Hi Doggists!

We start with the biweekly posts, so welcome back 🙂

Today’s post is very short and I just want to go over a few concepts so you can have a cool summer with your furry friends.

As you know dogs do not sweat like us. Therefore, they use other physiological mechanisms to lose heat: dogs sweat through their pads, but especially through panting. By panting, the dog sends cool air on his tongue and inside, to the lungs, eliminating some heat.

Under normal conditions, dogs’ body temperature is between 38 ° C and 39 ° C, so you have to take some precautions because it can increase very quickly.

1- Hydration: Make sure the dog has fresh and clean water daily with access 24 hours. Try not to leave the water in direct sunlight. You can add a few ice cubes to chill it a bit.

2- Shelter your dog from the sun. It is essential that your dog has a shady spot and ventilation, especially in the hottest hours. If possible let them inside the house with a fan or air conditioning running.

3. Do not go out in the warmest hours of the day. It will be easier for the dog to breathe and the ground will be less hot. Avoid exercising in hot hours and limit the exercise. Remember to bring a travel dog water dispenser whenever you go out!

4-Refresh your dog. a) Wet him or spray him some water, especially the legs, stomach and head.

b) If you have a garden use the sprinklers or hose. c) If you have a pool I don’t need to say anything else, but just remember to always supervise your dog. If the dog does not want to go in don’t insist, not all dogs like to swim. If you have no pool you can buy one for dogs without having to work 😉

d) There are also elevated beds that reduce heat transmission from the ground or you can buy a cooling mat.

e) You can make homemade popsicles! Dogs love it!  View Recipe 1 – View Recipe 2

f) You can even freeze the Kong! To read my post on How to Prepare an irresistible Kong, click here.

5- Walk on dirt or grass instead of concrete which can burn your dog’s pads.  It literally takes less than a minute to burn (& blister) the pads of your dogs feet when walking on concrete and paved surfaces. So here is The 5 Second Rule: Place the back of your hand on the asphalt. If you can’t hold it there for 5 full seconds you can’t walk your dog there.

6- Do not leave your dog alone in the car! Within minutes your dog could have a heat stroke and die.

7- Feed your dog in hours of less heat, eg. first thing in the morning or evening.

8- Do not shave dogs! Although you may think it’s a good idea to shave your dog’s hair, it is not! A pet’s coat is designed by nature to keep it cool during the summer and warm in the winter. By shaving your pet you usually interfere with this built-in temperature regulation. What you can do is brush him often to remove dead undercoat.

9- Caution with citronella and other insecticides! If you have citronella candles place them far from you dog’s reach and if you think about applying mosquito repellent spray better DIY naturally with essential oils, using another citrus rather than citronella.

10- Pay special attention with brachycephalic dogs (short muzzle), as Bulldogs, Boxers, Dogo de Bordeaux, etc. They are more vulnerable to heat, because it is more challenging for them to breathe since they can’t pant as efficiently as long muzzle dogs. So let them go inside the house with the air conditioning or the fan on.

If you think your dog might be suffering from heat stroke, learn how to help them in this post!

Enjoy the summer and Keep It Cool! 😛

Belen