U.K. study evaluated heat-related illness in small animals over 5 years
Researchers evaluated electronic records from veterinary practices in the U.K. from 2013-2018 for animals presented for heat induced illness.
The study evaluated records from 175 animals, of those there were 146 dogs, 16 cats, 8, guinea pigs, 3 rabbits, and 1 ferret. The results indicated that exercise was the primary reason for illness in dogs with 73.5% being affected. Environmental factors were a trigger for 19.6% and car confinement was 6.9%. Brachychephalic breeds comprised 21.2% of all dog cases and all rabbit cases. Also, 42.5% of cases overall were presented in July, the UK’s hottest month.
Findings support that exercise is the most common trigger and that brachycephalic breeds are at most risk.
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