Dogs: Risks Posed by Hot Weather

Climate change and rising global temperatures will affect animal health, particularly that of dogs. Dogs are at increased risk of heat-related illnesses, especially older dogs, overweight dogs, or those with flat faces, according to a new study.   Rising temperatures due to climate change will affect more than just the environment. Animals will also have to adapt. Heat-related illnesses pose a risk to dogs and cats—a risk that is too often overlooked by animal owners. This sudden condition, which can quickly become fatal, will pose an even greater threat as extreme weather conditions become more common. A new study from Nottingham Trent University aims to identify risk factors, mortality rates, and incidence rates associated with heat-related illnesses in canine populations. A total of 905,543 dogs were studied following veterinary care in 2016. 395 cases (0.04% of the canine population) of heatstroke were identified, 56 of which were fatal—representing 14.18% of cases. Among the study population, the researchers identified risk factors. Pedigree dogs whose body weight was equal to or greater than the average for their breed were 1.42 times more likely to develop heat-related illnesses. Similarly, regardless of their breed’s average weight, pedigree dogs weighing 50 kg or more were 3.42 times more likely to suffer from heatstroke than pedigree dogs weighing less than 10 kg. Dogs aged six to eight years and those over 12 years were 1.53 and 1.75 times more likely, respectively, to develop heat-related illnesses than dogs under two years of age. Dogs with flat faces, such as pugs and French bulldogs, were also 2.10 times more susceptible to heat-related illness, as were pedigree dogs (1.86 times more likely to develop the condition). Older dogs, those heavier than average, purebreds, or those with flat faces are therefore at higher risk of suffering from heat-related illness. Maintaining a healthy body weight in dogs could be one way to prevent these effects, which can sometimes be devastating.