webbie add it to the home page....but you ask him okay...chuckle...I'm always stiring up his oh so lazy and laid back days...grin...ce

I was fairly new to the board then. Very sad day for sure. I am sure I am one of many that read your story that day and have taken extra precautions with their bully's to keep them safe. Your story has kept many other bully's from the same fate. Give your daughter a big hug. That day must have been tough on her too. Take care.

I can just think of a few things I'd add, etc. But that explains it all pretty well.

That gave me chills. I am so sorry, I cannot even imagine how traumatic that would be for you, and your poor daughter.

Many of you know this story but for those who dont...

I was vacationing with my mom & sister. I boarded Opal with some friends but left Dudley & Higgins in my daughter's care. She's 25. They were really layed back dogs so I knew she could handle them.

It was sooo hot & humid here, probably about 95*. All the windows were closed because the a/c was on. I have 2 window units. The one in the living room blew a fuse. My daughter reset the fuse but DID NOT turn the unit back on because she thought it might blow again. The one in my bedroom was NOT ON. She thought it was because she heard a hummmm but it was just a small fan on the dresser.

She took the dogs out at around noon and then left. She didn't come home again until after 10pm and found 2 dead dogs in the kitchen.

That was the worse phone call I ever got. I was close enough that I could drive home & take care of things. My boys were cremated and they are home with me now.

Heat & humidity is deadly to bulldogs. Don't take any chances. Think cool!!!

i wanted one that delved into the rubbing alcohol bit i've heard, what patti had said about cooling them down before putting them in the car to take to vet, more on cooling the pads of their feet, etc. i did find some other info on how to recognize signs i thought was good, including staring (but, gees farcus does that all the time) not responding to commands (ditto )but i think they were just trying to get you to recognize general disoriented-ness (word?). anyway, i think we could come up with a better one to put on this site...

as the info Ce posted, but this has some good general info (for the layman like myself), about bullie stuff. I actually just like it because at the bottom you get the bonus of seeing Gloria the bulldog who I think is absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

http://www.globalbulldog.com/spike/letter.html

n/m

thanks!

- Cristina

2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Just mix it in with the regular bisquick pancake recipe. They aren't lemony, they are...well, just really good.

*Shh...don't tell, but the recipe is on the box "melt in your mouth pancakes".

for my youngest, I'll have to try this. How much sugar?

If you put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice IN your pancake batter (bisquick) and some sugar, that is fantastic, but I have never put it ON my pancakes.

pancakes???

- Cristina

Well wherever that is, I sure wouldn't be ordering pancakes there!!!

a common thing..I even reread it to make sure they weren't talking about using a plastic bottle like the ones you squirt things on your pancakes with..but It sadi yellow plastic lemon?hum?yuck....ce

Did you notice the part about lemon juice squirted on pancakes? Yuk. Doesn't sound too good to me!!

Very useful. I'm going to give a copy to Sheldon's doggie daycare.

Joanna & Sheldon

BULLDOGS AND HEAT

DON’T MIX!

All bulldog owners MUST know and understand the following

Severely hot weather can be fatal to a bulldog, they don’t even need to be moving about in it to succumb to the heat. Please make sure that any exercise is given early in the morning or late in the evening, don’t be tempted to go for a nice Sunday afternoon stroll when it is very sunny or hot. Also please don’t allow your bulldog to lay out in the sun for long periods, they do not know when they have had enough and it doesn’t take long for their panting to become out of control.


How to recognise when your bulldog is too hot

Any exercise will make him pant but watch for when the panting becomes "heaving" this is the earliest sign that he is getting too hot. When the panting has become loud and is becoming a "roar" he has already become too hot and the outcome can be fatal:

Stages of overheating:

Your bulldog will begin to "heave" as he pants
Your bulldog will begin to "roar" - best described as sounding like severe asthma
He will begin to look tired and distressed
His tongue will be very floppy and very red in colour
His body temperature will rise (normal temp approx 38.6)
His airway will swell and his throat become full of white foam (caused through the excessive panting)
He will quickly become exhausted and will fighting for breath
He could die
How to prevent overheating:

Do not allow your bulldog to lay out in the day time sunshine
Do not walk your bulldog in hot weather
During hot weather keep your bulldog inside during the hottest part of the day
How to deal with overheating:

Lower his body temperature: Always ensure that you have ice to hand during the summer months. Pour cold water over your dog, especially around his head, rub ice around his head and under his tail (around his rectum). If possible stand him in a cold bath and keep going with the ice until the breathing is less laboured.
Clear the airway: Squirt some lemon juice (from one of those plastic lemon shaped bottles that you squirt on your pancakes) into the back of his throat, he will hate you for it, but the lemon juice will quickly break up the excess foam and clear the throat. Do not allow him to drink a lot of water as this can cause him to vomit.
Keep him calm: Once you have reduced his panic keep him in a quiet place and keep a close eye on him.
If this doesn’t work then you need to get to a vet as quickly as possible - put a cold damp towel under him for the journey
Bulldogs overheat quickly because of the shape of their throats, their soft palates are almost always too long and when they get very hot they cannot pant sufficiently to keep their body temperature down, their attempts to pant quickly cause the production of foam which in turn blocks the throat and causes laboured breathing and eventually they will begin to roar as they try to breath through the blockage.

Summer Check list:

Plenty of ice
Jiff Lemon Juice
If you need to go out freeze some damp towels the day before and take with you together with both of the above items and plenty of cold water.
In an emergency you can substitute 7UP for the lemon and packets of frozen veggies for the ice. Find a horse trough, stream, river or pond to stand your dog in or knock on the nearest house and ask to borrow a hose pipe. Remember this can happen at any time, even if up until now he has coped perfectly OK with the heat. Prevention is much better than cure.

Note: Stress can often bring on the same symptoms and should be treated in the same way as described above.

ce

It would also be beneficial to give to someone watching our baby's while out of town (haven't done it yet)....in my case my older sons, one of them that just can't grasp that he's not "just a dog". I was going to put something together for him but it would be great to have real information, something official. I just would never be able to leave him in the care of someone who didn't understand his specialness (not a word I know but it works!)

nm

Cristina (& Leeloo)

If there isn't already a link, for us to make one for the home page here at Bulldogsworld. If no one can find anything, we'll try to make something up.