Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Dog Days of Summer

Summer is the best part of the year to get over winter isolation! The key to enjoying summer with your dog is making sure you and your four-legged buddy stay cool!

Dogs have a difficult time cooling themselves due to the fact that they do not have sweat glands like humans(only on paws and nose), and they have thick fur coats. Dogs cool themselves by panting and drinking water.  Be sure to keep plenty of fresh water around for your dog in the summer time.  If you have outside only dogs make sure there is plenty of shade so they do not overheat. Having a dog house in the shade for them to relax in is a great idea; there are plenty of cooling products that can be put in a dog house like a “cool bed.”

A tip to keep your dog from overheating is to make sure you take walks in the morning or evening. If the concrete is too hot it will burn the pads of your dog’s feet and cause them tremendous pain. If it is too hot to touch with your hand it is probably too hot for your dog. Do not be afraid to cut the walk short if you need to. Your dog will understand and most likely tire sooner on a hot day anyway.  As always be sure to take water with you on your walk to keep your dog cool!

Don’t have air conditioning? There are plenty of other ways to keep your pets cool during the peak heat of the day. The easiest and most effective is a kiddie pool!! Just find a shady spot and fill it up, then relax and watch your pups rumble in the water. The sprinkler is another option to keeping your pets cool, although some dogs may not be a fan of the sprinkler you never know until you try. A little known fact is that dogs cool from the bottom up, so rubbing their paws and belly with a cold damp towel can go a long way to helping them feel more comfortable in the heat.

A quick note on summer heat: Please never leave your dog in the car when it is warm outside this chart illustrates what I mean!

These are just a few tips, and there plenty more out there. What it comes down to, is be conscious of the heat and HAVE PLENTY OF WATER AVAILABLE FOR YOUR PETS!!



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