Ooh! It has been an absolute scorcher recently. This unusual British heat wave has got us thinking about you and your dog. And despite the rain, we wanted to give you some information on how to keep your dog cool & happy in this heat and crazy humidity.
Keeping your dog nice and cool can sometimes be difficult to manage. Especially as we are not used to this kind of heat. So, we thought we’d put together some do’s and don’ts on keeping your dog’s body temperature under control and some general information to keep you in the know. Dogs can’t sweat through sweat glands as much as we humans do. Dogs have sweat glands on their noses and their paw pads. So whereas we can sweat from just about anywhere on our bodies, dogs are limited. Instead, dogs regulate their body temperature through their respiratory system.
Dogs with shorter noses and flatter faces have much harder time tolerating heat, so beware if you own a pug, bulldog, or another breed with these features. Dogs can suffer fatal heatstroke within minutes. Helping them regulate their internal thermostat is very important. Just like a lot of us, they love a good run around on a sunny day and sometimes do not understand their limits.
- Here a few do’s & don’ts just for you:
- Encourage your dog to stay in shaded areas and out of direct sunlight;
- Put a damp towel down for them to lie on;
- Fill a hot water bottle with cold water;
- Circulate cool air – keep windows open, turn on a fan or keep air con at a reasonable temperature;
- Keep dogs out of greenhouses or conservatories. These places can get dangerously hot even if its mild outside;
- Never leave your dog in a parked car. Temperatures inside cars can reach astronomical levels on a warm summers day;
- It is advisable to keep white faced dogs indoors during the peak heat of the afternoon as they are more susceptible to sunburn. As well as dogs with white ears and noses;
- If you have one, put a paddling pool in the shade for them to splash about in. However, if your dog gets super excitable – be mindful of them exhausting themselves in the paddling pool.
- ‘Swimmers Tail’ can occur in an overexcited dog which could lead to a bruised immobile tail;
- Always leave a bowl of fresh water out;
- When out walking on a sunny day, always pack fresh water and a bowl;
- Ice cubes as a cooling snack always go down well;
- Try popping their favourite treat in the freezer to cool it down;
- Be careful of your dog playing in the garden for long periods of time;
- Check the pavement isn’t too hot for walks. If it’s too hot for your hand, then it’s too hot for your dogs’ paws. If that is the case then stick to grassy walks.
The best thing we can say after taking these precautions is to keep an eye out for signs of heatstroke. If your dog is panting heavily, seems exhausted or dribbling – move them to a cool place and put cool water on their coat. Make sure the water is cool, not freezing.
There are other things you can do too! Sunburn could lead to painful blisters & sores on your dog. Long term exposure could even lead to some skin cancers. However, It is possible to buy pet sunscreen as a precaution. You can also buy a few accessories to keep your dog cool. For example; Cooling Vests, Cooling Mats and even Cooling Bandanas!
We hope you have a great week guys.
