From U of MN:

http://www.vdl.umn.edu/ourservices/canineneuromuscular/eic/taylor2008/home.html#heat

DIFFERENTIATING EIC FROM HEAT STROKE

There have been a number of good veterinary reviews of heat stroke in dogs recently and the syndrome we are seeing with EIC is very different. With heat stroke - induced collapse in dogs you expect to see a very slow or prolonged recovery that can take hours to days, or else progression to death. Laboratory evaluation reveals a dramatic increase in muscle enzymes (CK usually 7-11X normal). Mentation changes that are severe, progressive and persistent (for hours to days) occur in 80% of affected dogs and significant endothelial injury leads to microvascular thrombosis, DIC, thrombocytopenia and bleeding as well as acute renal failure in most patients. In contrast, dogs with EIC collapse without showing laboratory abnormalities and they recover quickly - happy and running around within 5 to 25 minutes.

And here is a key sign to look for in a true EIC collapse:

http://www.vdl.umn.edu/ourservices/canineneuromuscular/eic/taylor2008/home.html#eval

ervous system examination is normal at rest, but patellar reflexes are diminished or absent in dogs with EIC during collapse and these do not reappear until after the dog has completely recovered, which usually takes 10 to 30 minutes.

"No one should be convinced that they know it all and speak down to others who know less."

Thanks for the great example of doing just that

That about the reflex is interesting. How does one test for patellar reflexes in a dog, the same as in a human, by striking the knee? I've seen only one collapse that might have been EIC, and it was many years before the condition was generally known, but it would be useful to have a good test to use in case I see another possible EIC collapse. If no one knows, I'll ask my vet the next time I see him.

Thanks for the link! The videos were very interesting.

Just a small suggestion: When giving a website address, it is really easy to make it a direct link (rather than a copy and paste). When you are composing a post, there is a link directly above the input box that says "bb code". It inserts a list of easy codes you can use for adding things to your post. If you use the url code, the web address becomes a link to the page. I notice that only a few people use this and it is a real time saver for the readers.