Has Summer Finally Arrived? Be Prepared for Managing Heatstroke

Host Daniella and emergency specialist Dan Lewis discuss heatstroke in pets. They cover causes and early signs of heatstroke and the importance of immediate first aid. They also discuss clinical and at-home cooling methods, interventions for severe cases, and considerations for brachycephalic dogs. They emphasise the veterinary team's critical role in preventing this life-threatening condition.

Daniel Lewis 

Dan is an American, European and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care.  He has worked at the Vets Now 24/7 Emergency and Specialty Hospital in Glasgow since 2015 and is the National ECC Lead for IVC Evidensia. Dan is interested in all aspects of critical care, but particularly in septic patients and poorly cats, as well as being a keen advocate of the development of non-technical skills in ECC teams, as he believes that these ultimately have the greatest impact on ourselves, our colleagues, and therefore our patients. 

Daniella Dos Santos

Daniella graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012 having previously obtained a degree in Molecular Genetics from Kings College. She has since worked in first opinion, small animal and exotic pet practices across the Southeast. In 2019, she became the youngest-ever President of the British Veterinary Association, leading the profession through the height of the pandemic. During her time as President, she was instrumental in the association’s Diversity and Inclusion work, as well as the development and launch of the Good Workplaces Policy. Daniella was the recipient of the RCVS Inspiration Award 2021 for her leadership and became an RCVS Fellow in 2021 for Meritorious Contributions to the Profession. She is a trustee of the PetPlan Charitable Trust.

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Links

Vets Now Specialist Referrals: https://www.vets-now.com/professionals/hospitals/ 

Proposing the VetCompass clinical grading tool for heat related illness: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7994647/ 

Cooling methods used to manage heat related illness: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10385239/ 

Epidemiology of heat-related illness in dogs under UK emergency veterinary care in 2022: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38783549/