We have all been loving the sun recently! It is has been lovely to sunbathe or to be outside enjoying time with the family. People now include dog as part of the family and take them everywhere, this can lead to some serious problems happening.
Dogs can get heat stroke or exhaustion just like people, they so not sweat like people. Dogs loose heat through circulating bloody through the tongue and getting it to cool through the air. That is panting, that is why the tongue will expand to create a larger surface area to disperse heat from. They also loose heat through their paws, which depending on where you live won’t help as the pavements and roads are always hot at the moment.
Think about where you walk during the day as keeping to grass or wood land could keep your dogs temperature down. Don’t be fooled, thinking just because your dog has a short coat it won’t get as hot. They will heat up just as much as a long coated dog as they are not used to cooling the body as efficiently as a long coated dog.
I would always recommend getting the dog clipped in the summer, removing hair helps air circulate to the skin cooling the blood as well as well as reducing the weight they carry in their fur.
Most people when they travel with their dog will at some point will have to leave it in the car, most people think it is fine to leave the dog to “pop” into a shop or to a friends. They think it will be fine as the windows are cracked, even those that put the AC on are putting their dog at risk. This is a video illustrating how quickly a car can heat up: http://mentalfloss.com/article/51528/why-you-shouldnt-leave-your-dog-car
There are loads of ways to keep your dog cool, while at home or even out and about.
1. Bring plenty of water! I mean loads, let the dog drink it but also get that dog wet! Will cool the body down quickly, but be sure to use room temp water. NOT ice water as this will actually cause the dog to heat up more as the veins will restrict reducing the blood flow to the surface.
2. Get your dog a pool! Most dogs will love it, yeah some will not go near it. But don’t force the dog to go in, may pop them in and play with them in there. Make it a fun place, not somewhere you throw water on them suddenly and scare them.
Not all dogs love it, but they will feel better after it.
3. Ice treats. Feed your dog it dinner or a snack in an ice cube. Freeze dog food or bit of meat into plain water or flavor it with a stock cube. Leave it over night and then give it the next day, some dogs need some help so maybe smear peanut butter or marmite on the outside to get them licking it. Can do similar with a Kong. I like to soak dog food over night, then put it in a kong in the morning, should be frozen by afternoon. I mix the food with peanut butter to make it sticky.
4. Get your dog a cool coat! Cool coats are genius! They are a non drip, cold jacket for your dog. It is activated in water, just drown it in water for a minute then pop it on the dog. It won’t drip the water out or loose the water on contact with the sofa or carpets. It just keeps the dogs cool, it covers their delicate internal organs. I walk several dogs in them and they hardly even pant on their walks, they are a comfortable temperature while wearing it. They stay wet for about 4 hours but can be topped up any time by using some more water. http://www.prestigepets.co.uk/cool-coat/. Please have a look at them, they are really worth the money and will last a life time.
Always acclimatize your dog to the heat, don’t just head out for the day in the sun with the dog being used to walking only in the cool evening or not going out at all, get them used to the heat before you go in it for hours. Acclamatize your dogs body to it. It will reduce the chances of problems.
Please think of your dog before you take them in the car on a hot day to be out in the heat. It is nice to have a day out with the family, including the dog but it is reducing the welfare of your dog. It could even kill it. Think about it before you go. If you dog doesn’t want to go for a walk don’t make it, they know when it is too hot for them and will refuse to go.
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