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Heat Stroke

Do and Don'ts of dogs in the tropics

Singapore is a tropical island, situated very near the equator. Our climate is hot with very high humidity. When we get hot either from exercise or stading in the sun out body will start to perspire. The sweat will then start to evaporate and this helps to cool our body down.

	Dogs however do not sweat. Instead, they lose heat by panting. This activity is quite efficient in a cold climate with low humidity. However in a situation of high temperature and high humidity this system becomes extremely inefficient. Secondly when a dog pants excessively for too long it affects the part of the lungs where exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen takes place.
The rapid and shallow breathing does not allow for proper gas exchange in the lung tissue.

The combined result means the dog is unable to maintain its temperature and it starts to rise. At high temperature (>42C) all the organs of the body start to fail, especially the brain which is very sensitive to high temperatures and the dog may go into convulsions. To avoid this happening to your dog please take note of the following:

1)	Do not leave dogs in parked cars, especially in the hot sun.
2)	Make sure that your dog is fit and healthy before you take him for strenous exercise.
3)	Preferably take them for walks in the cool morning or late evening.
4)	Let your pet take part in all your outdoor activities but keep in mind heat stroke. If your dog appears stressed or pants excessively stop and give the dog a cold bath or even an ice cold bath if necessary.
5)	Never leave a dog tied up in the hot sun.
6)	Excessive excitement or excessive barking may also lead to a heat stroke situation.
7)	If a heat stroke situation arises, give the dog a cold shower to bring the temperature down before taking him to the hospital. The time you take on the road to drive to the hospital is critical. It is better to bring the temperature down as soon as possible. An ice cold wate bath is the fastest way to bring the temperature of the dog down.
8)	Lastly, keep your dog fit and avoid obesity.

Disclaimer: The information provided using this web site is only intended to be general summary information to the public. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations.