By mid-July most clinics have already seen the season's first heatstroke case walk in, or get carried in. It's rarely the result of a client doing something reckless. More often it's a five-minute stop at the pharmacy with the dog in the car, or an afternoon walk that would have been fine in April but isn't in a heat wave. Heatstroke is one of the most preventable emergencies a clinic sees, and also one of the most common, which makes it worth getting ahead of with clients rather than only treating after the fact.
Why dogs and cats overheat so much faster than people do
People cool down mainly by sweating over their entire skin surface. Dogs can't do that. They rely on panting and a small amount of sweating through their paw pads, which is a far less efficient system, especially once the air itself is hot and humid and there's nowhere for the heat in their breath to go. Cats are even less inclined to pant, so by the time a cat is open-mouth breathing, that alone is a sign something is seriously wrong, not an early warning.
Some patients run a much higher risk than others, and it's worth flagging them specifically:
- Flat-faced breeds. Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, and similarly brachycephalic breeds have airways that already restrict airflow, which blunts the one cooling mechanism dogs have. Large studies of veterinary caseloads have repeatedly found these breeds are overrepresented in heat-related illness, sometimes dramatically so.
- Overweight or obese pets. Extra body fat acts as insulation and makes it harder for heat to escape.
- Thick or double-coated breeds, especially ones that were bred for cold climates.
- Very young, very old, or medically compromised patients, including anything with underlying heart or respiratory disease.
- Any pet that isn't acclimatized to heat yet, which is why the first genuinely hot week of the year, not the hottest week, tends to bring in a disproportionate number of cases.
The car is the risk clients underestimate the most
Nearly every client already knows not to leave a dog in a hot car for an hour. Far fewer understand how fast a car's interior heats up, or that cracking the windows barely slows it down. Studies of vehicle cabin temperatures have found that on a day that doesn't even feel that hot outside, the inside of a parked car can climb into dangerous territory within ten to fifteen minutes. The "I'll just be a minute" errand is exactly the scenario that catches people off guard, because the risk isn't really about how long the pet is in the car. It's about how quickly the car itself becomes an oven. The clearest message to send clients is also the simplest one: if the dog can't come inside with you, leave it at home.
Recognizing it before it becomes an emergency
Clients don't need a temperature reading to know something's wrong; they need to know what to watch for. Worth spelling out plainly:
- Heavy panting that doesn't ease up once the pet is out of the heat
- Bright red or purplish gums, or thick, ropey drool
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Wobbliness, disorientation, or stumbling
- Collapse or seizures in severe cases
For cats, add one more: a cat that is breathing with its mouth open, rather than through its nose, is showing a sign of significant distress and should be seen right away, not monitored at home.
What to do in the first few minutes
This is the part clients most often get slightly wrong, so it's worth being specific rather than just saying "cool them down":
- Move the pet out of the heat immediately, into shade or air conditioning.
- Use cool or room-temperature water, not ice-cold water. Wetting the belly, groin, armpits, and paw pads works well. Very cold water or ice can cause the blood vessels near the skin to constrict, which actually traps heat inside rather than releasing it.
- Add airflow. A fan over wet fur speeds up cooling through evaporation.
- Offer water, but don't force it if the pet is disoriented or struggling to swallow.
- Get to a vet immediately, even if the pet already seems to be recovering. Continue cooling on the way.
Why "he seems fine now" is the trap
The most important thing for clients to understand is that visible recovery isn't the same as medical recovery. Heatstroke can damage the kidneys, the gut lining, and the body's clotting system, and that damage doesn't always show up until hours after the pet has stopped panting and started acting more like themselves. This is exactly why a heatstroke patient needs to be examined and, in most cases, have bloodwork run, even after first aid has clearly helped. A pet that looks recovered at home can still be heading toward a complication that only shows up on labwork.
The clinic side of this
As with most seasonal risks, the clinics that handle heat season well tend to get ahead of it rather than just treating what walks in. A short client message before the first real heat wave of the year, covering the car risk and the early warning signs, prevents more cases than any amount of after-the-fact advice. It's also worth flagging at-risk patients directly on the record, so a brachycephalic breed, an overweight senior, or a pet with a prior heatstroke episode gets a heat-season reminder from whoever opens the chart next, rather than relying on someone remembering.
KodaVet's patient alerts keep that kind of risk visible on the chart year round, and automated client messaging makes it easy to reach your whole list before the forecast turns, instead of after the emergency line starts ringing. Try KodaVet free for 14 days. No credit card required.