The warmer weather has finally arrived up here in Canada, and it has me turning my thoughts on how to keep my dogs safe in the heat. Heat exhaustion is very serious and can lead to heat stroke, cardiac arrest and can be potentially fatal to your pet.
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Summer Has Arrived!
It really is a novelty to be able to take my laptop out into the back yard and type away! But as I am typing and sitting enjoying the weather, my dogs are inside…We have hit that time of the year where I want to be out and they want to be in! Where in the winter you practically have to DRAG me out the door protesting the whole time!
Also, as I have joined the Woof Walk Challenge (read more and donate HERE) I am going to have to think about when and where I am walking my pups to make sure they don’t get overheated in order to stay on track. They are big BEARS and their black coat really heats up fast out in the sun.
Dogs pant to release heat, and can also sweat through their feet. They don’t sweat the way people do which increases their risk of overheating in the hotter summer temperatures. According to PetMD temperatures over 103 degrees Fahrenheit are above normal, and at 106 degrees or higher your pup is at risk of heat exhaustion. At these high temperatures, their organs can start to shut down and your dog could go into cardiac arrest.
Signs to Watch For
The signs you can watch for during the summer months (or in any warmer climate year round) include:
- Excessive panting
- Less responsive
- Glazed eyes
- Excessive drooling
- Rapid heart rate
- Dizziness
- Lack of coordination
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Loss of consciousness/collapsing
- Convulsions
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Gums or tongue turn blue or bright red
If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, don’t wait – ACT IMMEDIATELY.
What to Do if Your Dog Is Overheating
If you think that your dog is starting to overheat, try to cool them down immediately. Move them into the shade if you are out and about. If you are at home, you can put them inside with a fan on them. My two bears are inside right now as we have hit that time of the year where they want to be in more than out, and I want to be out more than in!
Take your dog’s temperature – any pet first aid kit should include a thermometer! If your dog’s temperature is above 106 degrees call a vet or the emergency vet IMMEDIATELY!
We are fortunate that we live close to the lake and take many of our walks there. If you are close to water let your pup have a swim to cool off. Alternatively, you can wet a towel with cool water (not cold, and for puppies use lukewarm water) and put it on their feet, armpits, stomach (essentially places where you can cool down the skin directly).
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Allow your dog to drink cool water (not cold), but don’t force them to do it. I always carry around a water bottle in the summer that I keep in the fridge since it can heat up fast once we are out in the sun. Benson LOVES to drink right out of the bottle! Grace, however, is a bit of a princess so I had to get one of those little pop up bowls that attaches to her leash…We are also very lucky in that our Beaches neighborhood is extremely supportive of dogs and many of the stores have water bowls out on the sidewalk! The ice cream place on the beach even has a full trough!
Even if you can cool down your puppy it is a good idea to make a call to the vet to make sure that they aren’t experiencing any complications from the heat stroke.
Risk Factors
There are factors that can put your puppy at higher risk for having heat exhaustion. Dogs with thick coats and short-nosed breeds such as pugs and bulldogs can be at higher risk. My little pug Nemo HATED walking at the best of times…so the walks with him were always relatively short or he ended up being carried around! He had me well trained!
Young puppies and older dogs are also at higher risk for heat exhaustion. As are obese dogs.
How You Can Prevent Heat Exhaustion
NEVER leave your dog in the car! Even if the temperature outside is still cool, the inside of a car can heat up quickly to dangerous levels.
Make sure that you take humidity levels into consideration as well on hot days as this can increase the risk of heat exhaustion. Try to find areas with shade and water to walk on hot days. In the heat of summer, I take my dogs out early in the morning and later on in the day and avoid the mid-day sun. For myself, I LIVE for those hot and humid summer days! So while the dogs are inside cooling off, you can usually find me sitting out in the middle of it! I also bought them a kiddie pool last summer…
Did I Mention Hydration?
Adequate hydration is also really important. As I mentioned, I have a water bottle and pop up water bowl that attaches to the leash that I can give the dogs until they get down to the water. But I will caution one thing here as well, and that is to check the water quality if you can before letting your dogs indulge…And Lake Ontario isn’t exactly the cleanest lake around and I didn’t check last summer which led to a few nights of repeated trips out to the yard!
Vigorous exercise should also be avoided on hot days. As a result, we walk REALLLLLY slow and I let my dogs take a break if they need it. Which inevitably seems to lead to wrestling so I’m not sure if they actually needed a break but best to be cautious!
While I could live without ever turning on my air conditioning, I do it for my pets. Even then this sometimes isn’t enough. So I have a fan that I can put on them when they are inside and overnight to help more. There are also several cooling mats on the market that are great (until your cat sticks their claws into it and wrecks it…Whiskers…). Raised dog beds can also help keep your dog cooler.
Summer weather is here!!! And the past year has been tough on all of us, so let’s get out there, enjoy it and keep our pets safe and happy as well!!!
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5 comments
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This is something on my mind daily since summer temperatures are routinely above 100 F ( 37 C ) here. I also shave the belly of both my dogs, especially my Great Pyrenees. Keeping her undercoat thin is helpful as well. I use cooling pads, shoes, cooling jackets and cool, wet towels as needed as well. With Nick being my service dog, I have to plan trips around the heat as well.