The Importance of Keeping Your Pet Hydrated in the Summer

We all enjoy spending time outdoors in the summer with our dogs, but it is important to keep them hydrated and cool just like we do for ourselves. Unlike us, our four-legged companions don’t sweat to cool themselves. While we see them panting, we may not realize the amount of water they are actually losing. They lose water and release heat through a process called evaporation, which is the endothermic process of a fluid changing to a vapor. 

Dogs bring large quantities of air in contact with the mucosal surfaces of the nose and mouth by panting; this allows them to release heat primarily by evaporation. Your dog's ability to cool himself through this method effectively decreases as humidity increases; therefore, it is important to consider the heat index. The heat index combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine what the temperature “feels like” to our bodies. So, while we are sweating away and realize we are becoming dehydrated, we don’t realize that “Fido” is also dehydrated. Once dehydrated, dogs are less able to cool themselves through evaporative cooling. Much like a car without water in the radiator, dogs will rapidly overheat and suffer from heat stroke.

There are several things that can be done to help maintain adequate hydration and avoid heat stroke. First, make sure your dog has plenty of fresh water before, during and after being outside. If you are planning on taking your dog out for an extended period of time, bring along water and offer it every 15-30 minutes. Plenty of pet-friendly water bottles with dishes are available online or in your local pet and sporting goods stores. 

Symptoms of dehydration include the gums feeling tacky to the touch and the skin becoming slow to return to its natural position when pulled up. Other signs include excessive panting and a rapid heart rate. It is a good idea to evaluate your dog before going out so you have an idea of what his normal hydration is like. That being said, most veterinarians find it difficult to determine when a dog is less than five percent dehydrated. Therefore, if you feel your dog is dehydrated, it is better to err on the side of caution. Stop your activity, offer your dog water and find a cool place in the shade for him to recover.   

Also, to avoid dehydration in the summer sun, avoid activity in the middle of the day and allow your dog time to get used to warm temperatures. In other words, don’t take him for a long walk on the first warm day of the year. Also, always consider your dog’s health and breed. Dogs with heavy coats, pre-existing respiratory conditions (whether acquired or inherited) or who are overweight are at a higher risk for having trouble as temperatures and humidity increase.

This summer while you and your four-legged companion are out enjoying the weather, remember to keep his hydration and the forecast in mind. Pay careful attention to cues your dog may give that he is overexerting himself in the heat.  It is better to underestimate your dog's fitness and overestimate his dehydration than to take a chance with heatstroke, which can have terrible consequences. 

 Written by Thomas Linnenbrink, DVM

Dr. Tom Linnenbrink has practiced veterinary medicine for more than 12 years. He completed his undergraduate studies in biology at Colorado State University and received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. He worked as an intern in medicine and surgery at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine before moving to Rochester, New York, to work as an emergency staff clinician, at Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services.

What is an LVT?

Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Services is a 24 hour veterinary emergency and specialty referral facility. We are the only hospital like this in our city--the next closet being 100 miles away and over an hour's drive. This means that we are always busy and require staff around the clock! Our staff is like no other. We are so honored to have such devoted, hard working, and compassionate employees in our facility who work hard for the patients every day.

This is why we are finding ways to say thank you to our staff this week during our annual Staff Appreciation week. We're going to be doing all kinds of fun things to show the staff how much we appreciate what they do every day. It just so happens that this week is also National Veterinary Technician Week! Although we value our technicians and the rest of the staff every day of the year, we like to use this week to honor them for the high-quality veterinary care they execute.

You might want to know what a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT), or "Vet Tech", does; well, that can vary depending upon the type of hospital and where the hospital is located. We were lucky enough to get some insider information from one of our vet techs at VSES. Jen has 14 years of experience in the field, and has been a technician with VSES for half of those years! We asked her what it is like to be a technician at an emergency/specialty hospital and her is what she had to say!

 Emergency LVTs working on an IV catheter for this patient.

 You never know what the day will bring when you are an LVT in an emergency/specialty practice. Our emergency technicians generally see and care for some of the most severely ill and injured patients in our area. This means that they have some advanced skills that are not seen in general veterinary practices--such as placing jugular catheters, arterial catheters, urinary catheters (in both male adn female dogs), and excellent venipuncture skills. 

Along with these skills, our technicians are typically working during some very sad and stressful situations because of the nature of the cases that come through our front doors. Patients that have been hit by a car, bloat, urinary obstruction, and dog fights are just a few of the types that we see on a regular basis. The LVTs are then expected to perform all of their tasks--such as drawing blood, placing intravenous catheters, administering medications, taking radiographs, and monitoring breathing and patient comfort--during very critical and chaotic situations. Once patients are stabilized, our technicians get to follow up with after care treatments like monitoring vitals, administering medications, blood transfusions, and general husbandry care. 

Surgery LVTs helping a patient recover after surgical repair of wounds from
a dog fight.

The specialty technicians can have their own similar challenges. In many cases, a critical patient may be transferred to a specialty department for a more advanced look into the problem. In these instances, the staff is typically moving quickly to try and coordinate many of the treatments and procedures between departments in the most efficient way possible so that appropriate care can begin immediately. For general specialty patients that come in on appointments, the cases tend to be extremely complex. This is because patients are typically referred to us by their primary care veterinarian when their doctor feels that the pet requires a board-certified specialist with increased knowledge and experience in a specific area such as surgery, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmology, neurology, or dermatology. 


Simply put, any technician at an emergency/specialty hospital has to know their basic LVT skills and knowledge plus the skills and knowledge needed to work with complex and critical cases. One thing remains equal across all veterinary technicians (and all other staff members) in any field of veterinary medicine: no matter where they work, they all have the same goal to care for and keep patients as comfortable as possible. People in veterinary medicine work for animals. At VSES, we do that 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. So, we thank all of our staff (and all veterinary staff) for all that they do around the clock to provide care to the animals of the world!

Dog Vs. Dog -- Canine Bite Wounds

Even play time can get out of hand. Remember, play time should
be bouncy and loose. If any of the dogs playing becomes
stiff/rigid, you should intervene before a fight begins.

As an emergency veterinarian I see bite wounds in dogs almost on a daily basis. The severity of these wounds can vary from just small lacerations to serious life threatening injuries. Frequently they involve a larger dog biting a smaller dog and/or multiple dogs attacking another dog. The scenarios where bite wounds occur are a myriad, but frequently occur at dog parks or other areas where people bring their pets to walk or run off leash. They can occur while out walking your dog on the street or even in your own yard. They can also occur among your own dogs. What is important is to know what to do in case your pet is bitten by another dog. There are many factors that affect what the best course of action is, but having your pet examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible after the bite is probably the most important.

If dogs are currently fighting do not try and grab or otherwise touch the fighting dogs as this can escalate things and you may be bitten as well. You can try to distract them with a loud noise such as banging pots or garbage can lids together, spraying with a hose, or try to get in between them by opening a large umbrella or folding chair. Once the fight is over, assess the dog(s) and begin first aid.

If the dog is small, it may be best to wrap them up in a towel or use a muzzle to safely restrain them as to prevent them from biting you; when an animal is in pain, they are more likely to bite in response to being touched. If you do not have a muzzle, one may be fastened with some gauze--a leash could work for a larger dog. If there are any bleeding wounds, direct pressure on the wound is the best to stop the bleeding. Avoid the urge to put anything on or in the wound as most over the counter topical medications such as hydrogen peroxide are not meant to go in open wounds and can cause more harm than good.

Remember, what is on the surface is not the entire
injury. Most often, bite wounds are worse than they
appear from the bacteria and crushing force of the bite.

As stated earlier, the best thing to do is to get your dog to your regular veterinarian or veterinary emergency facility as soon as possible. After your dog has been examined, in many cases, wound exploration under sedation or general anesthesia will be recommended by your veterinarian. I am often asked why we are unable to just clean the wound and put some sutures in it. The answer is that what you see on the surface is just the "tip of the iceberg". Bite wounds, by nature, cause crushing injury to the skin and tissue below. They carry hair, debris, skin bacteria, and bacteria from the biting dog's mouth--embedding them into the tissue. These wounds need to be surgically explored to remove damaged and contaminated tissue and flushed with sterile saline to remove bacteria and debris. Many of these bites will cause large pockets under the skin and may need to have drains placed to prevent fluid accumulation after the wound is closed. Antibiotics and pain medications will likely be prescribed and follow up exams will be rquired to remove drains, monitor healing and remove sutures or staples. Some wounds may dehisce (break down) because some crushing injuries damage the blood supply to the skin and this may not be apparent at the time of the initial injury. Repeated surgery and/or open wound management and skin grafts may be required for more severe wounds.

In summary, bite wounds in dogs are one of the more common injuries seen in veterinary practice. They can happen in almost any scenario imagined, have a wide range of severity and often need to be surgically explored to asses/treat the damaged tissue under the skin. Examination by a veterinarian is recommended in almost every case and frequent follow up to monitor healing.

Written by Joseph Wilder, DVM, DABVP

Happy Tails - Maggie

Maggie is all smiles during her most recent visit.

Meet Maggie. Maggie is a ten year old female, spayed mix breed who came into VSES at the end of April. Maggie had been out in the field enjoying the break in the cool weather when an unknown dog came up and attacked her.

The bite wounds were severe and quite contaminated, risking infection. She had some bone exposure on her right front leg coupled with muscle damage while her left leg had a large absence of skin in the elbow, which prevented the wound from closing, exposing severe muscle damage underneath. Poor Maggie also had wounds covering her head and her neck.

This terrifying night is what began Maggie's stay with us at VSES. She began daily debridement of the wound to her elbow--treatments that would remove any dead or dying tissue to help prevent infection. Her other leg was repaired and began to heal slowly; the drains that were placed during the repair (to help stave off infection) were removed after a few days. Maggie was not herself during this time. She was refusing to eat or drink, but we saw so much hope every time her dedicated owners came to visit, she perked up just a little.

A fancy bandage for such a sweet dog. Courtesy
of one of our animal care assistants.

Our staff really began to bond with Maggie and they were happy to see her go home only a few days after her admission to VSES, but were also happy to see her daily after she left for bandage changes.

Silly Maggie!

Her owners reported that she was continually improving -- walking well and even starting to eat some (roast beef was a favorite!) Every time our staff saw her, her condition (and spirits) improved and our staff really looked forward to seeing her progress.

This whole experience can be very traumatic for any dog and dog owner to go through, but both Maggie and her family did not let this faze them. While Maggie may be a bit slower than she was prior to the attack, she is still smiling and just as sweet as she always was.

Maggie in her fancy cone (to help keep her wounds
safe from that happy tongue!)

Maggie's family is one of the most dedicated families we have ever seen. They never missed a bandage change, and they are doing an amazing job keeping her safe and happy at home.

Maggie's family is so thankful that their sweet girl is on the mend and back to her normal self, and so are we!

A big thank you to Maggie and her family for the thank you cakes!
(Our staff really loves cake!)

Keep smiling, Maggie!

Running With Your Dog: How to Get Off on the Right Foot

Running with your dog can be a healthy and rewarding experience for both of you. So, how do you get started? Below are tips to help prepare you and your furry friend to hit the pavement--and do it safely!

Ready to Run?
There are a few pieces of equipment needed to begin your run: an adequate leash for your dog and running attire for you. Although you can use a leash and your dog's flat collar, a safer and more comofrable alternative to consider is running with a hands-free leash that clasps around your waist and a harness for your dog. *

A hands-free running leash in use!
Photo from Dog-Milk.com

Get Ready
The first step to training your dog to run with you is to decide if he or she will run on your right or left side. Once you have decided this, you will stand with your dog on the proper side of you and adjust the leash length so that it forms a gentle curve downward--not too taught and not touching the ground. Next, practice walking with your dog, rewarding him or her with treats for staying on the correct side of you. Once your dog has mastered staying on the appropriate side, add short periods of jogging into your walks. Slowly, over several days or weeks, lengthen the periods of jogging until you are jogging for the entirety of your route.

Be Attentive
Your dog's running stamina is dependent on many factors--outdoor temperature, fitness level, ability to breath appropriately, orthopedic and overall health. Therefore, it is important to be aware of how your dog is tolerating exercise. In particular, pay attention to:

• Panting - excessive panting with the tongue hanging out the side of the mouth
• Tongue Color - purple-tinged
• Stride - limping, difficulty keeping up with your pace

If you notice any of the above signs, it is time to slow down or stop running. Remember, brachycephalic dogs ("short-nosed" breeds such as Pugs, English Bulldogs, Boxers, etc.) are especially susceptible to breathing difficulty because of their conformation. Therefore, for these breeds, it is particularly important to exercise in cool weather, avoid flat collars (opting for the harness instead), and pay close attention to their exercise tolerance.

Some of the more popular Brachycephalic Breeds
Photo from Dogs Arena.net

Explore the Area
Rochester, NY is fortunate to have a well-developed series of trails that welcome leashed dogs:

• Lehigh Valley Trail
• Erie Canal Trail
• Genesee Valley Greenway
• Railroad Loop Trail
• selected trails at Mendon Ponds Park

The above trails extend through a variety of landscapes including forest, fields, canal, and wetlands. It is not uncommon to spot wildlife as you are running by. Take a look around your area for dog-friendly trails for you and your pooch to explore!

Now that you and your pup are prepared, it is time to begin training together! Have fun and enjoy your time together outside!

*Prior to starting a new exercise regime, please contact your family doctor and your veterinarian to ensure both you and your dog are ready to run. 

Written by Sarah Funk-Goodling, DVM