Please note! This is only information about summer hazards, not conditions that Guldveterinären treats. Emergencies must always be treated at a clinic!
Heatstroke
Dogs and cats do not sweat; instead they pant to cool the blood passing through the mouth. This is how they try to regulate their body temperature. Signs of heatstroke:
– excessive panting
– drooling
– fever
– dry, red mucous membranes
– rapid pulse
– difficulty breathing
– vomiting
– coma
Heatstroke can damage the internal organs, so always see a veterinarian while you start cooling the animal down:
– spray the animal with water and fan it
– place wet towels in the groin, armpits, on the paw pads and around the head. Change them often.
Never leave your dog in a hot car. Bring water and a parasol if your dog is coming to the beach.
Moist eczema (hot spots)
Dogs that swim often and have a dense coat often get moist eczema, “hot spots”, where the skin’s normal bacteria have overgrown. This causes sore inflammation and pus in the skin. If there is even the smallest wound, the bacteria can multiply explosively. Take care to dry your dog thoroughly, not just on the surface:
– shave off the fur with a one-centimetre margin of healthy skin (so you can see if it spreads)
– wash thoroughly every day with antibacterial shampoo or soft soap (rinse and dry thoroughly)
– dab with Alsol solution or chlorhexidine solution.
– a few widespread, deep skin infections need antibiotics, after a veterinarian has taken a bacterial sample for culture and sensitivity testing.
Toxic algae
Several species of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) grow and bloom in favourable conditions when the water is warm and rich in nutrients. The toxin they produce is very dangerous for dogs and can kill within an hour. The toxins irritate the mucous membranes and skin and cause liver and nerve damage, with symptoms such as:
– restlessness
– trembling
– vomiting
– unsteadiness
Rinse your dog so that it cannot lick off more algae, and see a veterinarian at once, where the dog should be made to vomit if it has drunk the water.
Check for algal blooms (in Swedish) at www.smhi.se
Swimmer’s tail
Dogs that swim can easily get swimmer’s tail (limber tail), an inflammation of the nerves at the base of the tail after the dog’s hindquarters have got cold. The tail then hangs straight down and the dog is in pain. Swimmer’s tail usually passes by itself if the dog is kept dry, warm and rested. Sometimes, however, a veterinarian needs to give anti-inflammatory pain relief.
Salt water
If a dog drinks a lot of salt water, it may start vomiting. Take away food and water for a couple of hours so that the stomach can settle. Then offer small amounts of water and, if that goes well, a little food. In serious cases, salt poisoning is seen, with symptoms such as:
– continuous vomiting
– diarrhoea
– stiffness
– seizures
Sunburn
Light-skinned and hairless dogs are particularly sensitive, but all dogs can get sunburnt, especially where the skin is thin and less covered by fur:
– ear tips
– the bridge of the nose
– around the eyes
– on the belly
Apply sunscreen made for dogs if you will be outside for many hours or in strong sun.
Insect bites and stings
Single stings and bites are rarely dangerous, but cause local pain, swelling, redness and itching. If the animal disturbs a nest, however, it can be much worse. Stings in the mouth can make the airways swell and cause breathing difficulties, and multiple stings can cause anaphylactic shock:
– itching
– swelling of the face
– nausea
– weakness
– a drop in blood pressure
– breathing problems
In the mountains, dogs must be protected against black fly attacks. The belly and the insides of the thighs are usually most exposed. Use an insect repellent made for dogs. Otherwise, try putting a T-shirt on the dog from behind, with the hind legs through the sleeves and the tail through the neck opening.
Ticks
Ticks carry diseases such as Borrelia, Anaplasma and TBE (tick-borne encephalitis). Although dogs themselves rarely fall ill with these diseases, they pass them on through the tick’s life cycle. Provided the tick is removed within 24 hours, diseases should not be able to pass from the tick’s gut.
If you are careful and remove all ticks every day, you do not need preventive treatment. There are different types of tick prevention:
– spot-on products applied to the skin on the neck, effective for 4–6 weeks
– chewable tablets, effective for 1 or 3 months
– collars worn close to the skin, not on top of the fur (must be removed for swimming), effective for 5–6 months
Snake bites
If bitten by an adder, the animal must be kept completely still. Ideally, lift or carry it straight to the veterinarian. There is no way of knowing how much venom a snake injects, but swelling and lethargy are seen within an hour. A bite on the nose looks worst, as it easily swells up a lot. It is more serious, though, if the snake bites a leg or paw, as the venom usually has time to reach the internal organs through the blood when the animal moves straight after the bite. The swelling is at its worst within 48 hours and then slowly subsides.
Most animals survive (cats better than dogs), but some become so ill that they die of organ failure (kidney, liver or heart muscle damage). Even animals that have seemed well for up to 2 weeks can die suddenly. That is why a follow-up check of the organs and heart is important once the animal has recovered.
Toads
When a toad feels threatened, it releases a toxic skin secretion from glands behind its eyes. Animals that have licked or chewed a toad typically show these symptoms:
– heavy salivation
– swelling in the mouth
– a red, painful mouth
– vomiting (less common)
– breathing difficulties (less common)
– effects on the heart (less common)
– a few deaths have been reported
Rinse the animal’s mouth at once and contact a veterinarian if the animal is badly affected.
Other hazards
– Broken bottles under the water
– Open fires
– Barbecue and picnic leftovers
– Rat poison
– Slug pellets
– Fishing hooks
– Open wells and manholes
Read more at the Swedish Poisons Information Centre about poisoning in pets (in Swedish).
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