Dr. Gary Thompson
The recent heatwave has created a number of obvious dangers to your pets, and I will not be covering the well-worn ground of the risks of pets in cars and access to shade and water. While those are potentially life-threatening scenarios, there are some disease conditions that are more frequently seen or triggered by the heat.
Urinary tract health is a delicate balance for many pets, and high temperatures can tilt the scales which allows for underlying disease conditions to worsen or develop. A normal lower urinary system is relatively resistant to bacterial growth, since bacteria can’t easily adhere to the smooth lining of the bladder and get flushed out on a regular basis. When temperatures rise, pets sometimes can’t keep up with their normal water consumption and as a result urinate less often.
Coupled with the fact that your dog may logically prefer to stay indoors where it is cooler rather than venture out in the blazing heat, bacteria can stay in the lower urinary system for longer periods of time. The clinical outcome of this scenario is an increased frequency of veterinarians diagnosing bladder infections in dogs during heat waves. Symptoms include smaller amounts of urine being produced with increased frequency of urinations.
Some dogs will have accidents in the house and blood may be seen in the urine. Your veterinarian may test your pet’s urine to try to determine the type of bacteria present before starting treatment and most pets respond very quickly to antibiotic therapy.
Cats can develop lower urinary disease during heat waves, but the cause is somewhat different from dogs and rarely has a bacterial component. Feline urine tends to be more concentrated and irritating to the lining of the bladder in some predisposed cats. Stress can exacerbate the condition in some cats when the normal protective substances lining the bladder are inhibited by certain situations.
This combination of the loss of the protective lining and the increased concentration of urine can trigger lower urinary tract inflammation in these cats. They have similar symptoms as dogs, but a true infection is rarely the culprit. Male cats can develop life threatening urinary blockages during these flare ups and if not caught early kidneys can shut down. Treatment is generally centered around hydration and medication to decrease the inflammation. If your male cat has an obstruction, a urinary catheter will have to be passed to relieve the blockage.
In order to avoid some of these urinary conditions as well as other more obvious risks to your pets, keep them indoors during the hotter times of day. Make sure plenty of water is available and for cats who are prone to lower urinary symptoms, offer more canned food to help increase water intake.
If you notice any of these symptoms, call your veterinarian right away to avoid more serious outcomes.
From The Blade
