#169 The Silent Danger of Dog Overheating

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The silent danger of canine overheating lurks behind many of our everyday activities with our pets. We explore the fundamental biological differences that make dogs particularly vulnerable to heat stress, revealing that their reliance on panting rather than sweating creates a perilous situation many owners don't fully understand.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
You know, dogs are not built for heat, and it's not
just that fur coat that theywear, though that doesn't help,
but it's that their entirecooling system is limited
compared to ours.
Humans can sweat across almostevery inch of our skin, dogs
cannot.

(00:22):
They do have sweat glands intheir paw pads, but those do
almost nothing for temperatureregulation.
Instead, dogs rely on pantingto cool off, which works by
evaporating moisture from thetongue and the mouth and the
upper airway.
But panting isn't all thatefficient and especially when

(00:44):
it's hot and humid out, if theair itself is warm and full of
moisture, that evaporationdoesn't work well and their
internal temperature can startto climb quickly.
And you know, what's oftenoverlooked is the fact that dogs
are hot running creatures.
Just a few minutes of play orwalking on a sunny day can push

(01:10):
their core temp into dangerousterritory.
Flat-faced breeds or overweightdogs or dogs with thick or dark
coats are especially vulnerable.
Coats are especially vulnerable.
But any dog can overheat in theright conditions.

(01:31):
And here's where human habitscan clash with dog biology.
In the wild, dogs and theirrelatives would not be out
walking in the midday sun.
They would rest in the shadeduring the hottest hours and
become more active in the earlymorning or evening.
We're the only species draggingourselves and our dog out into

(01:53):
the heat of the day to check offerrands or squeeze in a walk.
So when your dog resists that 1pm stroll, they're probably not
being stubborn 1 pm stroll.
They're probably not beingstubborn, they're probably just
following an instinct that haskept their ancestors alive for
thousands of years.
And if your dog begins tooverheat it can become an

(02:16):
emergency fast.
So you want to watch out forheavy or excessive panting.
For heavy or excessive pantingbright, red or very pale gums,
glassy or unfocused eyes ormaybe wobbling or lagging behind

(02:38):
on the walk or just lying downunexpectedly.
So if you think your dog isstarting to overheat, get them
to the shade immediately, offerthem cool water, not icy water,
then soak their belly and pawsand inner thighs with cool water
or wet towels and then use afan or an air condition, if
available, to help evaporatethat heat.
But if the symptoms don'tresolve in a minute or two or if

(03:03):
they worsen, call your vetright away.
Dogs won't make a big dealabout overheating, but when they
slow down or stop, take themseriously.
They may not just be tired,they may be trying to stay alive
.