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PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Veterinarians are warning about a lesser-known danger facing dogs in Arizona’s heat, beyond heat stroke and burned paws.
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A dog named Claire was treated at the Arizona Humane Society after suffering from a condition called dorsal thermal necrosis.
Vets say dorsal thermal necrosis is a burn triggered by direct sunlight and ambient heat trapped in a dog’s fur. It is not a surface burn, but a wound caused by heat in the air.
Diagnosis can be difficult
The injury is difficult to diagnose because it is rare and can take a week for scabbing and pain to appear.
Dr. Raegan Wells, an emergency critical care specialist at MedVet, said she has seen the condition about once a year during her nearly 20-year career. She said local veterinarians could mistake it for something else, such as allergies.
“As veterinarians, we’re pretty good at investigative work, right? We have to really think back, ask a lot of really good questions from our owners,” she explained.
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“So, more common things that we see with the skin and dogs are allergies, right? So, that’s going to be the first thing in my mind, if I’m a general practitioner, but if it’s just not really reading the textbook for allergies, then that’s when veterinarians start pausing, reaching out to colleagues. And often these cases end up in the hands of specialists,” Wells added.
A happy ending
Claire made a full recovery thanks to the Arizona Humane Society’s veterinarian team and is now in her forever home.
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