Evaluation of methods to reduce exercise-induced heat stress in working Labrador Retrievers

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Objective: To compare different methods for cooling dogs in the field following a heat stress event. Methods: In this experimental study, animals were in a conditioning program 5 of 7 days per week. For the test, dogs ran on a treadmill for 30 minutes at 12.5 km/h and a 2.5% incline, with room temperature maintained between 21 and 22 °C and the relative humidity maintained between 64% and 65.6%. A wet bulb globe thermometer was used to evaluate the immediate environment. In the first test, 6 method groups were assessed based on the cooling method implemented. The groups were no cooling, ingestion of ice water, cooling blanket use, use of a fan, or the application of alcohol or water to glabrous skin areas. In this test, rectal temperature, core temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate were measured. In a second test, a fan was added to the water and alcohol methods from test 1, and the values were compared to the test 1 values. Results: The sample included 12 Labrador Retrievers. In the first test, ingestion of ice water was the only treatment to reduce core temperature. In test 2, tap water + fan and alcohol + fan were more effective from the first evaluation moment postexercise. Both approaches showed similar results to each other. Conclusions: Applying alcohol or water to glabrous areas, in combination with increased airflow, effectively reduced core temperature from a very early stage. Clinical Relevance: This study describes an approach to reduce the risk of heat-related damage.

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