Dog Owner Issues Warning After Labrador Nearly Dies From Heat Stroke Despite Overcast Weather
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Featured Image Credit: My Family Vet/Thomas Richmond
A dog owner has warned fellow pooch lovers to think twice about taking their canines out for a walk in warmer weather - even if it's overcast.
Thomas Richmond has recalled how his 20-month-old Labrador, Nala, almost didn't make it after suffering from a potentially fatal case of heatstroke in cloudy conditions.
Fortunately for the pooch, her quick-thinking owner rushed her to the vet to before she suffered irreversible damage - whew.
Recalling the faithful day, Thomas told Metro: "I was playing football in the park with some friends on my lunch break. Usually, I can't play because I have to walk Nala, but it was 20-degrees and overcast, so I went home to get her so that she could join in.
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After 10-minutes of playing, Thomas noticed that Nala was "panting heavily" but wasn't concerned until they arrived home and realised something was very wrong.
He added: "We drove home, which is only five minutes around the corner, but when we got there her condition started to worsen. She was panting heavily and foaming at the mouth.
"I hadn't seen her like that before, so I took her straight into the back garden and hosed her down to cool her off and offered her lots of water.
"She started to go really limp, almost like she was drunk and I knew something was seriously wrong. I called the vets for advice, and they told me to bring her in right away so that they could check her over."
Natasja Turner, a veterinary nurse with Hook Vets who looked after Nala, revealed that the canine was "panting, lethargic and had purple gums" after a mere 15 minutes of playing in the overcast weather.
Worryingly the nurse explained that Nala had a temperature of 41.3⁰c, three degrees hotter than a dog's normal temperature.
Natasja praised Thomas' quick thinking saying how it saved Nala's life and stopped her from suffering long-term damage.
However, the animal medic highlighted that heatstroke can affect any pet regardless of age, weight or size. Although old dogs, overweight dogs, flat-faced breeds and puppies are naturally more prone.
Thankfully for Nala she has made a full recovery - but her owner admitted that he has become much more vigilant about exercising in the warmer months following the "scary experience".
If you think your dog has heatstroke, experts advise is not to throw cold water over your pets as this can cause the body to go into shock.
Instead on warmer days, they suggest restricting your dog's exercise, walk them first thing in the morning or late at night when it's cooler, make sure your pooch has access to a cool, shaded area as well as freshwater.