Question:
We have a 1-1/2-year-old female chocolate Lab named Gracie.
As soon as the weather started getting warmer this spring, Gracie began to have fainting spells after five to 10 minutes of playing fetch. She will stop playing, act delirious, stop responding to her name, run into things, and her legs will occasionally give out and she will fall.
We started bringing her inside as soon as we would see symptoms, and she would go right for the bathtub and lie in it. We would turn on the water, and she loved lying in the cold water. As soon as she is given water and is able to cool down, she returns to normal. We now have a baby pool in our yard, and she has only had one minor spell (at a dog park when she didn't have access to water to lie in) in the past month.
We took her to the vet, and they performed the following tests before and after an episode: thyroid, radiograph, CPK levels, lactate, I-stat glucose cartridge, EKG and normal blood tests. Everything came back normal, but her temperature rose from 100 F to 104 F during an episode, and her blood sugar dropped from 100 points to 80. We were told to monitor her in the heat and always make sure that water is accessible. This isn't always possible, depending on where we take her (dog park, family members' homes, etc.). Secondly, we think something more might be wrong.
G.B.D., South Riding, Va Jan 09, 2011
Answer:
It's possible your dog has a hereditary disease, which the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine has definitively studied, calling it exercise-induced collapse. You should inform the breeder of your dog's malady. Your veterinarian can send in a blood sample to the University Veterinary Diagnostics Lab for a genetic test they have developed to identify this condition. Go to www.vdl.umn.edu for details.
Physical activity can bring on elevated body temperature and the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, causing loss of coordination and cramps/muscle spasms.
It is advisable to restrict your dog's activity, especially in warmer, humid weather. Giving her nutraceutical supplements such as Coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, L-carnitine and glutamine may prove beneficial. Discuss this preventive approach with her attending veterinarian.
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