citation_inspection: 37761

Female Shih tzu (tag #479) is showing signs of severe heat distress. The dog was found inside a shelter located in an outdoor enclosure. The inspector could hear a rasping sound coming from the shelter as she approached it. Upon opening the shelter door the inspector observed the dog lying on the floor of the shelter creating a loud raspy sound as she appeared to gasp for breath. The dog is performing wide open mouth breathing with an extremely high respiration rate and her tongue is extending out of her mouth beyond the teeth. The dog had recently been shaved and her skin appeared to have a reddened tint. The dog moved about the shelter, but appeared unstable and continuously laid sprawled on the floor with her legs stretched out. To exit the shelter, the dog is required to step over a lip at the shelter entrance and the inspectors observed her having difficulty getting over the lip and finally succeeded in exiting the shelter by dragging her hind legs across it. The dog continued to appear unstable and had difficulty keeping her hind legs from collapsing. The facility representative stated the dog had never had problems with her hind legs. The dog was moved to an enclosure inside the Whelping Building next to an open door with a breeze. The dog still appeared unstable and had some difficulty moving around the enclosure and needed slight assistance from the facility representative to locate the water receptacle, whereupon, she immediately began to drink. The dog drank water multiple times as the inspectors watched. The dog continued to have an extremely high respiration rate along with open mouth breathing and lying sprawled on the enclosure floor. The inspectors observed the dog again approximately an hour after she had been moved to the Whelping Building, and she still appeared slightly weak and unstable. The facility representative stated that the dog is normally housed inside the sheltered housing building, but had been moved to the outdoor enclosure that morning. The temperature directly inside the shelter door was between 91 degrees F and 93 degrees F with a heat index between 107 degrees F and 109 degrees F according to the inspector's Kestrel. Housing dogs in temperatures and humidity that are inappropriate could result in the discomfort, suffering, and even death. When climatic conditions present a threat to an animal's health or well-being, appropriate measures must be taken to alleviate the impact of those conditions. An animal may never be subjected to any combination of temperature, humidity, and time that is detrimental to the animal's health or well-being, taking into consideration such factors as the animal's age, species, breed, overall health status, and acclimation. The licensee must ensure that all dogs are housed in climatic conditions that are appropriate to maintain their comfort and well-being at all times. To be corrected by: At the time of the inspection the facility representative moved the dog to a more appropriate location and then transported her to a veterinarian.