If your dog is showing the first signs of heat exhaustion, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, the first thing you must do is remove him from the confining area. Nine times out of ten, heat exhaustion occurs while the dog is confined, whether it is in a car, crate, or doghouse.

Take the dog to shade, and soak him with cool water. Do NOT use extremely cold or iced water. This will cause blood vessels to constrict and will stop the heat from escaping.

You can apply ice packs to the areas underneath his front legs, and to the groin area for rapid blood cooling. Give your dog enough water to wet his mouth and throat, but do NOT allow your dog to drink copious amounts!

Take your dog’s temperature, this is done anally to get the most accurate reading.

Prepare your dog for transport to the nearest emergency animal clinic.

Do NOT cover your dog, even with a cold towel. This will prevent the heat from escaping.

Do NOT place him back in his crate, but keep him with you, with windows down and air conditioning on high, to allow evaporation which will aid in the cooling process.

Yes, there is also a danger that dog can become too cold. Monitor the temperatures and stop the cooling process as soon as your dog’s temperature reads normally again.

Continue on the vet’s, your dog is not saved yet!

Ah, but thankfully a water workout disguised as fun is a near-perfect solution. This past weekend Karma and I went back to Riverbend Park in the morning before too many people got the same idea.

We picked up the green trail just left of the waterfront at the information building. In less than five minutes we came upon a perfect “beach” that would let him play safely in the water and be off leash (shhhhhh!).

As luck would have it another woman, Sarah, and her Standard Poodle, Lilly, had the same idea. Now Lilly was a MUCH better swimmer than the Karmalicious but the competition was good for them both.

Sticks ended up being the preferred fetch “toy” and was a catalyst for increasing cardio and getting the dogs to really go for it. I had started off with his preferred water toy from Ruff Wear but a moment of distraction allowed it to float on down the river out of reach. I imagined it going over Great Falls later in the day, captured in the background of a family photo – Ha!

But I digress. We stayed for just over an hour and Karma let me know he was done by coming out of the water more often and laying in shallow water. He was a tired and content boy the rest of the day and I believe he got a decent workout out of it.

This is the third and final blog in our “beating the heat

There are ways you can prevent heat stroke from happening in the first place.

• NEVER leave your dog alone in the car on a warm day, regardless of whether the windows are open. Even if the weather outside is not extremely hot, the inside of the car acts like an oven – temperatures can rise to dangerously high levels in a matter of minutes.
• Avoid vigorous exercise on warm days. When outside, opt for shady areas.
• Keep fresh cool water available at all times.
• Certain types of dogs are more sensitive to heat – especially obese dogs and brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds, like Pugs and Bulldogs. Use extreme caution when these dogs are exposed to heat.

Some dogs can recover fully from heat stroke if it is caught early enough. Others suffer permanent organ damage and require lifelong treatment. Sadly, many dogs do not survive heat stroke. Prevention is the key to keeping your dog safe during warmer weather.

This is a continuation of our three-part

If you have even the slightest suspicion that your dog is suffering from heat stoke, you must take immediate action.

1. First, move your dog out of the heat and away from the sun right away.

2. Begin cooling your dog by placing cool, wet rags or washcloths on the body – especially the foot pads and around the head.

3. DO NOT use ice or very cold water! Extreme cold can cause the blood vessels to constrict, preventing the body’s core from cooling and actually causing the internal temperature to further rise. In addition, over-cooling can cause hypothermia, introducing a host of new problems. When the body temperature reaches 103°, stop cooling.

4. Offer your dog cool water, but do not force water into your dog’s mouth.

5. Call or visit your vet right away – even if your dog seems better. Internal damage might not be obvious to the naked eye, so an exam is necessary (and further testing may be recommended).

Tip: recruit others to help you – ask someone to call the vet while others help you cool your dog.

And I realized that sometimes you just can’t write something any better than someone else already has done. In this case, thanks to About.com and Jenna Stregowski, RVT for helping us understand avoid heat problems!

To make this blog-friendly, I have broken this article into sections. Please forward to your friends and remember that the safety of our dogs is more important than our desire for a long walk or day in the sun!!!

What is Hyperthermia?

Hyperthermia is a term describing an elevation in body temperature. This increase typically occurs as a response to a trigger, such as inflammation in the body or a hot environment. When a dog is exposed to high temperatures, heat stroke or heat exhaustion can result. Heat stroke is a very serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. Once the signs of heat stroke are detected, there is precious little time before serious damage – or even death – can occur.

Dogs do not sweat through their skin like humans – they release heat primarily by panting and they sweat through the foot pads and nose. If a dog cannot effectively expel heat, the internal body temperature begins to rise. Once the dog’s temperature reaches 106°, damage to the body’s cellular system and organs may become irreversible. Unfortunately, too many dogs succumb to heat stroke when it could have been avoided. Learn how to recognize the signs of heat stroke and prevent it from happening to your dog.

Signs of Heat Stroke

The following signs may indicate heat stroke in a dog:

• Increased rectal temperature (over 104° requires action, over 106° is a dire emergency)
• Vigorous panting
• Dark red gums
• Tacky or dry mucus membranes (specifically the gums)
• Lying down and unwilling (or unable) to get up
• Collapse and/or loss of consciousness
• Thick saliva
• Dizziness or disorientation

Time: 2 hours

Length: Out and Back

Gear: Lots of water, leash and daypack

Difficulty: 2 paws

Scenery: 4 paws

Pack: You and your dog

If you’re looking for a great trail that’s an easy drive, look no further than Fountainhead Regional Park. Even the entrance to the park is lovely as you wind through the woods to get to the parking lot. Because the weather called for another hot day, we arrived early and found only a few cars in the parking lot – mostly cyclists taking advantage of the great trails.

Karma and I arrived a few minutes ahead of Katina and Cannon so I tied Karma to the SUV while I did a little vehicle reorganization. Know where this is going yet? So, yes, another car parks near us and Karma has to great them breaking yet another cotton-web longline! Seriously?! He immediately went back in the truck while I tied knots in the busted leash. Shheesh.

But I digress. Our partners in crime arrived and we head out on the trail in the corner of the lot marked with blue blazes. There is a mapboard in the parking lot and the trail we chose was not the one favored by those on 2 wheels. We did have several runners pass us and saw a few dogs. Happily while the runners were pretty hardcore, everyone we met was polite and friendly.

At the beginning of the hike we passed a graveyard on the left. Turns out it is the Davis family cemetery and was established in the 1860s. The Davis home was destroyed during the Civil War and the newer house that was built in its place is now also gone.

We hiked out and back spending about 2 hours on the trail. You could easily spend as much time as you want but Karma was letting us know he was getting hot. Even Cannon started feeling the impact of the heat in the second half of the hike.

There were several opportunities to cool the dogs in water as much of the trail follows a stream. Even Cannon, who normally isn’t thrilled by water, got in and splashed around with Karma.

When we were done, Katina and I took seats on the picnic tables and chatted while the dogs rested in the shade.

Time: 3 hours

Length: Out and Back

Gear: Lots of water, leash and daypack

Difficulty: 1 paw

Scenery: 3 paws

Pack: You and your dog

Katina and I typically take turns choosing trails for our next adventures. But make no mistake, I always defer to her trail-reading and guide expertise as I am a pure novice! So when she picked Difficult Run as our next hike and said it is close to my home, I was excited to learn a new trail minutes away.

In doing her research, Katina shared that it was “difficult” (pardon the easy pun) to find information about the trail along the Difficult Run stream. But directions in hand we piled the dogs in one vehicle and headed to our morning hike.

We arrived at our parking lot just off Georgetown Pike (Route 193) just after nine and the lot was already filling up. We headed south on the well-marked path and soon crossed under an underpass and then across a stone crossing. And suddenly I knew where we were! (Yes, I’m a little slow.) We were doing the Cross County Trail, just starting at a point further north than I had hike previously with Karma.

Finally I felt like I was the guide – ha! Karma knew all the places to cool off and we enjoyed the almost 3 hours on the trail. We hiked almost to the Colvin Run Mill parking area. There were more people on the trail than other times but the warmer weather and later time in the day contributed to the ever so slight “traffic.”

So lesson learned … If you are looking for “Difficult Run” you might also want to try the following keywords: Difficult Run Stream Valley Trail; Colvin Run Mill; Cross County Trail or visit Fairfax County’s park site.

Length: 3.7 miles

Gear: Lots of water, leash and daypack

Difficulty: 3 paws

Scenery: 4 paws

Pack: You and your dog

Location: Sky Meadows State Park  – Delaplane, VA

It really amazes me that just a couple months ago we were anticipate a record snow fall and now it’s spring. But it’s not just spring because the calendar says so. It’s spring because the trees are flowering and boasting buds or young leaves. It’s spring because you can spot 10 different shades of green in one glance and it’s spring because the wildflowers are popping up. Yes, I know this all sounds a little corny but it’s hiking season and I’m excited.

This past weekend Julie and I met for our own version of a two-a-day, two hikes in one day. We got an early start so poor Karma wouldn’t catch fire in the 80°+ temperatures. Little did we know that this would be a good call for all of us. Our first stop was at Sky Meadows State Park. There’s a three dollar fee (per car) to pay at the entrance gate which got us our parking hang tags. Then it was a short drive to the Visitor Center parking lot at historic Mount Bleak house, which served more as scenery for us than attraction. We got our gear together and let the dogs say a brief hello before we headed out on a ~3.7 mile hike.

The park offers over 12 miles of hiking trails. One of the highlights is that in just 1.7 miles you can hop on the Appalachian Trail (AT) and head to either Shenandoah National Park (SNP) or Harpers Ferry. We decided to take the North Ridge trail (1.7 miles) to where it intersects with the AT and then double back, picking up the South Ridge trail (1.6 miles) which loops back to the Visitor Center.

On our way out we were ascending part of what is essentially the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If this hill or mountain had an official name we were unable to locate it. The trees were featuring immature buds so we were still seeing a lot of dull browns. The sometimes rocky trail (no scramble here) kept me watching my feet on the way up. This allowed me to catch a snake hurrying off the path as well as the early blooming wildflowers that were cropping up all over. The higher we climbed the more flowers we saw. I kept looking over my shoulder to catch the view across the valley below and hills beyond us but I could have waited for the trip back down.

The South Ridge trail offers a couple fantastic spots to take photos. No need to keep an eye on your map for these, you’ll know when you’re there. We took the opportunity to gather our shots as well as some of the dogs (see our pics). In all, it’s a fairly easy descent and the trail was wide enough for a truck. We came across 2 low flowing streams that made their way across the trail, which the dogs were grateful to stand in. The trek also meanders through a couple open grasslands. The ticks are out already. I pulled about 5 from Cannon. If you want to avoid these pests then keep your pup on the trail.

Back at the Visitors Center the traffic had picked up. The parking lot was nearly full and there were families picnicking and walking their dogs. We spent some time letting the dogs cool down and then it was off to our next hike at the State Arboretum.

This weekend we strolled with the dogs around The State Arboretum of Virginia in Boyce which is about 60 miles west of Washington, DC.

Sure, it’s still early in the season so there were only a few spring flowers in bloom and many of the perennials we just poking up through the mulch. What struck me the most is how natural the entire property is. Unlike some formal arboretums with rows of English-like gardens, this one flatters the existing landscape and showcases many native species.

The other thing you will notice is the diversity and the depth of the collections. From the most extensive boxwood collection in North America to the ginkgo grove to more than half of the world’s pine species. All of this is nested in the Shenandoah Valley among rolling meadows, towering firs and Lake Georgette.

We literally just meandered around for about an hour – sometimes on a road, sometimes a path, sometimes cutting across the meadow. You could spend as much time here as you like. Be aware that you will be in the sun most of the time (weather permitting, obviously) so bring lots of water for your pooch. Karma was sporting his Kool Coat which I doused with water a few times.

My suggestion? Bring some wine and cheese and enjoy the sunset!

Facts:

• Open 365 days, free of charge.
• Dog and horse friendly – dogs must be on a leash and horses on the defined bridle path.
• There is a picnic grove available for gatherings.
• Memberships and tours available.
• No hunting and fishing should be obvious.
• More information

1. Gaiters | Until Julie and I break the curse of precipitation when we go hiking looks like this one’s a must. I typically exclusively hike in trail running shoes, so the Mountain Hardwear Seta Strapless Running Gaiters are my favorites at the moment.

 

2. Absorbent Dog Towel | Stop laughing. I know I’m way behind on this purchase but since I’ve got plenty of towels still left over from college (no… seriously) they’re fine for drying the dog. After the soggy trip to Savage River Lodge I got a wakeup call that regular towels just aren’t good enough.

 

3. Sleeping Bag | I have one already but after last year’s camping trips I learned that it just doesn’t hold up against the cold temps in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I’m doing research now to find the perfect women’s, long, down filled bag. Since I’ve got an orange tent I’m hoping I can get it in green… love this color combo!

 

4. Canister Stove | I’ve been dreaming of getting one ever since my brother, Keith, and I took a killer 15 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in fall of ’08. It was October and there was already frost on top of the mountain. After 8 miles we needed a lunch break (cup of noodles) and hot cocoa. Keith pulled a canister stove out of his backpack and whipped up a fast and hot lunch for us both. I burned my tongue but it was worth it. I’m kinda hot (harhar) on the Jetboil Flash Cooking System.

 

5. Lip Protector | A couple weeks ago Julie asked me “if you were stranded on an island, what one item would you want with you?” My answer – “chapstick.” May sound kinda lame but after kayaking Costa Brava in Spain last summer without lip protection I learned my lesson when it comes to the stuff. The next morning it looked like I’d had an overzealous Dr inject me with collagan… and it was painful. I picked up Cover Your Mouth by Origins. Best lip protection I’ve ever used and it makes your lips look so moist and healthy. I swear by it.

 

6. Sports Bras | Don’t know about you but it’s really important for me to keep “the girls” locked and loaded when I’m hiking. This usually doesn’t provide many options for cute underwear. Everything that looks half way decent is usually built for low impact activities. I’ve found the Drishti Bra at Lululemon and I want to give it go. After all, who says you can’t feel sexy when you’re out hiking?

 

7. Rain Pants | Again, after Savage River Lodge I learned the importance of rain pants. Julie had them, I did not. Cold and wet is a bad combo. Jules seems to like her Marmot’s so that’s likely what I’ll aim to get. Tried and true in long please.

 

8. Dog Bed | If you’ve seen our photo albums then you’ve likely seen shots of Cannon on a dog bed in the campsite, possibly even under a blanket. Listen, he likes to be snuggly and warm. That’s why I’ve been shopping around for new beds. Ruffwear’s got this Mt. Bachelor Pad that not only has a great name but it can also go from the car to the campsite.

 

9. Camera Upgrade | This one might actually be on the “seriously Katina, you’re dreaming” list. But I’d love to get a new camera for shots out on the trail. I love my current Canon Powershot but would love to get a Canon Digital SLR. Everyone’s gotta have a dream.

 

10. Car | My current ride is worn and not suitable for travel for me let alone my pup. Cross-over, wagon… what’s a girl to do? Better start saving!

Got a wish list of your own? We’d love to hear what’s in your catalog of wants & needs!