It's under just a month away but it's already feeling like summer! Flowers are blooming, the grass is getting nice and thick, and I'm finding that the dogs I walk are stopping more often to take in those new smells. While we know not to keep our dogs in vehicles once it gets warm out, it's sometimes difficult to tell if your dog is too hot and undergoing heat stress during a walk. Dogs, who have a limited ability to sweat, are especially susceptible to hyperthermia if there isn't enough ventilation or humidity is high.

There are lots of easy ways to prevent hyperthermia and heat stroke. When I'm out on walks, I always carry a portable water bowl and water just for the dog (as I tend to drink LOTS of water on walks and need some on reserve). On hot days, I will offer the dog water throughout the walk, even if he just avoided the water fountain at the park. While it sounds obvious, I tend to avoid dog parks with little to no shade on hot days and stick to walking instead, allowing the dog to stay as much in the shade as possible. Running around in the dog park and meeting lots of other dogs may overexert your pooch! If it's impossible to avoid the hot sun, perhaps invest in a cooling jacket or bandana.

So how to tell if your dog is too hot and may have hyperthermia or heat stroke? While the list is quite extensive, they may do/have one (or more) of the following:

Collapse/lie down and refuse to move
Rapid, noisy panting with hard swallowing
Thick, stringy saliva with reddened gums
Vomiting

If you fear that Fido may have heat stroke or hyperthermia, you should immediately move him to a cool area. Depending on your location, if you are able to take his temperature, see if he is warmer than 40 degrees Celcius. If so, run cool (not icy cold!!) water over your pet's body. Make sure to comb through the fur for double-coated dogs! If he's got a temperature of less than 40 degrees, get him to drink some water and place wet rags on his groin, head and pads as this will help bring his body temperature back to normal. In either case, it's important to get your vet to check him out afterwards.

References: St. John Ambulance Pet First Aid course