Hot Summer Tips for Keeping Dog Cool

Summer is approaching again and you can’t wait to get out with your dog! But wait…what if your dog is a type of breed that is not accustomed to the heat? What if it gets too hot for him to take? Try these Summer Tips For Your Dog.

Summer dog care is very important in keeping a dog healthy. The weather in summer can be very harsh and it can dehydrate you and your dog without proper care. In fact, because dogs don’t sweat, it is much more dangerous to them if the weather gets hotter than usual. If many humans experience heatstroke (some even die because of it), then dogs are no different.

Unlike us, however, dogs have very few sweat glands (all on their foot pads) and can only cool off by panting and breathing (sticking their tongue out). The dangers of dog overheating can be noticed from the following symptoms: frequent panting, gums appearing red, vomiting, collapse or seizure, and being sluggish. Dogs can even go into a coma after collapsing. To avoid these dangers, here are a few helpful tips for helping your dog to survive the summer heat:

Summer Tips For Your Dog

• When it’s too hot, don’t take your dog outside. Even humans don’t like to be active outside when the temperature is scorching; otherwise they might suffer from heatstroke. The same is true for dogs, and even more so because they have less ability to sweating and cool off. And therefore, we must help them stay cool.
• Give your dog plenty of water to drink throughout the day. Since they cannot sweat like humans do, the best option is to rehydrate them very often and replenish their health with water. Remember that the water should also be cool and fresh.
• Summer haircuts can also be helpful. Just as humans like to cut their hair short during summer, dogs with long fur could use a summer do to keep their body temperature from overheating. If you do not like to trim down the hair, clipping them can also be a good idea.
• Choose a cool part of the day to do exercise routines. If you and your dog would like to do some physical activities, never do it when the sun is at its highest, otherwise your dog can collapse due to the heat. When the weather is cool, you don’t have to worry much because the weather cannot harm your dog’s physical activities. Morning and after dark are good times for activity, accompanied with a few breaks and, of course, water bottles to replenish them.
• Never keep your dog in the car. Because of the summer heat, the temperature inside the car gets extremely hot in just minutes, and your dog can quickly die from it. It is very dangerous to your pet so never leave him in the car. If possible, have him stay at home or take him outside.

To emphasize that last point, here is an excerpt from PETA from an article on their website:

Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs: On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100  to 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

Animals can suffer brain damage or death from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads.

Try some cooling products for your dog. There are many products in the market designed for cooling your dog. But for people who are saving money, kiddy pools, letting them play in a lawn sprinkler, and wet T-shirts can do the trick.

Do you have some Summer Tips For Your Dog that you have used successfully with your dog in hot weather? If so, please share them below with our readers.