Heat stroke is an illness that comes about from the body getting excessively hot. Normal core body temperature in dogs should be less than 38 degrees Celsius. Heat Stoke can come about when the core temperature increases above 40 degrees and we can see temperatures in excess of 42-45 degrees.
It is different from a high temperature due to illness and usually occurs when the ability to cool off is exceeded by an increase in heating.
There can be several factors involved in developing heat stroke. These can include:
In the early stage of heat stroke, you may see the following:
As the heat stroke gets worse you may see:

There is a common myth on social media about rapid cooling being dangerous. THIS IS NOT TRUE. You should not delay cooling and you should not use warm/tepid water. RAPID and DRAMATIC COOLING BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR PET TO THE VET gives your dog the best chance of recovery.
The best way to manage heat stroke is to stop it happening in the first place. We suggest the following:
Bilton Veterinary Centre
259 BIlton Road
Rugby
Warwickshire CV22 7EQ
Tel: 01788 812650
email: enquiries@biltonvets.co.uk