How to Keep Dogs Cool in the Heat

Staying cool during the hot and humid days of summer is important for pets as well as their owners. Dogs can suffer from sunburn, dehydration and overheating just like humans, but unlike humans they cannot tell when they have had too much heat. There are simple precautions you can take to ensure your canine friend stays happy and healthy when the temperatures soar.

Things You'll Need

• Tip-proof water bowl
• Ice packs
• Cooling bed
• Cooling collar or bandanna

Instructions

1. Take your pet with you when you leave your car. People think that their errand will only take a couple of minutes but someone they know can distract them or the lines can be long inside a store. It is better to leave your pet at home than in a parked car in the summer.

2. Freshen your dog's drinking water a few times each day if it is kept outdoors for long periods of time. Water can become too hot for the dog to drink within a couple of hours when the sun is really blazing. Leave an outdoor faucet dripping and keep your dog's tip-proof water bowl in the shade if you cannot give it cool water during the day because you are at work.

3. Bring your dog indoors during the hottest part of the day. If you work during the day and cannot trust it to be in the house all day by itself, provide a doghouse that is under a shade tree or a portion of the yard that does not get the afternoon sun, or keep it kenneled in the house.

4. Monitor your dog closely if you are at an outdoor event, on the beach or at the lake. Dogs can become excited in unfamiliar environments and may overtax themselves. Coax your dog to take rest periodically and to sit under a shade tree or patio umbrella with you every hour or so. Give your pet cool water while it is resting, and be sure it doesn't drink too much too quickly.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider investing in a cooling bed for your pet. These can be filled with cold water, yet stay dry, and will give your dog relief from the heat. Cooling collars and bandannas are other options to keep your dog cool in hot weather.

• Temperatures can rise quickly inside an automobile and your dog can experience heatstroke rapidly. The temperature inside a car can rise 40 degrees higher than the outdoor temperature within one hour. Cracking the window and parking under a shade tree do not decrease the temperature enough for your pet to be safe. On a day when it is 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car with the windows rolled down an inch or two can still reach 102 degrees within only ten minutes according to the article, "Keep Your Pet Cool during the Dog Days of Summer."

• Dogs can get heatstroke just like people. Signs of heat exhaustion or stroke are panting hard, irregular heartbeat, vomiting, dark purple or deep red gums or tongue, a dazed look and restlessness. If you spot any of these signs immediately move him to an air-conditioned or well shaded area, give him cool water to drink or ice cubes to lick, apply ice packs or gently immerse him in cool (never cold) water. Seek help from a veterinarian right away.

References

• Keeping Your Pet Cool During Dog Days of Summer

Resources

• Hot Weather Tips