As the Summer Heat continues to rise so does the risk of Heatstroke in your pets. It is important to know what to look for and how to intervene. Follow these steps below and you can SAVE a life!
HEATSTROKE EMERGENCY FIRST AID , KEEP CALM AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS … If your bulldog is overheating it is imperative that you act quickly. Initially stand him in a bath ( pool ) if possible of cool/tepid water and pour water over his head,( not face ) especially around his neck, you need to cool the blood going to the brain as in severe cases of overheating there is a risk of brain damage from hot blood going to the brain. (Don’t turn the hose pipe on him, it may panic him and make him worse). You can also soak their paws in rubbing alcohol. It helps to open up the pores to let the heat out!
Place ice ( ice pack frozen veg anything you have at hand etc ) under his tail (ice cube just inside his bottom if you can),KEEP pouring cool/tepid water over his neck and keep calm, if you panic your dog will panic.
Your dog will go very pale as the circulation system struggles to cope. If struggling with breathing/ foaming squirt lemon in the side of the cheek to clear the airway .
Keep going with the water – DONT stop or take him out of the bath until the breathing has calmed down, talk calmly to your dog – you will be soaked, your bathroom will be soaked, but you will SAVE HIS LIFE !!!!!!!!!
Once the breathing is calmer, remove him from the bath but don’t dry him, he will still be very pale (inside mouth, gums and inner eyes).
Let him wander but don’t make a fuss of him, your fussing may make him anxious and it could start over again. Still don’t force him to drink, but make up a rehydration mix and place it in a bowl for him to drink from if he wants to.