A10
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
The diff erence between heat stroke and heat exhaustion
By ANN BLOOM
For the Wallowa County
Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — Elvis
Presley may have felt his
temperature rising if he’d
been living in Wallowa
County a few weeks ago
during our unprecedented
heat wave.
This summer has seen hot
temperatures like no other.
The mercury soared into the
triple digits on several con-
secutive days in heat wave
after heat wave. Heat advi-
sories and red-fl ag warnings
have become part of our
everyday vocabulary. Wild-
fi res in Oregon have made
the national news. This time
of year heat-related illnesses
such as heat stroke and heat
exhaustion are on every-
one’s minds, from medical
personnel to veterinarians,
from parents to pet owners.
Whether you have two legs
or four legs, you and your
pet are susceptible to the
heat and its eff ects. But what
exactly is a heat-related ill-
ness? Here is what to look
for in heat-related illnesses,
how to treat and how to pre-
vent them.
Diff erent illnesses
First, heat stroke and heat
exhaustion are diff erent. But
both are serious medical
conditions. Heat stroke is a
life-threatening illness and
requires immediate medical
attention. It happens when
the body gets too hot and is
characterized by confusion,
dizziness, rapid pulse, throb-
bing headache, extreme
thirst, nausea and vomit-
ing, having deceptively
cool skin, and a high body
Wallowa County Chieftain, File
The temperature in Wallowa County has been above average
this summer, and the Northwest saw a heat wave in late June
2021 that brought record heat to the region.
temperature. It most often
occurs when people exer-
cise too much or are overly
active during hot weather
without drinking enough
fl uids.
According to Theresa
Russell, family nurse practi-
tioner at Wallowa Memorial
Medical Clinic, the key fac-
tor for heat stroke is a body
temperature of 104 degrees
Fahrenheit or higher. At
that
temperature,
“the
body’s organs are not get-
ting cooled,” she said. She
said other symptoms include
low blood pressure, fl ush-
ing, low urine output and the
lungs may have a crackling
sound. In addition, a person
may be “groggy and can’t
think,” she said.
With heat exhaustion,
she said, “the temperature
is not as high,” but the per-
son’s heart may be beating
faster, and they might be
breathing faster to oxygen-
ate their blood faster. Also,
the person might feel faint,
weak, dizzy, tired or nause-
ated, have poor coordina-
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tion, be thirsty and be sweat-
ing heavily.
Russell said the clinic
“treated a couple of cases,
due to not enough water
intake, when it got over 100.
It (the cases) came so early
this year.”
There are people more
prone to heat-related ill-
nesses than others. People
who are 70 years old and
older “are more sensitive,”
to the heat, Russell said.
Also, people with underly-
ing chronic conditions such
as diabetes or cancer. She
also mentioned people who
are “deconditioned to doing
much,” and who try to do
too much in the heat, peo-
ple with large muscle mass
or who are obese, or peo-
ple with sweat gland dys-
functions who don’t perspire
enough may experience a
hear-related illness more
so than others. Going from
one extreme to another —
cool to hot — can set up a
heat-related illness, as well.
Something many people
may not consider as a con-
tributing factor for a heat-re-
lated illness is medications.
Russell cautioned peo-
ple to read the information
included with their medica-
tions. Some caution against
sun exposure. “Read the
warning labels,” on medi-
cations she said, especially
those on diuretics and beta
blockers.
Preventing either
condition
Prevention includes tak-
ing frequent breaks when
working outdoors, planning
outdoor activity prior to the
hottest part of the day (usu-
ally between 10 a.m. and 2
or 3 p.m.).
“Pay attention to the
weather,” Russell said.
Staying hydrated and
wearing loose, cotton cloth-
ing including a hat and pac-
ing your activity are also
tips for avoiding heat related
incidents. Hydration should
include water. Alcohol or
caff einated drinks, both
of which are dehydrating,
should be avoided. Russell
also mentioned that as peo-
ple age, their ratio of water
to body fat changes and we
dehydrate more quickly, as a
result.
If you believe someone is
suff ering from heat stroke or
heat exhaustion, do not hesi-
tate: Call 911. While waiting
for help, move the person to
a shaded area or inside to a
cool area. Loosen any tight
clothing. Put cold packs or a
cool cloth under the armpits
and on the neck.
“Immerse them in a bath-
tub of cool water, then use
convection (air fl ow over the
body, such as with a fan) to
cause evaporation to lower
the body temperature,” said
Russell.
Watching out for
four-legged friends
Pets can suff er from
heat-related illnesses, too.
And they can be fatal.
Carol Vencill, presi-
dent of the Wallowa County
Humane Society, said pre-
vention of heat-related ill-
nesses is the key, but “once
it happens, they need medi-
cal attention ASAP.”
Dogs pant to keep them-
selves cool and sweat
through the pads on their
feet. However, signs of
excessive heat exposure
include drooling, overly
panting and lethargy. Severe
signs include seizures, fever,
vomiting, lack of coordina-
tion and diffi culty breathing.
Any or all of these, could
require a trip to the vet for
evaluation.
Some animals — the very
young, old, those animals
who are ill or breeds with
short muzzles (i.e., pugs or
boxers) — are more prone
to heat-related illnesses.
“Luckily we don’t see too
many cases of heat stroke,”
Severin Knudsen, owner of
the Enterprise Animal Hos-
pital, said.
The normal tempera-
ture for a dog is between
100 and 102 degrees Fahr-
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with the hot weather. Live-
stock, such as horses, don-
keys and mules also need
mineral blocks.
The other thing Ven-
cill said she sees is dogs
riding around in the beds
of pick-up trucks. The
metal beds of pick-ups can
become extremely hot and
burn the bottoms of a dog’s
feet. To remedy this, keep
a rug or blanket in the bed
of the pick-up for the dog to
lay on.
When it comes to leav-
ing your dog in a car on a
hot day, it goes without say-
ing this is a big no-no. Even
for a minute. Even with the
windows cracked or rolled
down. The temperature in
a car can rise 20 degrees
every 10 minutes.
What should you do
if you see an animal in a
locked vehicle on a hot
day? What are you legally
allowed to do?
In 2017, Oregon became
the 11th state to pass a
“Good Samaritan Law.”
The law expanded protec-
tion for companion animals
by providing that anyone
— not just law enforcement
— may enter a motor vehi-
cle by force or otherwise to
remove an unattended child
or domestic animal with-
out fear of criminal or civil
liability as long as certain
requirements are met.
What
are
those
requirements?
First, there must be a rea-
sonable belief that the ani-
mal or child is in imminent
danger of suff ering harm.
Second, the person must
notify law enforcement or
emergency services either
before, or shortly after
entering the vehicle.
Third, the person must
use only the minimal force
necessary to enter the
vehicle.
Finally, the person must
stay with the child or ani-
mal until law enforcement
or emergency services, or
the owner or operator of the
vehicle, arrives.
According to Enter-
prise Chief of Police Kevin
McQuead, Wallowa County
has seen “two calls over
the last several weeks,” of
dogs locked in parked cars.
Although McQuead admits
the Good Samaritan Law
is “a beautiful thing,” he
would prefer people con-
tact law enforcement rather
than take matters into their
own hands if they see a pet
or child locked in a car.
He points out that there
is always an offi cer on duty
who can help and, “we have
tools that can open doors
without breaking windows,”
he said.
Knudsen said there are
two overarching things he
wants people to remem-
ber about their pets and hot
weather.
When it comes to cars
and pets and leaving your
pet in the car: “Just don’t,”
he said. And, when it comes
to outdoor activity, be mind-
ful of your pet and their
activity level, “pay attention
and don’t push it.”
By following these few
simple tips, you, your fam-
ily and your pets can enjoy a
safe and happy summer.
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h5+
enheit. Knudsen said prob-
lems occur when the dog’s
temperature gets to be 106
or more and proteins in the
brain start to break down.
At 109-110 degrees, heat
stroke, the dog is “com-
pletely unaware of their sur-
roundings — their brain is
breaking down. We have
yet to see a true, severe heat
stroke from a dog being
locked in a car,” he said.
Signs of heat stroke can
come on when a dog is
playing or hiking. Owners
should be aware and pay
attention for the early signs
of heat stroke in a dog such
as “seeking shade and water.
Be very attentive to the ani-
mal,” he said. He said he
has seen some cases of
“mild heat stroke — where
dogs are playing on a hot
day” and they will develop
diarrhea.
Treatment for heat stroke
in animals includes mov-
ing the animal into the
shade or an air-conditioned
area, applying ice packs to
the arm pits, or cold tow-
els to the head, neck and
chest area or running cool
(not cold) water over them.
Allow them to drink small
amounts of water or lick ice
chips. Take them to the vet
because, “we can do things
they (the owners) can’t,” to
help pets cool down quickly
and recover from heat
stroke.
Vencill said there are
several ways to keep your
pet cool in the heat.
“Spray bottles — which
are more for dogs than cats,
can help. So can wet towels.
Laying them over a dog’s
back, or wiping their face is
a way to cool them. Indoors
a box fan works well,” she
said.
Another tip Vencill said
helps keep a dog cool is to
provide ice packs under a
couple of layers of towel-
ing or a soft pet bed, so it
doesn’t come into direct
contact with the pet’s skin.
“That gives much relief,”
she said.
She said it is important
to make sure the dog can’t
dig out or chew on the ice
packs.
Some people shave their
dogs during the summer
months, thinking this will
keep their pets cool. Vencill
advises owners to be mind-
ful of the fact that pets can
get sunburned just as people
get sunburned.
“Don’t take it down too
short,” she said.
Pets can also get skin
cancer, she said.
Other prevention tips
include exercising or walk-
ing your pet in the morning
or early evening when it is
cooler, walking on the grass
instead of the hot asphalt
and always carrying water
to prevent dehydration.
Pets should always have
a source of cool, clean, fresh
water. Vencill says a child’s
wading pool helps relieve a
lot of heat stress for dogs.
There should also be a
source of shelter or shade for
animals to get out of the sun.
A doghouse does not provide
relief from the heat, and can
make matters worse.
Dogs and cats are not the
only animals that need help
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