Heat & Your Dog: Everything You Need to Know
Sunshine and adventures await!
Summer will be here before we know it. We'll be stretching away the aches and pains from sitting in our homes, and start venturing out into our neighborhoods or local hiking trails (according to your Shelter in Place orders, of course).
This is the best time to bring Fido too! But with summer fast approaching, you may have questions about their wellbeing. How do dogs handle the heat? What exactly should I be concerned about and look out for during our walks? How can I prevent emergencies from happening? And how can I have their best interest in mind?
Check out our thoughts and recommendations for temperature control for your pup!
Dogs handle heat differently than humans
People feel warm/hot, they sweat, then they feel much cooler and more comfortable (thank you evaporative cooling!) But our doggos have very few sweat glands (check those paws, they are there!). Their best method of cooling is panting, and sweating through their paws.
Heat stroke is serious
A few symptoms of heat stroke include excessive panting, thick sticky drooling, dizziness, lack of awareness, and vomiting or diarrhea. It is important to act quickly when you begin to see these symptoms. Get your dog into shade, and help to slowly drop their temperature by offering tepid water. It also helps if you can get their paws wet, and put some water on their chest and belly near the armpits and groin area. It’s important to use tepid - not cold - water; it takes more energy for your dog to warm up the cold water. If you have a water bottle in your backpack, that should work just fine. After you get your dog's temperature to a safe level it is important to get them to the vet.
Prevention
It's a lot more fun to be aware of your pup’s needs, being proactive, and avoiding serious injury with expensive emergency vet visits. Check out these articles here and here about how you can recognize and prevent heat stroke.
Listening to your dog's needs
Being outside with your dog during the warm months is not so much about how fast or far you can walk, as it is about using the relationship you have and understanding what your dog needs. If you are going for a hike, make a plan to be near a stream, river, or water hole so you and Fido can cool down. Keep a close eye on them so you can notice differences in their energy before it gets severe. It also helps to plan to do your activities in the morning when it’s coolest out.
Our recommendations
If you've got a dog with a layered coat, it may be tempting to shave them. Hold off on that lion shaped hairdo: while the coat helps to keep them warm in the winter, it actually helps to insulate and keep them cool in the summer. Plus, it helps to protect them from harmful UV rays. Preventive Vet suggests to use a deshedding brush like the furminator to remove the undercoat instead.
Have you ever noticed that your dog seems to be panting but they won't take water?
It’s important to keep your dogs hydrated, but sometimes they just don't seem interested. There are a few things you could do: try adding water or liquid to their breakfast, either by soaking the kibble in water, or adding some bone broth to the meal (onion free of course!). Petguide also recommends baiting the water while you are out, to help encourage more liquid intake. Add some chicken broth or low-sodium hot dogs to get them interested. Did you know this is an old mushers trick?
Cooling gadgets anyone?
Have you heard of a cooling vest? It’s genius - it is a vest you put on your dog that helps create evaporative cooling, because we all know they can't sweat as much as humans. Have you heard of a swamp cooler? Those devices you fill with water, turn on a fan, and you have cooler air rolling through your home? This is essentially a wearable swamp cooler sans fan (perhaps if your dog runs fast enough, he is the fan!). All you have to do is get the vest wet, wring out the excess water, put it on the pup, and let physics do the rest. It’s recommended to add more water as it begins to dry on those particularly hot days.
There is a caveat to this fabulous invention: the evaporative effect *only* works when it is not excessively humid. Luckily for us, living in the East Bay Area, our summers are usually around 50% humidity and the vest will still be effective. But when you get 70% or more, you'd basically just be putting on an extra, wet layer on your dog. Not so effective, then!
Cooling at home
The American Kennel Club also suggests this nifty cooling dog bed. It’s a crate mat that has a temperature regulating gel inside, to help cool off the toasty pup. At home, this could be your dog's new favorite afternoon nap spot. It would be beneficial to have in the car so you can start your adventure already a bit cooler too. Plus, we all know how warm our cars get when we leave for a little bit; you could have a nice cool spot for Fido while you wait for the AC to help cool down the car.
What about treats?
Well if you are looking for some extra credit, you could definitely whip up a nice pupsicle to help keep the pups cool too. Three simple ingredients you probably already have at home, a blender, an ice tray, and the freezer, and in a few hours you've got a nice little treat your hot dog will love! (pun intended).
1. Quart of fat free greek yogurt
2. 2 bananas
3. 1 cup of peanut butter
-Throw it all into a blender, then put into molds or ice cube tray. Freeze for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, and treat your dog to some doggy "nice" cream
* You could freeze it longer for a more solid treat.
Now What?
The great outdoors are waiting, time to head out on your adventures! Whether it’s around the neighborhood, up the local trail, or for a longer planned day trip you are geared up with the knowledge - time to have fun! There are so many ways to help prepare for endless fun, even when the warm weather is here.
Written By: Gabby St.Martin
Gabby is a dog walker and writer for Dog Tired Adventures. She loves being active, the great outdoors, and loving on her Doberman, Sig.