Animal hospitals see increase in heat illnesses amid excessive heat warning

Mid-Missouri is the middle of an Excessive Heat Warning with heat indices reaching up to 110 degrees.

The excessive heat can take a take an extra toll on animals, large and small. According to University of Missouri Veterinarian Doctor Meghan Harmon, a mix of heat, humidity, and high heat indices create the potential for heat stress in animals.

“Anytime there’s high heat or high humidity or a high heat index, just really deceasing that activity dramatically is going to be really helpful.”

Dr. Harmon says oftentimes they see heat stress illnesses in Spring and Autumn. Animals become acclimated to the cooler weather, so when the temperature suddenly spikes, the animals aren’t used to the heat.

But throughout the summer, when temperatures are steadily warm, pets can often suffer from heat stress.

She said different breeds are affected differently. Breeds with short snouts like English Bulldogs have a hard time cooling themselves through panting. Animals with thicker coats can also overheat easier.

Since Mid-Missouri has been under a heat advisory this week, Dr. Harmon says they have seen an increase in patients with heat stress illnesses.

“They’ll start to act commonly kind of weak and ataxic. That’s one of the first signs that they’re starting to overheat.”

To treat a pet at home, she recommends cool, not cold, water over the animal, bringing them inside immediate, and slowly lowering their temperature. A normal temperature for a dog is between 99.5 and 102.5 degrees. When lowering the dog’s temperature, Dr. Harmon recommends stopping at 102 to avoid bringing it down too much.

If the animal was dealing with heat stress for an extended period of time, she recommends bringing the animal to a vet. At a vet’s office, they can give the animal fluids through an IV which will start the cooling process quicker.

A veterinarian can also check for internal damage done from heat stress. Overheating can cause damage to the animals liver, kidneys, and brain. She said an animal can go into organ failure quickly if not addressed early.

Large animals, like horses, are also at risk.

A professor of equine medicine at the University of Missouri said they have also seen an increase in calls to the hospital from horse owners about how to treat heat related illnesses.

“Most of the communication we’ve had in this regard have been by telephone, but we have had some horses come in because they have been in distress.”

Doctor Philip Johnson said horses should be brought into shade and if possible, have a fan placed toward them.

He also recommends using cool water over the horse, but then brushing the water off, to allow the horse to sweat.

“Horses that are subjected to this heat and humidity that can not sweat need to be really protected from the heat, not worked, not overfed.”

Dr. Johnson says horses who are overheating will starting breathing rapidly, sweating more than usual, and will try to actively seek shade. A horse with a temperature of 102 degrees or higher is at risk of overheating.