I've never been so scared....

I had a very scary experience last week and I wanted to share it with you as a cautionary tale.

If you have been reading our blog for any amount of time then you know how much we LOVE our Labradors.  I take Baylee with me when ever I can. She rides with me in the air conditioned car all over town when I run errands during the day and she is happy to do so.





The other day we ran some errands and since our last one ended right near the rail trail I decided  that we would take a walk. I had planned to do the walk before we left so I made sure I was prepared with Baylee's leash, water bowl and a gigantic water bottle full of water.

When we got to the trail I took a sip of water and then filled up her bowl and made her drink before we started walking.  The weather was pretty cool with a breeze.  The temperature was only in the 70's and there looked to be a storm cloud over head. I was hoping we would make it through the walk before it started to rain.
This picture is when we first started out on the walk. We only walked on the pavement for a couple of yards. The rest of the trail is loose gravel, cracker dust, and dirt. 

The goal was to do one and a half miles up the rail trail and then turn around for a total of 3 miles.  As we made the half way mark I realized that this was a STUPID plan.  Just because I think walking 3 miles is a piece of cake doesn't mean Baylee was comfortable doing it. In fact, I could tell she was uncomfortable. She was hot, and she was panting. I should have been shot in the foot for thinking she could do this without me carrying a water bottle. What was I thinking?  We took MANY stop breaks on the way back.  We would sit in the shade a while and then walk a bit more.  I knew it would be nothing for me to run the rest of the way back to the car and get the water and then return to her. I debated in my mind for a moment if that was something I should do. Would she just sit here and wait for me to come back? Should I tie her up somewhere and then come back for her?   I didn't think either option was good as I didn't want her to be scared.

As we continued I could tell she was getting weak and it was breaking my heart. I can't believe I was this stupid to be putting her through this.  I considered asking the next person walking on the trail to stay with her while I ran to get the water but I wasn't feeling the warm fuzzies from the next two people we passed. I has hoping for a young runner girl or a grandma type.

I finally got Baylee back to the car and she layed down immediately. I filled her dish and put water on her head, neck, and paws.  I did a quick google search to see what to do if your dog is having a heat stroke.  I was hoping she was just hot and that it was nothing too serious but of course every time I look anything up on Google I think the worst.

I got Baylee home and got her cooled off. (No, I did not let her jump in the pool. That and giving your dog ice cubes is a bad thing to do if indeed your dog is suffering from heat stroke).  I think she would have been too weak to swim anyway.  As suggested on many of the pet sites I consulted,  I took her temperature (or should I say I invited my mother over to take her temperature. It's a good thing my mom has a background as a vet tech).  Thank goodness her temperature was normal and did not fall into the range of concern. If you are wondering, the range of concern is 103-105 F. Normal is about 100-101 which Baylee's was.

I may have over reacted but I have every reason to be concerned.  Heat stroke can effect your dog's organs and Baylee already has issues in that area (not from heat stroke though).

I don't think she displayed any of the other symptoms so I am hoping she was just really hot and a bit exhausted and that was all.  I stayed home the rest of the day/evening to keep an eye on her.

The next morning we both woke up and I took her outside. She could barely walk. She was very unsteady on her feet and kept sitting down. NOW I was scared.

She came in and lay down and I tried to play ball with her.  When I would tap her right paw, she would move it away. That was a good sign I thought. But when I would tap her left side she was unresponsive.  I thought for sure she had a stroke. I know that she has a bit of arthritis and thought maybe that had flared up so I tried to massage her legs and joints.  Emotionally I was a mess as I am thinking I've damaged my sweet girl.  I immediately called the Vet and eventually they agreed to see her after lunch.

When the vet saw us, she checked all Baylee's vital signs and she was okay. She looked at Baylee's paws and there layed the problem. Her paw pads were all cut up and blistered pretty bad. I had no idea! That explains why she was struggling to walk.  It was NOT too hot outside and she was NOT dehydrated.  It was her paws that were hurting. The vet asked me where exactly we were walking and I told her.  She then told me that Baylee was not the first dog she had seen that week for this very reason. In fact, she saw a Boxer that came in with blisters all over his paws from walking on the exact same trail. This made the vet curious as to what was going on.  The Boxer's condition was so bad that he had to be put under anesthesia to have his paws taken care of.  Fortunately we did not have to put Baylee under. I held her up on the table as the vet trimmed all her paw pads up and did what she needed to do. Baylee was SO good the entire time!

yellow lab at vets


 The end result was Baylee being able to walk with four bandages on her paws.

So in the end I was relieved to find out that Baylee was not effected by the heat and although her paws were hurt, I was relieved to know that it was something that could easily be fixed.

 
Isn't she too cute?


Again, I fully admit that this was ALL my fault and it was not a smart thing to do.  Please note that just because you are walking a short distance that is a piece of cake to you, it might not be for your dog (even if they have walked that far before).  But then again, the Boxer hadn't even walked half as far as we did and his paws were twice as bad, so who knows.

When you are walking your dog this summer, keep in mind that the pavement or gravel may be hot on their feet. In our case, we were not on the pavement long and the trail did not seem to be hot.

Carry water for your dog no matter what the distance.

If they are indeed suffering from heat stroke one sign is that they will be drooling excessively.  When you try to give them water they will not drink. They will have a temperature between 103-105. They may also vomit and have diarrhea.  Fortunately Baylee did not have any of these symptoms but because she was excessively panting and not wanting to walk (and then being very unsteady on her feet) I of course had reason to be concerned.

If you read to the end of this, Thank You. I know this is longer than our normal posts.
Have you ever had a mishap with your pet?  -M

41 comments:

  1. I had the heat stroke scare with Madalynn one time. Thankfully, she was ok. So sorry about her paws! I'm glad they were able to fix them up. It makes me wonder what was going on with that trail for both her and the boxer to be affected? Crazy!

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    1. This experience definitely makes me more cautious when walking her. I'm sure it does with you and Maddy too!

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  2. Awwwww Baylee is the cutest! I'm sorry that you had such a scare, but really really glad it turned out okay. I would have been freaking out too. Whenever Cecil sleeps "too much" I get anxious which is always my imagination running wild. I mean what's too much sleep for a cat? But they are our babies and they can't tell us what is bothering them (if anything) so we worry! Hoping Baylee is out of her bandages soon!

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    1. Yes, it's always a guessing game with our animals isn't it? She is happily out of her bandages now!

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  3. I know EXACTLY what you mean! I thought I had this happen with a past baby of mine but thankfully it passed quickly. It sounds like there may have been either some kind of crap on the trail or perhaps a bug of some kind? I would maybe wait until you get a good rain before taking her back there just in case. SO glad she's okay though! This calls for extra biscuits Mom!

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    1. I don't think I will be taking her back to that trail. We have one close to home that we will go to since we won't be going far! I did get her an ice cream cone!

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  4. Oh my gosh I am soooooo glad Baylee is okay!!! Remember, even though you had this mishap, you are a very good dog mommy. I hope many people read this post and use it as a cautionary tail! Again, so happy she is okay. And omg does she look cute in those little bandages.

    I was scared for Christmas once regarding the heat. I took him to get groomed. It was seriously only a 5 minute drive from my house. But it was very, very hot out. It wasn't super hot in my car when I picked him up but it was a little hot as my a/c had just started to kick in. As soon as I pulled out of the parking lot, he started panting really hard and drooled a little bit. It was THAT quick. I was soooooooo scared but didn't know what to do other than drive home as fast as possible (5 min or less) and keep the a/c pumping. He was fine when he got into the house. I think it was a combo of being hot and then very STRESSED from the groomer. I think it was a combo of those things and that is why as soon as we got home he was fine. I of course googled it and realized in the car he must have been in the beginning of something. Ugh I hate even thinking about that day! I was so scared!

    Now whenever we travel in the car I make sure to cool the car off very very good because even if it doesn't seem too hot, with the stress of travel it could make him even more hot.

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    1. I think the worse part of both these stories is that we feel that WE put our pets in this situation and if they are hurting it is OUR fault. The guilt is real!

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    2. Yes, but all the wonderful things we do out weigh the negatives but MILLIONS!!

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  5. Poor Baylee. We had friends in Arizona who had boots for their yellow labs. The dogs were clumsy, but the boots protected their paw pads from anything from the heat in the ground to cactus clumps. Our beagle wouldn't allow anything like that and she ended up stepping on a scorpion stinger. It wasn't poisonous since it wasn't attached to a scorpion, but it still hurt.

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    1. We have 3 pairs of boots that I bought years ago ( I bought them in 3 different sizes cus I didn't know which to get). We used them for one summer out at the pool and then no longer used them. I remember putting 2 of the pairs out at a yard sale years ago but I am sure I saved one pair. I ripped my house apart this weekend looking for them and couldn't find them.

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  6. So glad to hear that Baylee is ok! We have a little waterbottle for Selma that has a dish that flips down for her to drink from and we attach it to her leash when we go. It's helped a lot on hot days! Luckily most places that we go on long walks are by water too so every so often we'll go in for a bit so she can cool down.

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    1. It sounds like we have that same water bottle and I usually take it with us. I don't know why the thought escaped me this time.

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  7. this is so scary and i'm so glad she's okay! i'd be a wreck as well. i remember a few summers ago i took my two lil doggies for a walk upstate -- only like a half a mile tops -- but it was SO hot and humid and they weren't feeling it (and i didn't think to bring water b/c it was just a short walk!) and on the way back, one just refused to keep going and lay down and wouldn't move, so i had to carry her home...and it was scary to think they won't keep going and what the heat can do to doggies. hope her paws heal quickly!

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    1. O man the whole time I was wishing that she was small enough that I could carry her!

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  8. Even though I knew the ending, I still held my breath reading it. So scary!!!
    I had to go on the drive way Saturday barefoot & I could barely stand how hot it was & I thought of the animals that have to walk on it - I probably wouldn't have given it 2 thoughts before knowing Baylee's story. I bet you making those stops though helped her where she didnt get it so bad like the Boxer!!!
    That picture with those sad eyes!! Love that baby of yours

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    1. I just love having her in my life! And ya know the pavement on the trail wasn't very hot at all and we were only on it for a few feet. It definitely had to come from the gravel part of the trail. Thanks for reading!

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  9. My parent's last dog had such sensitive paws that she had to wear booties when there was snow or ice on the ground. It's good that that doesn't happen much down here, but she was so cute with them on. I'm glad everything turned out OK and that you insisted the vet see you.

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    1. I've never thought about having to be cautious about dogs in the snow. I will worry about that in the winter.

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  10. Let it be known that if ANYONE EVER needs help for their pet and sees me running by, flag me down and I am ON IT. I <3 animals and I will not hesitate for a second to put my run on hold to help them.

    You're on your own if it's a kid. (JOKING, obviously. But note that I have no instincts for children and we'll just kinda stare at each other until you get back.)

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    1. I love this comment!
      I hope there are other runners who feel like that too (about helping the dogs..lol)

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  11. Oh my gosh, that entire incident was scary to read about - I can only imagine experiencing it firsthand. Heatstroke in animals is no joke, plus hot pavement...but the trail cutting up her paws like that?? What in the world...I wonder if they laid down a new layer that has something caustic, or else micro sharp in it. Glad everything is OK now. Thanks for sharing your story.

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  12. AWH my heart was breaking reading this, being a golden lover myself. I take my dog for walks, but usually no more than a mile or 2, and always with water. I am sooooooo glad your pup is ok!!!

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    1. This whole experience just made me feel like a bad pet owner (even though I'm really not)!

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  13. Aww, poor Bailey. And poor you! Man, that mommy guilt is the worst. Glad Bailey's ok and no worse for the wear. I think he looks cute with the bandages--they look like little boots!

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    1. Yes, I thought she looked like a little race horse with those bandages on!

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  14. Aww poor little thing! Never would have thought it was the paws but makes sense. Glad she is ok!

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  15. Oh, poor you & poor Baylee. How scary! I know you are blaming yourself, but really, how could you know? If only they could talk.

    One of the reasons we have small dogs (and there are many) is that we can carry them when need be. I had to carry Chester around a LOT in the last 6 months of his life. We went to the walkway over the hudson when visiting my parents a couple of years ago. It's a 2 mile, concrete bridge over the Hudson River. It was a warm day, and we had to pick up both dogs and carry them because that concrete really heats up.

    I also know of someone who lost their golden -- only 6! -- to heatstroke once.

    I'm glad Baylee will be just fine. Give her some loving for me.

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    1. O man my heart is breaking for that Golden!

      During this time I really wished I could carry Baylee. She needed to be a bit smaller or I needed to be a Lot stronger!

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  16. Poor Baylee, but I'm glad to hear it was just blistering on her paws. She does look quite cute in those blue bandages.

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  17. So glad she was okay!
    Years back I tore my dogs paws up on a 10 miler hike on sharp rocks. After that at cabelas I discovered they make hiking shoes for dogs. Can't say my dog loved them. But if I put them on and immediately started the hike he would leave them alone. They walk funny at first getting used to them. But once they do I could tell my dog loved the difference.
    So if you haven't tried them, you could look into the shoes. I think I only paid $30 they were a great investment.

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  18. So glad to hear that Baylee is ok! That is so scary!

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  19. I'm so glad Baylee is okay!! I think we often forget that dogs don't wear shoes, so the sidewalks and trails can be much hotter on their feet than we realize. I know you probably feel guilty, but this happens to the best of us.

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  20. So glad that Baylee is ok! How scary! I never would have thought that their paws could get cut up and blistered, but with the heat and rocks, I could see why. Glad it was something that could be fixed and not heat stroke.

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  21. Thank the lucky stars that she is ok :) my goodness she is the most adorable dog with those little gloves on <3

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  22. Oh no, the poor little thing. I am so glad that she is okay, she is such a cutie.

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  23. Oh poor Baylee! I'm glad she's okay! Our pup is black and it is pretty hot where we are right now. The sun is too hot for him, so he has to go out really early in the morning before the day heats up too much.

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  24. Oh my god! That sounds really scary! Poor Baylee! I'm sorry to hear you had to deal with all of this stress! I hope Baylee is feeling better! Good call on contacting the Vet!

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  25. I am so glad you got Baylee taking care of - I know that our pets are our babies.

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Fairytales and Fitness is a personal blog authored and edited by us, Meranda and Lacey. The thoughts expressed here represent only our own and are not meant to be taken as professional advice. Please note that our thoughts and opinions change from time to time. We consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind in an ever changing society. Any thoughts and opinions expressed within our out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those we may express today. Some links may contain affiliate links. Some links are just to pages we'd like to share.