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San Diego Greyhound Dies of Heatstroke on August 7, 2011
Below we've reprinted an email from a greyhound adopter in San Diego who lost his dog (not a GreySave dog) to heatstroke. The sender is allowing us to reprint this in the hopes that others will be spared the tragedy. Don't assume that you know better: read the information below.

"We lost our greyhound today to heat stroke, I can not begin to say how crushing this has been to me and the family - I found your site with a google search on heat stroke and greyhounds. I truly wish we had known more about it. (Dog name withheld) (we adopted him 3 years ago from (name withheld) and fostered another dog as well) had never shown any signs before and it was a trail walk with my wife at mid day here in San Diego. Not hot (76) and a nice breeze, it wasn't anything I ever thought about and now my wife is beating herself up for taking him for a walk. I would just like to make a suggestion to add the info to the adoption process and making people aware if you don't already, I'm not really sure that we would have done anything differently, but perhaps would have recognized it sooner and could have prevented it somehow."

Heatstroke and Over-Exertion in Your Greyhound

*See below for the bonus article, Cars, Hot Weather, and Your Greyhound

by Bonnie Jeffers, GreySave volunteer

Heatstroke and over-exertion can cause permanent damage to muscle fibers, kidneys, and other organs, and it can kill your Greyhound. Even within the GreySave family, we have seen young and healthy as well as older dogs experience heatstroke or over-exertion, and unfortunately some have died.

Although our dogs are athletes, they are retired athletes. After only a few months in a home, your Greyhound is no longer at the level of physical conditioning that he was on the track.

Heatstroke or over-exertion can damage your dog’s organs the same way a high fever does. It can happen while on a walk, playing at a dog park, running in your own back yard, or even while simply enjoying a warm day outside. Unfortunately, many pet owners don’t know the signs of a dog in trouble from heatstroke or over-exertion.

How to Recognize Heat Exhaustion

If you are walking your dog, or if he is running in your yard or at a dog park, watch for these danger signs. Remember, heat related deaths can happen in even moderately warm weather.

• Heavy panting, perhaps lots of thick, ropey saliva

• Red flushed ears and nose

• Weakness, possibly difficulty walking (In serious cases, fainting or seizures)

How to Treat Heatstroke

Once your dog exhibits one or more of the above symptoms, it is critical that you act immediately. Any delay can mean serious consequences--even death.

1) Cool the Greyhound immediately

• STOP all activity now--don’t wait! Move the dog into a cool place.

• Spray the dog with cold water. Begin with the feet and work up.

• Drape the dog with wet towels, especially around the belly and between the legs. Refresh the towels frequently so they stay cool; otherwise the covering can add heat to the dog.

• Avoid cooling too fast and producing a shivering response as this can create more heat in the body.

2) Transport to vet

Even if the dog seems to recover, it is a good idea to visit a veterinarian immediately. He or she may prescribe administering IV fluids to flush the kidneys of harmful byproducts leaking from damaged muscles or caused by dehydration.

How to Prevent Heatstroke

The most important thing you can do to protect your Greyhound is to BE AWARE. Monitor your dog as you would a young child.

Your Greyhound is accustomed to giving his all on the track. He concentrates on “the now” and may not know when to stop.

If you are on a walk or your dog is exercising, take these precautions:

• Always have water available to drink as well as a squirt bottle of ice water

• Squirt your dog with water frequently (wet his coat, his ears, his legs and belly)

• Keep your dog’s activity at a moderate level. Remember, your dog may suffer from what we humans call “weekend warrior syndrome”--exercising too rigorously after a period of non-activity.

• Act immediately at the first sign of exhaustion in your dog.

In Closing

Organ damage and death from heat exhaustion and over exertion is preventable, but you are key to your dog’s well being. Find out more about protecting your Greyhound at the following websites:

http://www.gcnm.org/heatstroke.html

http://www.greyhoundgang.com/medical-heatexhaustion.php

http://www.ehow.com/about_6130722_greyhounds-heat-stroke.html

“The frequency with which adopters report Greyhounds ‘dropped dead from a heart attack,’ when no previous indications of heart problems existed, suggests that death by heatstroke or [over-exertion] may not be so uncommon.”
(From “Heat stroke in Greyhounds: What you want to know” by Judy Kody Paulsen, “Heatstroke in Greyhounds: What you need to know,” gcnm.org).

Cars, Hot Weather and Your Greyhound

The following information, taken from studies on heat in cars, could save your
Greyhound’s life. As the thermometer climbs, it becomes even more critical that you understand and act on this info.

The temperature inside a car will rise
approximately 19 degrees in 10 minutes.

A recent study showed that when the outside temperature was 80 degrees, the
inside temperature could reach 99 degrees in 10 minutes. Opening windows
had little effect.

Davis Instruments in Hayward, California, found even more drastic temperature rises and posted the following report by Jan Null, a retired National Weather Service meteorologist, an adjunct professor of Meteorology at San Francisco State University's Department of Geosciences, and a Certified Consulting Meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services:

“Finding: On a day when the outside temperature was 73° Fahrenheit, it took only 20 minutes for the temperature sensor inside the car to reach a lethal level of 107° Fahrenheit.

“Finding: On a day when the outside temperature was 86° Fahrenheit, it took only five minutes for the temperature sensor inside the car … to reach 132° Fahrenheit.

“Finding: On a day when the outside temperature was 86° Fahrenheit, it took only 10 minutes for the temperature sensor inside the vehicle in the shade to reach a lethal level of 109° Fahrenheit.”

Another study, this one from the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, found that shortwave radiation further adds heat to the inside of a vehicle by warming objects it strikes. For example, a dark dashboard can reach 180 degrees in a matter of minutes. These objects heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

Dogs are designed to conserve heat. Their sweat glands, found on their noses and the pads of their feet, are inadequate for cooling during hot days. Panting and drinking water helps cool them, but if they only have overheated air to breathe dogs can suffer brain and organ damage after just 15 minutes. Young dogs, seniors, or pets with weight, respiratory, cardiovascular, or other health problems are especially susceptible to heat-related stress.

How often have you dashed into a store to “pick up just one or two items,” and been delayed by seeing someone you knew or encountering a slow sales clerk. On these warm days, don’t leave your Greyhound in the car--even for a minute.