Two weekends ago, a dog out for a hike with its owners in the Glen Onoko Falls area had to be rescued. Was it heat stress? I don't know, but the report got me thinking about dogs, and heat.

Dogs - and humans - need time to adjust to summer temperatures. Most dog owners are aware of some precautions to take in order to keep dogs cool during the summer months.First, we need to review a few basics. The hotter the temperature, the more vulnerable a dog is to heat stress. It's especially important to monitor the dog's condition on those days when temperatures have spiked up from the average. The dog hasn't had time to acclimate, and may be particularly vulnerable to heat stress.Of course, make sure the dog has plenty of cool, fresh water. Even if you're only out for an hour or two with a dog, you should offer water. If your dog is reluctant to drink from a bottle, you can try pouring water into your cupped hand. Or, to help your dog learn to drink from a squeeze-type water bottle, put a little peanut butter around the tip.Dogs cool themselves by panting. Make it a practice that when you and your dog take breaks, remain resting until the dog stops panting. Carry water for both of you.Heatstroke can hit a dog very fast, especially on days with high temperature and humidity levels. Besides high temperature and humidity levels, other factors that contribute to heat stress include the dog's age (young and old) and level of conditioning. Young dogs are just as susceptible - they're so excited by the outdoor outing and may keep going until they collapse. In fact, puppies and older dogs are the most common victims of heat stress and heat stroke.What are the symptoms? Dogs on the edge of heat-related collapse will pant excessively, exhibit a blank expressionand may begin ignoring commands. They may seek shade and lay down, refusing to rise. What do you do? For immediate treatment, use cold water to immerse or soak the dog. If possible, stand the dog in a stream and splash water up against its underside. Repeatedly rinse the phlegm and saliva from the mouth.Be extremely careful of allowing your dogs to take a gleeful romp in a pond which has any algae. Nearly all of the algae will contain poisonous substances which can kill a dog, and very rapidly. A few years ago, when I was out in South Dakota to do some pheasant hunting, I learned that many dogs died on opening day there when they drank from an algae-laden pond.If you've sprained an ankle lately, you've probably purchase one of the newer style ice packs which are soft-sided. These packs are very durable and can be placed on top of a dog's crate to help keep the crate itself cool. The packs could also be held directly on a dog (the belly area) which exhibited signs of heat stress. However, since the pack may contain toxic substances, it should not be placed inside the kennel with the dog when the dog is unattended.Don't let the months of summer go by without keeping your dog in condition. Work dogs early and late in the day, and keep your eyes on them to monitor your condition. That's the best way to make sure that the dogs of summer become the great dogs of fall, especially during hunting season.