Panting, increased grooming, a cool bath in the lake: animals have developed their very own methods to deal with long-lasting heat. It works well in nature. However, pets are dependent on the help of their owners. In an interview, the veterinarian Michael Leschnik from the University Clinic for Small Animals in Vienna explains what dogs, rabbits and co need in the heat.
With temperatures of up to 37 degrees, we humans get a sweat, for some this is very stressful. How are pets?
Michael Leschnik: Heat is exhausting for you too. In contrast to us, most of them cannot sweat.
Why is sweating important when it is warm?
When sweating, the heart pumps more blood through the body, the blood vessels and pores of the skin dilate, and the sweat produced by the sweat glands comes out. If it evaporates, this helps us to keep the core body temperature constant. Dogs and cats also have sweat glands on the balls of their feet, but these are not enough. Pigs and rabbits, on the other hand, have no way of sweating at all.
What strategies use animals instead?
That varies. Many are panting above all. Due to the rapid breathing movement, the throat produces saliva and evaporation cools. The body also releases heat through the exhalation and the nasal secretion that occurs when panting. This is particularly visible in dogs, but birds and cats can also pant. However, this breathing technique is exhausting and causes the animals to consume more energy.
So panting regulates the body's internal temperature only for a short time?
At least you need other methods. For example, cats are licking their fur. This makes it moist and evaporating brings cooling. Most animals also like to take a bath, look for a place in the shade, shift physical activities to the morning and evening hours and drink more than usual. Basically the same strategies as humans.
Why is rest so important for us and animals?
The body produces warmth through movement. In order to avoid overheating, the body must then dissolve it again, and that costs energy. Most animals therefore instinctively withdraw in the heat. Only dogs are not so easy.
What distinguishes dogs from other animals?
The close relationship with people. The strong domestication has trained their instinct for many. If I go jogging with my dog at 37 degrees or let it run next to my bike, he will take part. Because dogs are aimed at following their owner. For this reason, there are always dogs who collapse, although a lake is nearby.
What does this have to do with domestication?
The animals that I speak of do not chill in the shade or splash in the water, but are busy using their owner or master for hours to retrieve the frisbe disc. A few jumps into the water can no longer compensate for the heat that produces your body through the movement and high temperatures. Neither the dogs nor their owners notice that they need a break. It is different with cats: they are no longer lions, but they have largely kept their instinct: they are difficult to motivate you to play in the blazing sun. The same applies to rodents or birds.
By the way: what about guinea pigs, mice and rabbits? How do you deal with heat?
They also need calm, shadow and a lot of fluid. Instead of panting, some of them also use their ears. These are equipped with a braid of fine blood vessels. In the event of heat, the vessels widen and thus take off heat. In contrast to dogs and cats, rodents are often kept in the cage or in the outdoor enclosure. If this is directly in the sun during the day and there is no shady retreat, the cooling over the ears or increased drinking is not sufficient. Then these animals also threaten the overheating. This also applies to birds and fish.
If you keep a pet, you should make sure that cages are in the shade and that there are enough places to retreat.
And consider the course of the sun. After all, it migrates throughout the day, as a result of which the intensity of solar radiation changes. Sometimes it helps to cover parts of the enclosures or aquariums with a cloth. In the case of fish, the water must also always be checked: if the temperature rises too much, it is necessary to supply cool water. Because the heat also reduces the oxygen content. This triggers stress, and in extreme cases the animals lack the oxygen to breathe.
Does it also depend on the breed whether the heat is particularly difficult for the dog or cat?
It is particularly difficult for bollings, bulldogs or Persian cats. The breeding became more and more shortened, especially the nose and upper jaw. Adult animals should keep their childlike nose. The consequence are narrowed nostrils and nasal caves, an extended and thickened palate sail as well as changes on the larynx, which leads to breathing problems with many. This makes it difficult for the animals to regulate their body temperature by panting. There is also an increased danger for pets that are quite old, diseases such as diabetes or heart problems or are overweight. Because subcutaneous fat cannot guide heat well, which makes thermoregulation difficult. Basically, this is no different from us humans.
What about animals that have a lot of fur, such as long-haired cats? Do you suffer more than others?
Not necessarily. Due to the air circulation between skin and fur, longer hair sometimes even has a cooling effect. The hair also protects against sunburn. However, it can be helpful to regularly remove the underfell, i.e. the hair that is closer to the body, by brushes.
What else can be done to help pets through hot summers?
Lay a walk in dogs, for example, to the cool morning and evening hours. The same applies to dog training. Similar to birds, dogs are also happy about a swimming option, some also like to be gently showered out of the spray bottle with hand -warm water. Rodent animals can be stamulated in the cage and offer more fresh green fodder. There is also water in salad, cucumber and peppers. Animals that get wet food, such as cats, should be offered small portions, as this food spoils quickly in heat. It is also very important not to leave animals in the car in heat, which unfortunately happens again and again.
The Federal Veterinary Chamber also warns about this.
Rightly so. In the blazing sun, the temperatures in the car quickly rise to more than 70 degrees. A fleet opened window and a bowl with water are no longer sufficient for thermoregulation, nor does the panting. Animals, usually dogs, can get a heat stroke so quickly.
What exactly happens during a heat stroke?
Due to the rising body temperature, the metabolism is increasingly stimulated and thus increasingly overloaded. From a body temperature of 42 degrees, additional vital proteins are destroyed and the metabolism ultimately collapses. This leads to multiple organ failure, which in many cases can only occur after one to two days.
What do owners have to do in a heat stroke?
Common symptoms are increased salivation, balance disorders, vomiting, diarrhea, and even loss of consciousness. If the occur, you need to put the animal in the shade, should offer him water and cool him with cold wipes. Often you also need a veterinarian, sometimes even a stay in the clinic. These first aid measures should be known to every person who has an animal. But actually it shouldn't even come to that.
Is there another tip that you want to give people with animals?
Think about what is good for you in the heat. Maybe that also fits your dog or budgie? Because in dealing with heat, most animals are more similar to us than we think. If you are not sure, ask your vet.
