is important to get its body temperature regulated. Connally said this can be accomplished by soaking the dog with a water hose, or by placing an ice pack on its shoulders. A fan will accelerate the process.
However, the veterinarian says you should be careful to avoid dropping the dog’s body temperature too quickly or too much (below 103 degrees). This can cause the animal to go into hypothermia, which can result in a whole different set of problems. Once the body temperature is regulated, the dog should be taken to a veterinarian for evaluation.
Ideally, the best way to deal with heat stroke in dogs is to take measures to prevent it from occurring in the first place. One of the first orders of business is to not allow dogs to be overly active during the hottest part of the day. Owners of working dogs should be especially mindful of the heat and refrain from heavy exercise altogether.
“If you do work them, it should only be real early in the morning or late in the day, when the outside temperatures are the coolest,” Connally said. “It’s not a bad idea to soak them down beforehand, either.”
Dog owners who live in rural areas, where dogs have access to big acreage, should keep their dogs penned or tied in the shade with plenty of fresh water during hot weather periods. You might consider giving pets access to a plastic kiddie pool partially filled with water so they can hop in and cool off when a big sun is kicking out sweltering heat.
Connally said another way to help prevent heat stroke is pay attention your dog’s behavior. If you notice something out of the ordinary, take action.
“Get to know your dog,” he said. “If you can tell the dog is getting hot, stop whatever you are doing and take care of the animal.”
We will certainly be more attentive around our place from here on out.
Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwilliams@netdot.com.
SideBar
Tips To Avoid Heat Stroke in Dogs
• Keep pets with predisposing conditions like heart disease, obesity, older age, or breathing problems cool and in the shade. Even normal activity for these pets can be harmful.
• Provide access to water at all times.
• Do not leave your pet in a hot parked car even if you’re in the shade or will only be gone a short time. The temperature inside a parked car can quickly reach up to140 degrees.
• Make sure outside dogs have access to shade.
• On a hot day, restrict exercise and don’t take your dog jogging with you. Too much exercise when the weather is very hot can be dangerous.
• Do not muzzle your dog.
• Avoid places like the beach and especially concrete or asphalt areas where heat is reflected and there is no access to shade.
• Wetting down your dog with cool water or allowing him to swim can help maintain a normal body temperature.
• Move your dog to a cool area of the house. Air conditioning is one of the best ways to keep a dog cool, but is not always dependable. To provide a cooler environment, freeze water in soda bottles, or place ice and a small amount of water in several resealable food storage bags, then wrap them in a towel or tube sock. Place them on the floor for the dog to lay on.
