What is EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration?
People who work in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), such as paramedics and emergency medical technicians, often come across working dogs. These dogs, often referred to as ‘K9’ or canine, play crucial roles in various specialty teams. They endure rough conditions and are involved in demanding activities like search-and-rescue missions, capturing suspects, and finding illegal substances. Many times, EMS workers are asked to be on standby or to join specialized emergency response teams, like tactical EMS, where they may need to assist not just humans, but also these working dogs.
Over the past years, there has been a growing interest in the well-being of these working dogs. People have begun to view these canines as partners in their work, not just as property. One critical issue for these dogs is dehydration, which is when they lose more body water than they take in. This condition can become severe quickly and impair the dog’s ability to carry out their tasks. Unfortunately, the specific tests needed to identify the particular type of dehydration aren’t usually available in the field. Additionally, dogs can’t communicate their thirst or need for water, especially to people who aren’t familiar with their behavior. And, sometimes, water might not be readily available during certain operations. It’s even been noticed that dogs can start to get mildly dehydrated after just 15 minutes of physical work. These working dogs are so focused on completing their tasks that they don’t look for a water source.
The dog’s motivation, the environment, their inability to communicate their need for water, put the responsibility on the dog’s handler to ensure they get enough water and rest. Determining how much water a working dog needs daily to stay properly hydrated can be challenging, particularly since they’re involved in high-stress work. There’s also limited research on what the ideal hydration level is for dogs, which adds to the challenge of preventing their dehydration.
In a tactical setting, EMS workers have the equipment and skills to evaluate and treat various dog emergencies, including dehydration. They’re in a unique position where they can use the same medical equipment typically used on humans to help canines. Some areas even allow EMS workers to provide emergency care to working dogs if they’ve been trained by a licensed veterinarian. This makes it crucial for EMS workers to understand how to assess and manage dehydration in dogs.
What Causes EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration?
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers often encounter working dogs suffering from dehydration. This usually happens due to problems with the dogs’ body temperature control or thermoregulation and can be compounded if the dogs are also suffering from stomach or intestinal issues causing vomiting or diarrhea. Just like with humans, spotting symptoms of dehydration in dogs early is very important and involves understanding the dog’s recent health and performing a physical examination.
Dogs control their body temperature in a similar way to humans. There’s an area in the dog’s brain, called the hypothalamus, that manages this. It helps the dogs to adjust their behavior and physical function depending on their surrounding conditions, the level of activity, and their internal needs. Just like in humans, dogs control their core body temperature mostly by circulating heat and from evaporation of water.
However, dogs have a fur coat that acts as an insulator, which decreases the amount of heat it can release to the surroundings. Dogs with longer or heavier fur can overheat more quickly compared to those with shorter or lighter fur.
One of the key ways dogs lose heat is through water evaporation from the body. The insulating fur coat and lack of sweat production means that dogs primarily depend on the evaporation of water from their moist surfaces such as the lining of their noses and mouths for heat loss. When dogs are engaged in prolonged or intense physical activity, they can increase fluid loss through such evaporation, which can overheat their bodies. If they don’t drink enough water to replace the lost fluids, they can become dehydrated.
Risk Factors and Frequency for EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration
Dog dehydration varies based on where the dog lives, what the climate is like, the dog’s breed, and the owner’s financial status. Here are some general factors:
- Climate and Season: Dogs are more likely to become dehydrated in hot and humid weather. As the dog pants more in these conditions, fluid loss is higher. Areas with high temperatures or long heatwaves may see more cases of dog dehydration.
- Breed Predisposition: Certain breeds, like bulldogs, pugs, and boxers, may be more likely to have to heat-related conditions due to their short noses. This can make it harder for them to control their body heat. Also, some breeds may get diseases that cause dehydration, like kidney disease, more often.
- Activity Level: Dogs that exercise a lot, particularly in warm weather, could get dehydrated. This includes dogs that work, like police dogs, and dogs participating in sports or agility activities.
- Age: Puppies and older dogs are more likely to become dehydrated. Puppies need more water for their size, and older dogs might have health problems that can lead to dehydration.
- Underlying Medical Conditions: Dogs with health conditions like kidney disease, diabetes, or bowel disorders are more likely to suffer from chronic dehydration. These conditions can make a dog lose more water or drink less water.
- Access to Clean Water: Dogs who can’t get a lot of clean, fresh water may become dehydrated. This could be because they are in a small space, neglected, or there aren’t enough water sources.
- Nutrition: What a dog eats can affect their hydration. Dogs that eat dry kibble need more water than those who eat wet or raw diets.
- Awareness and Education: Dog owners who know a lot about the importance of hydration and how to prevent dehydration can help reduce the number of dogs who become dehydrated. Proper education can help stop issues related to dehydration from happening.
Signs and Symptoms of EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration
When a working dog becomes unwell, the handler might notice certain signs. These could include the dog being overly active in hot, humid conditions with little access to water. The handler might also observe an unusual increase in salivating, and changes in the dog’s energy levels and behavior.
Physical assessment of a dog for dehydration can be challenging, especially for paramedics, due to their limited experience and lack of access to specific lab tests. While changes in salivation and the wetness of the tissues in the mouth aren’t reliable indicators of hydration, the dog’s vitals, skin elasticity, and the speed at which blood returns to the tissues (capillary refill) should be checked.
Dehydrated dogs often pant excessively and have a fast heartbeat. Their skin elasticity might be reduced, and blood return to the tissues may be slower than normal. Assessing a dog for these signs is similar to the method used for humans. However, there are different areas to check on a dog. For example, skin elasticity (tent time) should be assessed on the skin next to the middle ridge of the skull by lifting it for 2 seconds and timing how long it takes to revert back to normal. Blood return to tissues can be checked by pressing on the dog’s upper gum and seeing how long it takes to return to normal color.
If the dog’s skin doesn’t spring back to normal quickly, or there is a delay in blood return to the tissues, this could indicate a water loss of as low as 1.8%. Evaluating skin elasticity is usually a better option because blood return doesn’t change significantly in the early stages of dehydration. Unfortunately, there is no standardized values specific to skin elasticity or blood return times. Also, it’s really important for the handler to assess their dog before doing any strenuous activity.
Testing for EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration
When treating dogs before they get to the vet, tests tend to be limited to a glucometer or immediate point-of-care lab testing. A glucometer, a device that measures the amount of sugar in the blood, is reliable when used on dogs. Some emergency pet services may even carry specialized equipment like an excess postexercise oxygen consumption tool or an i-STAT blood analyzer. These tools can provide very precise information, but it’s not clear if these detailed test results are actually helpful in emergency situations outside a veterinary clinic.
Treatment Options for EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration
If your dog is dehydrated, the preferred way to treat it is by replacing fluids in the least invasive way possible, depending on your dog’s health condition. If the dog can drink water and keep it down without throwing up or compromising its airway, the easiest method is to provide unrestricted access to tap water. This means letting the dog drink water from a bowl or similar container until they’ve had enough. Some studies have shown that providing nutrient-enriched water can encourage dogs to consume more fluids, although this might not always be feasible.
If the dog can’t drink water, it can be given fluids through a medical method called parenteral administration. This can be done intravenously (IV, through a vein), or under the skin (subcutaneous). It can also be given into bone marrow (intraosseous, IO), a technique mainly used when the dog badly needs fluids but IV access isn’t easily available. For someone not used to treating dogs, placing an IV line, which often involves the leg vein, can be tricky if the dog’s veins aren’t easily visible or palpable. Bear in mind, too, that giving a dog fluids this way can cause discomfort and pain, and the dog may react in a way that could potentially cause injury.
Subcutaneous fluids are the easiest way to deliver them and require less procedural knowledge. This is typically done in loose skin tissue on the back at shoulder blade level. After cleaning the site, a region of skin is pinched, and a sterile needle is inserted and directed headwards into the subcutaneous space. The IV fluids, which are normally given to human patients and include 0.9% sodium chloride solution, are attached to the needle and flow in by gravity. Volume should be limited to 200 mL to allow for effective fluid absorption and reduce the risk of skin damage.
If dogs are severely dehydrated, they may need rapid fluid replacement. If it’s not possible to give them IV fluids quickly, and subcutaneous fluids aren’t sufficient, there’s an alternative method that involves inserting a needle into the penis’s spongy tissue (corpus cavernosum) in male dogs. This provides a site with plenty of blood supply to aid fluid volume replacement.
The site should be cleaned with alcohol or a similar substance, and a large needle should be inserted at an angle into the corpus cavernosum. Once you’ve made sure the needle or catheter is placed properly by checking for blood when you pull back on the syringe, the fluids can be given just like they are in human patients. A big advantage of this method is that you can also administer blood products and certain drugs. If the dog needs parenteral fluid administration, the ultimate aim is for it to start drinking water by itself to stay hydrated.
What else can EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration be?
When your dog shows signs of being dehydrated, it can be a sign of several different health issues. Here are a few of them:
- Heatstroke: This happens when a dog becomes too hot, which can severely dehydrate them and lead to other dangerous health problems.
- Gastrointestinal problems: Conditions like inflammation of the stomach and intestines, infections, parasites, and eating inappropriate things can cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration.
- Diabetes: This condition can cause a dog to drink and pee excessively, which can lead to dehydration if not properly managed.
- Kidney disease: Chronic kidney disease can cause a dog to lose too much water through their urine, dehydrating them.
- Pancreatitis: When the pancreas is inflamed, it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite, all of which can lead to dehydration.
- Addison’s disease: This condition happens when the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones, creating imbalances in the body and leading to dehydration.
- Cushing’s disease: Too much production of cortisol leads to excessive thirst and urination, which can dehydrate a dog.
- Infections: Certain diseases, like parvovirus or leptospirosis, can cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can dehydrate a dog.
- Malnutrition: If a dog doesn’t get enough food and water, they can become dehydrated over time.
- Diarrheal diseases: Conditions like inflammatory bowel disease or food intolerances can cause chronic diarrhea and dehydration.
- Medication side effects: Some medications, particularly those that make a dog urinate more, can cause dehydration.
- Excessive exercise: If a dog exercises too much without drinking enough water, especially in warm weather, they can become dehydrated.
- Toxicities: Eating certain toxins, like antifreeze, can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
- Parasitic infections: Heavy infestations of internal parasites can cause stomach issues and fluid loss.
- Urinary tract issues: Problems like urinary tract infections, bladder stones, or blockages can change a dog’s urination habits and cause dehydration.
- Neurological disorders: These disorders can affect a dog’s ability to drink water or regulate body temperature, leading to dehydration.
- Endocrine disorders: Other conditions that disrupt a dog’s metabolism, like hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, can contribute to dehydration.
Remember, this is not a complete list. The reasons why a dog might be dehydrated will depend on their history, symptoms, physical examination, and any relevant tests.
What to expect with EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration
The future health of a dog suffering from dehydration will depend on several things, like the reason they became dehydrated, how severe the dehydration is, the overall health of the dog, and how quickly they receive treatment. Many times, if caught early and treated appropriately, the chances of the dog making a full recovery are quite good. However, these chances can change depending on the unique circumstances.
Here’s a simplified look at various scenarios and how they can affect a dog’s health:
* Dehydration that is caught early and treated: If dehydration is spotted early and fluids are restored (either by mouth or through a vein), the chances of the dog making a full recovery are usually very high. Most dogs will regain their health with a successful hydration treatment.
* Very severe dehydration: In cases where the dehydration is extreme and the dog’s health has worsened considerably, recovery may be more uncertain. Severe dehydration can cause problems like not enough fluid in the organs, an imbalance of minerals in the body, and other health issues.
Another huge factor is the cause of the dehydration. If the dog was dehydrated as a result of an existing health condition (like kidney disease or diabetes), the dog’s future health will depend on treating this condition effectively. Addressing the root cause of the dehydration can improve a dog’s overall health and reduce the risk of getting dehydrated again.
Age and health status: Puppies, older dogs, and dogs who already have health issues or a decreased immune system may have more difficulty recovering as their bodies may not handle dehydration and related stress well. Seeking vet care as soon as dehydration is suspected can greatly improve a dog’s chances of recovery. Waiting too long to treat can lead to worse health problems and make recovery more difficult.
Complications: If dehydration leads to other problems like an imbalance of minerals in the body, organ failure, or sudden drop in blood pressure, the recovery may be more challenging and could require more intense treatment.
Heatstroke: If the dog got dehydrated because of heatstroke, the dog’s health will depend on how quickly the dog is cooled down and rehydrated. If not treated quickly, heatstroke can cause long-lasting damage.
Response to treatment: How effectively the dog responds to rehydration treatment and any necessary medical procedures can also influence how well they recover. Some dogs may need regular check-ups and ongoing treatment.
Always remember, dehydration is often a symptom of another issue, and finding and addressing the root cause is very important for long-term health. If you think your dog is dehydrated, don’t wait to seek care, get advice from the emergency medical services’ guidelines or your vet.
In the end, how well a dog recovers from dehydration can depend on how quickly it is addressed, how successful the treatment is, and how any other contributing factors are managed. A vet can give a much more detailed outlook based on your dog’s unique situation.
Possible Complications When Diagnosed with EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration
If a dog’s dehydration isn’t noticed or treated properly, it can lead to more severe problems. These can include a state of severe shock due to loss of blood or body fluids, damage to the kidneys, abnormally low levels of sodium and potassium in the blood, and irregular heartbeats. All of these issues can potentially lead to death.
Dehydration is a common issue in working dogs and is often combined with an excessively high body temperature. If a dog’s body isn’t staying hydrated due to excessive heat, it increases the risk of injuries related to heat, such as heat stroke.
Giving fluids directly into a vein or other parts of the body can be risky because it’s invasive. This procedure can increase the chance of an infection starting locally and then spreading throughout the body. Complications from inserting a needle directly into the bone (known as Intraosseous access) can include blocking blood vessels with fat particles, bone infections, and tissue death.
Common Complications:
- Severe shock due to loss of body fluids
- Damage to the kidneys
- Low levels of sodium and potassium in the blood
- Irregular heartbeats
- Excessively high body temperature
- Risk of heat-related injuries
- Local and whole-body infections from invasive fluid administration
- Blocking blood vessels with fat particles from intraosseous access
- Bone infections from intraosseous access
- Tissue death from intraosseous access
Preventing EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration
The best way to prevent a dog from getting dehydrated is to make sure it always has access to drinking water and is given breaks to rest, especially when it’s been part of intense physical activities. The person caring for the dog should follow the ‘5 Domains Model’ of animal welfare. This model includes five main areas of focus for any animal’s wellbeing — proper nutrition, a suitable environment, maintaining good physical health, encouraging healthy behaviors, and taking care of the animal’s mental health which is influenced by these behaviors.
The dog’s caregiver has the vital job of making appropriate decisions for the dog’s welfare and advocating for its needs when necessary. This includes being the main source of information and seeking medical help when the dog needs it. If the caregiver doesn’t know how to measure the dog’s “skin tent time” or “capillary refill time” (two ways to check if a dog is dehydrated), an emergency medical service worker can show them how to do it. These quick checks involve observing how the dog’s skin falls back into place after being lightly pulled (skin tent time), and checking how quickly the color returns to the dog’s gums after being pressed (capillary refill time).
