Cavalier's Overheating (brachycephalic)

I don't know why this is such a hot topic but I wrote a post on a blog I did for a group of Cavaliers in Charlotte. Of course I stopped doing the blog but here is what I said and also it has a link to the cool vest I bought for Ella which I think is great! If you live in the South, it is important for them to stay out of this heat. It can get extremely hot outside and I have seen several articles about leaving dogs in cars. It is just as bad if you stay outside in heat for several hours. They just can't take it. Here is a link to my blog and post but this is what I said.





Why Does Your Dog Snore? Is There More to be Concerned About Other Than Your Hearing?

Adrienne sent an email about that included a post about the dangers of heat strokes. One thing that was shocking to me was that the temperature outside was not hot but warm only 80 degrees. This is something everyone should be aware of especially since it is the beginning of summer and also since Cavaliers are especially prone to heat strokes. Cavaliers are a short faced (brachycephalic) which are breed to have a rounded flat faces with prominent eyes and a compact body to make them more appealing. However the cute faces can cause major health problems. In mild cases you may notice your dog snoring. Not every brachycephalic dog will develop respiratory problems but because of there features they could suffer heat stress and heat stroke because they are not efficient panters, which is the only way dogs have to cool themselves.

Factors that increase the risk of a heat stroke are:
Water deprevation Exercise
Enclosed space Age
Excessive humidity Cardiovascular disease
Obesity Lack of acclimatization

Please be careful in the summer heat! My trainer recommended to only walk your dog in hot weather for no more than five minutes. You know how hot dark pavement gets when we step on it but dog’s paws are just as sensitive. Try to avoid dark pavement in the summer heat.

If you are going to be outside in the heat for a longer walk or long period of time, you may want to look into a cool vest
for your dog. I got one for my dog and even though it may not look “cool”, I know she is better off than without it. I found
mine in a store out of town but they are available on the Internet. I found one at http://www.dbdogshop.com/







Posted by Cavalier King Charles Group in Charlotte, NC at 11:47 AM

Thank you for the link to that vest, Anne.So, it really does not make the dog hotter, like we would feel if walking in the hot, humid mornings with a life vest or jacket? I understand the wet tee-shirt concept, but this thing looks like it won't breathe.

I had a Shih Tzu before my Cavalier, and have treated Sophie the same way because her muzzle is so short. Mornings have been warm her the past week, in middle Tennessee, and humid. This a.m. when we walk (6:30) it was 78° and humidity probably equally as high, so I cut her walk to 30 minutes instead of the usual hour.

I have a hard time believing the vest would not make her hotter but if it really keeps a dog cool, I'm going to buy one. Is this a proven product??? I don't want neighbors calling the authorities when they see a dog with the cooling coat on, in this heat & humidity, and thinking it's a winter jacket.

I usually put mine in the freezer before I put in on her

It actually does make it breathable. I think that is why it is pricey. I think bottom line it is better not to keep the dogs out for very long. If I take Ella for a walk and it is hot, I take the vest with me if it is longer than five minutes. Sometimes it takes her longer to do her business I do put it in the freezer so it stays cool. It works great but I know she does not like it that much but she would not like getting over heated. Since you live in TN you know how hot and humid it can be in the South!!!

anniemac said:

Since you live in TN you know how hot and humid it can be in the South!!!

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Yes, I'd say our weather is probably identical to yours. That's why we get out and walk at 6:30 a.m. and are done at 7:30 a.m., before the sun starts heating up. And to think .... I've been playing golf and mowing the front lawn in this stuff. At least the push mower is self-propelled. I need one of those vests.

I hear you. No offense to our UK friends but spend a day in the south with our humidity and its unbearable. I can deal with 100 degrees with no humidity but it is so much worse here. I don't know how I played tennis when I was younger without getting a heat stroke

anniemac - yes, our heat & humidity is more like that of Rome, Greece, and similarly located places. I'm just glad I don't live in Florida or the Gulf coast.

The DH and I were in Scotland and upper Lakes District in July '05 during their dreadful heat wave, and the 90°+ F (33° C) temps were brutal. Most places had no A/C and in one accommodation, I was too hot to eat, at all. I was so glad I had packed a pair of shorts! Not many (if any) of the homes are air-conditioned, so when they have heat, with or without humidity, it is insufferable.