Dogs do not possess sweat glands in the skin, like humans and horses do. But they do have sweat glands in the pads of their paws. But this is a very inefficient place to have sweat glands. In order to bring down their body temperature, dogs must pant and find cool places to lie in.
-
Panting
-
When a person sweats, moisture on the skin catches even the slightest breeze and helps make the person feel cooler. A healthy dog's mouth is always moist, so by opening it and panting, it can catch the slightest of breezes to help cool the dog's body.
Dilation
-
While panting occurs, a dog's blood vessels in the ears and face dilate. This helps to get rid of heat around the brain but may not be enough to save a dog from heat stroke.
Alternatives
-
If panting is not enough, the dog will try to move to a cool place. If outside, the dog will often dig or scrape away the top layer of dirt to get to cooler dirt and lay down in it.
Significance
-
A dog can only cool down slowly because they have very small sweat glands. This means that dogs can easily die of heat, whether through being left in a parked car on a sunny day or through too much exercise.
Symptoms
-
According to "The Veterinarian's Guide to Your Dog's Symptoms" symptoms of heat stroke include problems breathing, have bright red gums, dizziness and collapse.
-