HEAT-INDUCED ILLNESS IN DOGS - 42 CASES (1976-1993)

Objective-To determine the typical history of and physical and clinico pathologic findings in dogs with heat-induced illness, and to correlat e these findings with outcome. Design-Retrospective study. Animals-42 dogs with heat-induced illness. Procedure-Dogs were included in the st udy if other medical problems had not been previously diagnosed and if clinical signs of illness developed after exposure to a warm environm ent. Information obtained from each record included time of year heat- induced illness developed, signalment, history, clinical signs, physic al examination findings, results of clinicopathologic tests, treatment , clinical course, outcome, and necropsy results. Results-Overall, 27 dogs survived and 15 died or were euthanatized. Time of year was recor ded for 40 dogs. Thirty-one of the 40 were examined before July. Hypot hermia and coma at the time of initial examination were associated wit h a poor outcome. Serum cholesterol, albumin, and total protein concen trations were significantly lower, serum total bilirubin and creatinin e concentrations were significantly higher, and ventricular arrhythmia s were detected significantly more frequently in dogs that did not sur vive than in dogs that did.