Heat stroke treatment - How to save your pet...

Let's learn something we want to know but hope we never have to apply - heat stroke treatment and first aid for sunstroke.

You did all you could to prevent heat stroke for your pet but it still happened. Sometimes you give your best but bad things happen. There are always more factors than just your good wish that affect pet's health.

This is possible. Some days get extremely hot even a human does not know how to cool himself down. Pets can not tell us they are feeling worse than usual so you can never know what is current health condition of your pet. Maybe on a specific day their system is at a lower level than it should be.

That is a perfect situation for a pet to get sick. In that case, the only thing that would prevent sunstroke and heat stroke would be keeping the pet inside the house all day with the air conditioning system turned on.

If heat stroke happens don't panic. As soon as you see heat stroke symptoms start the treatment and contact a vet.

But before a vet gets there, here are some first aid procedures for heat stroke treatment. I am talking about a dog but they apply to any pet with sunstroke or heat stroke symptoms:

move the dog away from direct sun

do not pour cold water on him, there is a risk of sudden blood pressure drop

put a cold wet cloth around his neck

if he is unconscious, pull out his tongue

if he is resisting heat stroke treatment, let him be, if he gets agitated his condition will get worse

after this, call a vet

Photo courtesy of Nicky Fernandes

Monitor the condition of your pet all the time, try not to leave him alone. Any changes you see, inform the vet. He can give you good advices while he is on the way.

Try not to disturb the pet. Just cool him down gradually, with the cloth around his neck. Do not put the ice bag on his neck or body, the wet cloth will do just fine.

Learn more about pet heat stroke