First aid?

[Catu]

Originally Posted by Lenny

Thanks everyone.
Renee, Lots to think about. Why should you not put cold water on your dog? I did that once last summer. It's was 100+ and Lenny was getting too hot and not acting right so I soaked a towel in cold water and laid it on her. I'll know better if it happens again.

Because the cold water causes peripheral vasoconstriction. All the blood goes to the inner center of the dog, which is already overheated enough, leaving the skin without irrigation. It may make all the efforts to cool down the dog with the water in vain, because you can't reach the important organs but through blood.