11 Tips for How to Keep a Dog Cool in Summer + Prevent Heatstroke
If you're wondering how to keep your dog cool in summer when it's hot outside how to help keep your dog comfortable and prevent heatstroke then I've got eleven tips for you.
Hi, PuppyBlog.org here helping you and your dog to live a healthier happier life. Make sure that you let us know in the comments down below which tip your dog enjoys the most. Make sure you read right to the end as we run through the eleven tips to keep your dog cool in summer. Plus we'll let you know an essential summer dog care tip you might never have thought of.
TIP NUMBER ONE TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
The first tip is to make sure that your dog has access to plenty of water. So at home and in the yard this can just mean that you've got plenty of water bowls dotted around the place making sure that they're regularly refreshed. Sometimes even adding ice to them can help keep that water cool and that can encourage your dog to to drink more water. Now if you're outside, if you're on a walk somewhere then actually make sure that you carry a water bottle not just for yourself but for your dog. This is very important and we can help our dog drink this water in a couple of different ways. The first is that you can carry a Folding Bowl that you can just then pop out and pour the water into to allow your dog to have a drink. You can also get Water Bottles specifically for your dogs that have got a fold-out drinking bowl attached to it.
TIP NUMBER TWO TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Tip number two is to use a fan. Now obviously when it's hot we have a fan it helps blow the air over us it helps us lose heat better. Your dog is exactly the same. This can just be, if you're at home, a normal household fan directed over your dog's bed or the area that they like to sit. You can also get Crate Fans that attach onto the side of the crate, onto the bars, and that will blow the air through the crate and over your dog. That really can be useful actually if you are at home and if that's the place that they like to sit. If you're traveling in the car you can use a Summer and Winter Vehicle Traveling System to Keep Dogs and Cats Comfortable in the Car. So using a fan to help keep your dog cool can really help.
TIP NUMBER THREE TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Tip number three to keep your dog cool in hot weather is actually use cooling ice packs, Cooling Towels or Cooling Mats. You can do this in a number of different ways. Get cooling towels and mats that you just add a little bit of water to kind of shake them out. These are a great thing. The water starts evaporating and it cools the dog down and there can actually be quite a big difference between the temperature of the towel and their outside temperature. You can also get other cooling aids and one of these is an ice pack or a cool pack that goes around their neck so you pop that in the fridge and then when you need to cool your dog down you just take it out and put it around their neck and it provides some nice cooling. And yet another option is Cooling Vests or Harnesses that you put on very much like any harness and they won't slip off. If your dog's out and about then you just soak the vest in water, wring it out and place it on your dog. The light-colored fabric reflects solar radiation, while evaporative cooling pulls heat from the dog's back, chest and belly. The integrated leash portal allows leash attachment when the vest is worn and can make a really big difference.
TIP NUMBER FOUR TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Tip number four to keep your dog cool is to use cooling treats. We like ice cream or ice blocks and our dogs are no different. What you can do is actually make up treats, pop them in the freezer in advance and then when it's hot you can take those out and give them to your dogs to help them stay cool.
TIP NUMBER FIVE TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Tip number five to keep your dog cool and prevent injury is to actually use Booties for their feet. This is especially important if you live in the town or in the city and you're walking on concrete or pavement. It's amazing how quickly they can heat up. Using booties on their feet will make a really big difference. It provides a layer of insulation so it will stop them conducting heat from the ground into their body. And it will also stop their paws from getting burnt. This can really help to certainly not only keep your dog cool but prevent them from getting some quite serious injuries.
TIP NUMBER SIX TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Number six is to use a sprinkler or a Wading Pool of some sort in the yard. This will allow your dog to get wet which will help cool them off. We can think of this almost like sweating for dogs. Dogs can't sweat but they lose heat in the same way that we do. If they can get wet then that water then evaporates and actually takes a lot of heat with it. This will keep your dog cool! Be sure that there's no water restrictions in your are for having the sprinkler running on low. Having a Wading Pool that you allow and encourage your dog to use might be the best option and can make a really big difference in keeping them cool and help prevent heatstroke.
TIP NUMBER SEVEN TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Tip number seven is to have shaded areas. If your dog is outside then just make sure that they've got somewhere shady and cooler for them to retreat to. There's nothing worse than seeing dogs in yards where there's absolutely no shade. Or you see them really tucked up against this thin slither of shade on the side of the fence and that's really the only place they can get out of the beating sun. If you don't have any tress or other shade in your yard you can get a Dog Cot with Canopy. Just providing a nice shady spot can help keep your dog cool and safe.
TIP NUMBER EIGHT TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Tip number eight might not be quite so obvious and that's Weight Loss. Losing weight can make a huge difference. Just like humans when a dog has a lot of extra weight it will not only make them hotter but it will also make it harder to breath. The extra weight will also make it harder to move and the extra struggle will make them hotter. Help your dog Lose Weight and you will help them in a lot of ways!
TIP NUMBER NINE TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Tip number nine is to groom your dog. This is important especially if they have a long coat. If they have a thick coat then actually clipping them out in the summer can make a big difference in their temperature. Just imagine a big heavy thick long coat is a bit like wearing a big insulated jacket. You need to remove that jacket in order to get cool. Getting your dog regularly groomed or Grooming Them Yourself will make a big difference in keeping them cool in the summer.
- Get a FREE Dog Grooming Course - Just Click HERE
TIP NUMBER TEN TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Number ten is to only exercise or walk them in the cool of the day. The best time is generally first thing in the morning before the sun is at it's full strength and before the temperatures star to really warm up. Targeting the Morning is best but late evening is another option. Limiting their exercise actually in the middle of the day is very important. So even if you think that your dog wants to run, if they want to chase a ball or any other exercise just don't do that for them. Not taking them out and not playing with them too exuberantly will help to prevent heatstroke because overexertion actually is a really big cause of heat stroke.
TIP NUMBER ELEVEN TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
Final tip tip number 11 is quite simple - never leave your dog in a parked car! There's very little that's better at killing a dog through heatstroke than leaving them in a parked car in warm weather. It doesn't even really need to be that hot outside and it doesn't take that long. If you've got any doubts about that and you're not sure about how quickly a car can get warm then here is a video about that - CLICK HERE to watch it. I'd really encourage you to watch the video and share it with your friends and family, it's very important. Every year dogs die in hot cars and it's so avoidable and completely unnecessary!
BONUS TIP TO KEEP YOUR DOG COOL
As promised here is a bonus heat care tip for you and that is to actually consider using sunscreen for your dog It's something that we often don't think about but our dogs noses, especially the tips, are really susceptible to sunburn and sun damage. That definitely can lead to some cancers which can be very aggressive and very difficult to treat especially if they're not addressed straight away. I would recommend a specific pet sun cream because other sun creams can have harmful or irritating ingredients. Using a pet specific sun cream can just help prevent skin irritation while at the same time preventing burns. Here are links to Dog Sunscreen - Click HERE and Dog Nose Sun Protector - Click HERE.
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