R. Michael DiLullo

Keeping Your Dog Cool

Keeping your hunting dog cool and hydrated, especially during late summer training and the early portion of the hunting season, means recognizing the signs of heat-related illnesses, knowing how to prevent them and what to do if your dog succumbs.

Each September thousands of hunters and their dogs go afield and begin their hunting season. In many parts of the United States, particularly in the southeast, September is the opening month for mourning doves, teal and resident Canada geese. September also means shooting preserves across the country will be opening their doors to wing shooters looking to get an early start on the season. With temperatures in the nineties not uncommon, all hunting dog owners need to be familiar with the dangers a working dog can face in these conditions. 

Most hunters and their four legged partners lead sedentary lifestyle during the off-season. The average gun dog owner doesn’t train or condition his dog as often as he should. In fact, most of us will wait until just prior to the season and work out a quick refresher course or just start out hunting, assuming our dogs will simply pick-up where we left off last season. Like any athlete, you and your hunting dog need to get into shape and acclimate to the environment long before opening day. With little conditioning or training for seven or more months, both you (the hunter) and his dog are at a very high risk of succumbing to a heat-related illness.

Most veterinarians and professional gun dog trainers place a high emphasis on working your dog throughout the year, especially during the spring and summer months. Because many bird dogs are also family and housedogs, during the heat of the summer they spend a lot of time in air-conditioned homes. You have to acclimatize your dog to spending time in the heat of the day, especially if he is going to perform high exertion activities, such as he does when hunting. Pre-conditioning is the best way to avoid heat-related problems in the field. Ideally, training and conditioning should be a year round activity, with workouts in the warmer months being completed before the heat of the day. Both younger and older dogs are usually the most susceptible to heat-related illnesses, while overweight and out-of-shape dogs are at an even higher risk of succumbing to heatstroke.

Many professional gun dog trainers recommend a warm weather training regiment of an hour in the morning and another in the evening. Run your dog and work on retrieving drills, building slowly as you go. Just as when you are starting a fitness program, workouts should start out slow and easy. Make the workouts fun and if needed take frequent rest breaks allowing the dog to have some water. As in any training process you want to increase the duration gradually as the dog increases his endurance and becomes accustomed to the heat. Also, just because your dog is acclimatized in one region of the country, don’t assume he will be okay running in another. A dog that lives in a cooler climate like Maine for example, will not perform as well in a warmer climate like Georgia, without time to adjust to the warmer weather.

The onset of heat related problems can be quite subtle, so it is important to keep a watchful eye on your dog while training or hunting in warm weather. The symptoms can also be very inconspicuous and difficult to detect, if you don’t know what to look for. The different types of common heat-related problems that may be encountered while training and hunting are: Heat stress, Heat exhaustion and Heat stroke.

During the early part of the hunting season, all gun dog owners need to be aware of the dangers a working dog can face in warm weather. Photo by: Author

Heat stress is when, due to increased body temperature, your dog is not performing at his normal level. He may be slow in reacting to your commands, will usually be panting and may simply lay down and not want to get up. Get him out of the sun and into a shaded area, allow him to rest and give him water in small quantities frequently.

During heat exhaustion, which is also called heat prostration, the dog becomes physically exhausted due to the exposure to heat, and the resulting depletion of his body fluids. The dog will appear weak or tired with an anxious or listless expression; he may just stare into space and be unresponsive to your commands. Usually, the dog will be panting heavily, will have a rapid heart rate, and may vomit or salivate excessively. Also, he may be unsteady on his feet and stagger while attempting to walk, the dog may also collapse. Get him into a cool area, if there is a body of water nearby get him in it, you have to try and cool his core body temperature down. If your dog will drink “Gatorade” or ”Pedialyte” or one of the new specialized canine sports mixes, give him a small amount, this will help replace electrolytes. If not, give him water in small amounts and allow him to rest until his breathing and heart rate are normal.

Heatstroke is the most severe condition and is caused by an impairment of the body’s temperature-regulating abilities. This is the result of a prolonged exposure too excessive heat and is usually characterized by many of the same symptoms as heat exhaustion, but to a greater degree. Symptoms include the dog’s gums are usually bright red and dry or tacky, his skin will also feel hot to the touch, he will be suffering from a high fever and, if not treated immediately, may suffer a stroke or cardiac failure. It is important to remember that left untreated dehydration, heat stress or exhaustion may progress into heatstroke, which is a life threatening condition. There is no set pattern, however, your dog may not show any symptoms of the lesser maladies and suddenly be in trouble. You have to really know your dogs and keep an ever-watchful eye on their demeanor because left untreated, a dog’s condition can deteriorate very rapidly. Knowing what symptoms to look for and how to respond and treat your dog in such an event could just save his life!

	Allowing your dog to take a swimming break during a warm weather hunt or training session is a good way to cool him down. Water retrieves should also be incorporated into your training regiment. They help to reinforce control and steadiness, while keeping your dog cool! Photo by: Author

A simple way to become familiar with the major heat illnesses is to remember this easy phrase, “First you become stressed, then exhausted which can lead to a stroke.” As with any heat-related illness the first priority is to cool the victim down, get the dog out of the sun and to the nearest water source immediately, especially if heat exhaustion or stroke is suspected. If symptoms occur while in the field, immerse the dog in a stream or farm pond if necessary, to cool him down. If closer to home, place him in your bathtub or use a garden hose to soak him down. Applying ice packs to the back of the dog’s neck will also help to cool him more rapidly. In either case, contact the closest veterinarian as soon as possible.

While heat stress, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are the most recognized heat-related illnesses they are not the only ones. Dehydration and canine hypoglycemia (a.k.a. hunting dog hypoglycemia) are also common ailments afield. The problem with diagnosing a heat-related illness is that they do not distinguish themselves well from one another, making it hard for the average gun dog owners to recognize and treat the symptoms. Canine hypoglycemia is a good example, the dog will be fine one minute, then pass-out, often in mid-stride, the symptoms may resemble that of heat exhaustion or stroke, when actually the dog has a very low glucose (blood sugar) level. Many “old school” gun dog trainers and handlers still carry a small bottle of “Karo” syrup with them while afield. If the dog passes-out they would rub some of the syrup on his gums, where it will be rapidly absorbed into the blood stream, returning the glucose levels back to normal.

Although dehydration is usually one of the first stages of a heat-related illness, it can also be a problem in its own right. Dehydration is usually among the first signs of a heat problem, although, again there is no set pattern. The dog’s nose may become dry and his skin will appear to lose its elasticity, once again administering fluids and electrolytes as well as normalizing core body temperature and rest will help alleviate the condition.

As a gun dog owner, you should place a high priority on carrying water with you while afield. You need to take frequent rest stops and have a good supply of water available for your dogs in the field; a bicycle water bottle works well and can be carried in your game vest and your dog will quickly learn to drink from it. It is also important to know the area. Always have an idea of where the nearest water source, such as a stream or pond is located. It’s also helpful to know where the nearest veterinarian’s office or animal hospital is.

In situations like a dove hunt, where you will be in the heat of the day for several hours, commercial products such as "cool-down" collars and portable blinds will help to keep your dog cool. Photo by: Author

Being prepared for an emergency is an important part of avoiding problems. Always carry a first-aid kit with you and having a cell phone in your truck is a good idea just in case of an emergency. Never leave your dog in a vehicle during warm weather, even for a few minutes. A closed vehicle can act like an oven, becoming very hot in a short period of time, even in moderately warm weather.

Remember the old adage about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Prevention such as pre-season conditioning is the best way to avoid heat-related problems in the field, not getting your dog into such a situation is another and having the knowledge to recognize the signs and to treat a heat-related emergency could save your hunting partner’s life!