Taking your dog out

Last week we visited Hatta Dam to experience some wonderful canoeing. Hatta and the area around is really lovely, and the weather currently is great to go out and about for a nice staycation. When arriving at the Dam we parked down at the parking lot to walk up reasonably steep concrete stairs, the total climb is probably a 10-15 minute walk and as it is really popular there were many people with the same idea. No surprise there, however, what we had not expected is to see so many people take their dog for this visit. It is wonderful to see people sharing a day out with their pet, but what is not great is to see so many people do this unprepared. Not only did we find people gasping for air and with cramping legs themselves, but we unfortunately also saw a few pets looking in despair for a break, some water and cooling down of their paws.

Whenever you take your dog for a walk, a hike and some outdoor adventure, ensure to prepare yourself and your dog to prevent accidents from happening. At 2 pm the temperature in Hatta Dam was already nearing 38 C, which is borderline problematic for fit dogs. Unfortunately, the dogs we saw were French Bulldogs, an overweight Pomeranian, and a black Labrador puppy. Running stairs is for most dogs not advisable, on top of that the hot concrete blisters the paws, the snob nosed breeds are heat intolerant and find it difficult to get sufficient air in when respiration rate goes up. The brachycephalic syndrome they are suffering from makes them unable to deal with this extra stress on their body, the increase in respiration creates a higher velocity of the air through the windpipe, which can collapse and start to narrow, they cannot lose heat via panting anymore as they are already panting at full speed, causing the core temperature to rise, challenging the body to the limit, which when reached requires swift action and cooling to ensure nothing bad will happen. None of the people walking their dogs seemed prepared for this, we did not see any cooling elements, extra water bowls for their dogs, or acknowledgement of the problems their dogs were in, although some of their humans were obviously struggling themselves.

As temperatures are rising we like to point out once more, when you want to enjoy the outdoors with your dog, prepare yourself:

1. Ensure you and your dog are fit and trained for the challenge ahead
2. Watch your dog for obvious signs
   1. Heavily panting
   2. Restlessness
   3. Discoloration of the tongue (purple)
   4. Fainting/unconsciousness
3. Do not go out at the heat of the day (before 11-12 or after 3-4 pm, depending on the date)
4. Bring cooling packs
5. Bring water and something to easily drink from, teach your dog to drink from another bowl or bottle
6. Seek shade immediately should problems occur
7. Ensure your own fitness so you can protect your dog
8. Check for a veterinary clinic before visiting the outdoor area so you know where to go in case of problems and have the number

And remember, you CANNOT LEAVE YOUR DOG IN THE CAR, NOT EVEN WITH THE WINDOW OPEN!!!

If your dog gets overheated, ensure to know what to do. Read more about heatstroke in dogs, the signs of a heat stroke, and how to act in this article.

Dr. Ellen Kruijning