BEATING THE HEAT!!

Summer is well upon us, and so is the time for birds and animals to suddenly drop dead due to overheating. During the heat wave in the middle of March, several poultry farms in Goa lost hundreds of birds to heat stroke. If you have a furry little dog at home, you will notice how heavily he pants during the hot afternoons.

Since animals and birds have a different integument from ours (their skin is covered with fur or feathers), their capacity to warm up and cool down during variations in the weather is not the same as for humans. They are better able than we are to adapt to colder climates. But their only defence against the heat is the tongue panting which is usually insufficient to cool their bodies down enough. Dogs in particular are very susceptible to heat stroke and can die from an attack much sooner than we would imagine.

It is very important to keep a water supply source easily available. A hot animal or bird will takes several thirsty laps through the day and this helps lower body temperature as well as replenish the moisture loss that occurs during panting. If you keep water out for your pets, don't forget to leave some out for the other birds and animals too. Bird baths and water troughs will be highly appreciated by our furred and feathered friends.

When you take your pet out for a spin in the car or an autorickshaw, make sure that it is well ventilated or he could suffocate to death. Even a short trip to the vet and back should be accompanied by a bowl and a small bottle of water - your pet will be grateful for the thirst quencher after his little exertion.

How should you recognise an attack of heat stroke? The most important sign of course is excessive panting, often accompanied by drooling of saliva. The body will also feel very warm - check the unfurred skin around the belly and inside the ears of a dog to find out. In fact, the animal will have a very high fever. Sometimes, there could be an accompanying nose bleed (epistaxis, or bleeding from the nostrils). An overweight dog will display difficulty in breathing as well, and the tongue will turn cyanotic (purplish) - this is a dangerous sign, and prompt first aid measures to reduce the temperature must be attempted.

The animal can be cooled down with a cold shower or by placing iced towels around its body and quickly removing them as they heat up. In the case of epistaxis, transport the animal very carefully home or to a vet in lateral recumbency, with its head falling backwards, so that the blood can flow back. Apply an icepack on the forehead and on the nasal frontal bones, applying slight pressure to stop the bleeding. Local infiltration of a hemostatic like Revici into the nostrils, or some adrenaline will stop the bleeding immediately. To stop the animal from shaking its head, give it a sedative to calm him down. If conscious, he can be given ice licks (quick licks of ice cubes) or cold milk, but not force fed, if unconscious he needs to be given IV fluids, so call your vet immediately. Do not give very cold water to drink up in gulps because that could seize up the airways further.

It's not always possible to have an air-conditioned room handy, but if you can get to one, then quickly take the patient inside and keep him there for at least an hour till the body temperature drops. Often, the animal will need some intravenous fluids to stabilise his body and keep him out of shock - you can take a call on this if you find him fit enough to take to the vet, or if a local vet is willing to come to your aid on location.