Hunters love spending time in the field, but our passion for chasing game pales compared to our canine companions. Upland and waterfowl dogs live to hunt and clearly love what they do, but their desire to find game and refusal to stop hunting can take a serious toll on their bodies.
I’ve been fortunate that in all my years hunting, I’ve only experienced a dog suffering from heat stroke just once, and I wasn’t the owner or handler. But it was a truly awful experience that proved nearly fatal for the dog (a veterinarian was close by, and IV fluids were administered in time), and it was thoroughly gut-wrenching for everyone involved—including the owner who said over and again that he did not see the warning signs.
If you aren’t aware of the warning signs of hypothermia and heat stroke, they can be easy to overlook, especially for bird hunters who do not keep their dogs in sight at all times. However, both hypothermia and heat stroke do have early warning signs that can signal something’s wrong and prompt the owner to take action. Here’s how to recognize, treat, and prevent both conditions.
Vests can be utilized to keep dogs warm in cold weather. (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick) Identifying if a Dog Has Hypothermia Normally, a dog’s body temperature ranges from 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Anytime a dog’s body temperature drops to 99 or lower, hypothermia is beginning to set in. Symptoms of mild hypothermia commonly include shivering and stiffness or imbalance. Lethargy and pale gum tissue are also signs of the onset of hypothermia. As the dog’s body temperature continues to drop, symptoms of moderate to severe hypothermia appear and can include collapsing or irregular heart rate or breathing. As hypothermia worsens, a dog may actually stop shivering. Though this could be mistaken for a good sign, when shivering stops, it is because the dog’s body is no longer trying to create heat and is instead trying to retain heat. Temperature drops quickly at this point, and the dog may become comatose or die.
Temperature effects hypothermia, of course, but it doesn’t have to be extremely cold for your dog to suffer. Dogs that are old or in poor health are more susceptible to hypothermia, and dogs with short coats are also at risk. When dogs are wet, they lose heat more quickly, so retrievers should be closely monitored when they’re working in water. If you suspect that your dog is suffering from mild hypothermia, begin slowly warming them by placing them in a vehicle or building or wrapping them in blankets or coats. Many waterfowl hunters outfit their retrievers with neoprene vests. Though there’s some question about the efficacy of neoprene vests for preventing hypothermia (most evidence for or against their use is anecdotal), my experience has been that they seem to benefit dogs. At the very least, vests offer some level of protection against unseen hazards in the water.
In cases of severe hypothermia, you need to seek veterinary attention immediately, and while the outcomes for dogs with mild to moderate hypothermia are typically positive, that’s not always the case with severe hypothermia. The best way to prevent these problems is to pay close attention to your dog’s behavior. Offer them a place to rest that is not exposed to wind or driving precipitation and monitor their behavior. In most cases they will not reach a state of severe hypothermia without first showing warning signs of a mild drop in body temperature.
Recognizing Heatstroke in Dogs Heatstroke occurs when a dog’s body temperature rises to 104-degrees or higher, and heat stroke can be fatal. According to veterinarian Veronica Higgs, heatstroke is the most severe of the heat-related illnesses that can impact dogs, but there are generally warning signs that indicate a dog is suffering in high temperatures. The first sign of heat illness is typically muscle spasms or cramps, symptoms which are generally associated with dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Heat illness can progress to heat exhaustion, and this results in lethargy and weakness, though gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.
When a dog progresses from heat exhaustion to heatstroke their body temperature rises quickly. The dog’s body cannot cool itself and inflammation can lead to organ failure and death. Death from heatstroke can occur in just an hour, so it’s vitally important to take steps to cool your dog when you notice symptoms of any heat-related illness.
Being aware of the conditions you will be hunting in is the best way to keep your dog safe. (Photo courtesy of Brad Fitzpatrick) Preventing Heatstroke and Hypothermia As owners or handlers, we have an obligation to protect our dogs, even from themselves. We can’t expect our canine companions to know their “when,” so it’s important to be proactive and prevent injury. Just as with humans, this requires plenty of fluids and a cool place to rest. Sometimes the only water available will be what you carry into the field, so be certain to have a few extra bottles for your dog. It’s also a good idea to limit hunting activities during the heat of the day. Dogs can exercise more comfortably in the evenings and mornings, and in the warmest summer months the best time to exercise your dogs may be at night.
Mild cases of heat illness are often self-treatable, and the dog will have no chronic ill effects. If the dog’s body temperature rises to a level where organ systems begin to fail, the result could be chronic illness or even death. The good news is that learning to recognize the signs of early-stage heat illness and hypothermia helps avoid severe complications entirely. In the case of both heat stroke and hypothermia being forewarned is forearmed, and taking a few relatively simple steps early on will virtually eliminate the risk of your dog developing either of these conditions. For years we’ve bred an intense drive to hunt into our dogs, and that’s a good thing. However, we must make certain their desire to please us does not come at the cost of their health.
