Dogs also may have difficulty standing, a tendency to lie down or become uncoordinated. Should heatstroke occur, the dog should be put in front of a fan and cooled down with running water. If the dog is not under flowing water, the humidity may worsen the heatstroke. Another problem that hunting dogs face is tender footpads. A skin toughener or astringent applied regularly in advance of the hunt could thicken and toughen the footpads to resist abrasion better.
Dogs also face the risk of snake bites.
The most common and dangerous bites occur on the dog's face. The two families of poisonous snakes found in Mississippi are coral snakes and pit vipers. Pit vipers include rattlesnakes, water moccasins and copperheads. Coral snakes, found on the Mississippi Coast, cause paralysis. The rattlesnake is the most dangerous of the pit vipers, followed by the water moccasin.