What is the most common cause of heat stroke in dogs?
Warren Ziemann
2025-07-29 16:15:17
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Dogs die in hot cars. When it's 22 degrees Celsius outside, the car could reach an unbearable 47 degrees within an hour. Dogs die on hot walks. Walking your dog in hot weather can cause them as much harm as leaving them in a hot car. Some types of dogs are more prone to heatstroke, like very old or young dogs, dogs with thick, heavy coats or dogs with very short flat faces like pugs and bulldog types. Dogs with certain diseases or on some types of medication are also more at risk.
Kaci Glover
2025-07-29 16:10:38
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The most common cause of heat stroke or hyperthermia is leaving a dog in a car with inadequate ventilation. The dog's body temperature in this situation can elevate very rapidly, often within minutes. Other common causes of heat stroke include being left in a yard without access to shade or water on a hot day, being exposed to a hair dryer for an extended time, and excessive or vigorous exercise during hot temperatures. Excited or excessively exercised dogs are sometimes at risk even if the environmental temperature and humidity does not seem high, particularly if they are kept in a poorly ventilated environment or a dog house. Dogs with a restricted airway, such as brachycephalic breeds, are at even greater risk. Any infection causing fever can lead to hyperthermia. Seizures or severe muscle spasms can also elevate the body temperature due to the increase in muscular activity.
Shemar Crona
2025-07-29 12:53:17
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There are two main types of heatstroke:
1. Exertional heatstroke
It occurs during exercise or play, especially on hot days when a dog hasn’t had time to adjust to the heat.
The following triggers can cause heatstroke in dogs:
Exercise – Vigorous activity in hot weather can easily overheat your dog
Hot outdoors – Simply being outside on a hot day, even without exercise, can be dangerous
Hot vehicles – Leaving your dog in a parked car, even for a few minutes, can rapidly lead to heatstroke
When panting isn’t enough, especially in hot, humid conditions, dogs can quickly succumb to heat stroke.
Dogs need several weeks to acclimatise to warm weather, which can be unpredictable in places like the UK.
2. Non-exertional heatstroke
This happens when a dog is left in a hot environment with no ventilation, shade, or access to water – like a parked car, a sunny garden, or a poorly ventilated room.
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