I feel like a bad doodle mom...

[Taylor & Huff]

So, today my sister and I went swimming at about 2 pm. I took Huff outside with us because he loves it so much when he chases the splashes coming from the pool. (not the best idea) He did that for a good hour and he got tired and hot so I put him back inside and went back in the pool and my mom called us in about 15 min later or less saying that he was lethargic and wouldn't stand up. I decided to give him a cold bath to cool him down and when he was done with his bath, he was shivering so I wrapped him up in his blanket (also not the best idea) and when my dad got home, he shivered a lot and it turned out that he was actually hot and his gums were pale so we gave him watermelon and that seemed to help and since he was still shivering and lethargic, we took him to the emergency vet and they said it was most likely that he had heat stroke but we did a good job of keeping him cool. My poor baby boy could have died! He is okay temperature wise but now he has blistery, raw, and peeling paws that are going to take at most, two weeks to heal. The vet gave us antibiotics (to prevent infection in his paws) and pain killers for him. He is not going to be walking very much for the next few weeks and when he does walk outside, he will be wearing socks. If you guys want to follow his healing process, I will probably be writing a few blogs about it. I feel like it is all my fault (which it really was) and I should have thought it through now.  think he will get better sooner than two weeks (his birthday party is going to be in 10 days) Thanks everyone for reading this...

[Coco Chanel and Cheryl]

It's ok!! At least you got him to the vet and kept him cool!!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Don't feel bad, hindsight is easy - you didn't realize what was happening so please don't feel bad.  Thanks for sharing the story - it reminds the rest of us to be very careful with the heat.  Hope he feels better soon!!!!!  Hugs to you both.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

My Beardie Collie had blisters on her paw pads from running around the pool too. A vet from the U of Penn Vet School suggested cooled off tea bags applied to the paws will help relieve some of the pain.

Glad to hear that he is feeling better.

[Lindsey]

Oh no, poor Huff! That is sad...but you didn't do it on purpose, so don't beat yourself up too badly!! It can be so easy to forget how the heat can bother a dog, I let my little guy outside yesterday to potty- he was out for a total of 10 minutes, which I really didnt' think was all that long- when he came back in, I picked him up to carry him upstairs and his little body was roasting, I put him on top of the floor vent and made him lay down so he could cool off.
It is sooo hot here, we really have to be careful when letting the dogs play outside.
My dog park owner sent and email out reminding everyone of this just yesterday.
Keep us updated on Huff :-)

[Sue, Lola, Pongo & Hubby]

No need to feel bad. There's no way to know about these things until after the fact.....you probably didn't even realize how much time went by!! I'm just glad he's ok!!! Lots of cuddles!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Poor Huff will be fine....now you know (and so do I) that heat and play should be limited. I learned something today as well.

I have been cooling Daisy's feet with cool compresses when she comes in from her morning walk and next week Wed she will be getting another short haircut. Her hair came in very thick and curly after her shave down, I feel like she is wearing a blanket. I know they say it cools them as well as keeps them warm but she is overheated very easily.

I'll bet if you keep the socks on, keep him calm and cool he will be ready for his party in 10 days.

Good Luck.

[Taylor & Huff]

That is exactly what the vet said when we called, keep his paw pads cool to cool down his internal temperature. I hope so:) Thanks:)

[Connie & Bocelli]

Thanks for sharing this story.  We need to hear things like this so we can learn from other's experiences.  I am so sorry that Huff had to go through that but you did NOT harm him on purpose.  He seemed to be having a good time outside. 

Huff will be on the mend sooner than you know it and back to his old self.  

[Frannie & Callie]

Poor Huff! He will be fine, and you're an amazing doodle mom! It's hard to know what someone else's heat tolerance will be.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Thanks for sharing.  We all can learn from this situation.  I'm glad Huff's going to be fine - hopefully in plenty of time to enjoy his party!

[Leslie and Halas]

Don't beat yourself up.  At least you were able to cool him off and get him to the vet. I hope he feels better soon and that his paws heal quickly.

[Lorraine Bromley]

So did the paws get that way from the heat stroke? Or was it because he was chasing splashes on the concrete pool surround?