It’s spring and the heady hot days of the Canadian Summer are just around the corner. We all know that summer safety includes wearing sunscreen, staying cool in the shade and hydrating really well. We may not think about those things in relationship to our furry family members however. And yet despite their hearty exteriors, our dogs have weaknesses too. It is our responsibility to care for them and ensure they don’t get summer-related illnesses or injuries.
Basic Summer Safety
- Never leave a dog in a parked car, even if the windows are open. Temperatures can skyrocket and become unsafe very quickly. On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels.
- With their body temperature normally at 39 degrees Celsius, a dog can only endure temperatures barely over 40 degrees C for a very short time before they suffer from heat-stress.
- On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die.
Carefully Introduce Your Dog to Swimming
Just as important as never leaving a dog in a hot car, never leave your dog unsupervised around a pool or body of water. Dogs need to be supervised around water just like children. Dogs are amazing in that they’re completely in the present, in the moment, at all times. The issue to being is the moment is they tend not to think about the consequences of their behaviour. Dogs will happily swim for a long time, ignoring how tired or hot they are, so it’s important for you to monitor your pupper and restrict her activity as needed.
Before you introduce your dog to the water, do a safety check to make sure it’s safe to teach him to swim. Elderly or infirm dogs may not be able to swim safely.
Swimming is challenging for certain breeds. Sighthounds, like Whippets and Greyhounds, have heavily muscled rear ends and not much body fat, so they’re not buoyant and won’t float. Brachiocephalic breeds, such as Pugs, Shih Tzus, and French Bulldogs, have flat faces and short legs that aren’t ideal for swimming. I recommend that dog owners invest in a life vest for their dogs.
It may take some time for your dog to adjust to swimming. Ideally you want them to feel comfy in the water. It’s a little startling to them to find that there’s nothing under their feet, but once they realize that they can just float, they’re okay.
Be patient, hold short “swimming lessons” frequently, and focus on keeping your dog comfy and relaxed, rather than quickly rushing to get him into the water.
It is possible for dogs to swim too much and overheat. Hot pool decks can irritate and burn sensitive doggy paws.
After swimming, care for your dog’s coat and ears. Chlorine has drying properties and it can aggravate your dog’s skin and coat. I recommend that you rinse your dog off well after she’s been swimming.
Your dog’s ears will also need care to prevent “swimmer’s ear,” which is a type of painful ear infection. After rinsing off your dog, dry off his ears to hopefully prevent any issues.
Watch the Humidity
- Dogs pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which removes heat away from their body. If the humidity is really high, they are unable to cool themselves and their temperature will rise to dangerous levels quite quickly.
- I suggest that you excercise your pets in the early morning and/or late evening to avoid the midday heat
- Don’t rely on a fan; dogs process temperature differently than humans. Dogs mainly sweat through their feet. And fans don’t cool off pets as efficiently as they do people.
Sidewalks and Summer Shaves
- Asphalt can heat up and hurt sensitive doggo paws. Stick to the sidewalk or grass if possible. A good test is to put your hand directly on the sidewalk for 10 seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your dog.
- Shaving a hairy pet for the summer may seem like a good idea, but they can actually get a sunburn. A proper regular grooming will do much better without the risk of sunburn.
Limit exercise on hot days
- When the temperature is high, focus on other activities, like enrichment or training indoors or in the shade
- Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and length of exercise according to the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours.
- Be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, who are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets, who typically have more difficulty breathing. Watch out for any your dog dark-coloured dogs because their coat will attract light and heat.
- Flat faced brachycephalic dogs like pugs, have more difficulty breathing due to the structure of their faces
Provide ample shade and water
Any time your pet is outside, make sure they have protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. In heat waves, add ice to water when possible. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat—they tend to get very hot.
Cool your pet inside
- An easy snack is to make pupsicles (popsicles!) out of yogurt, fruit, cheese or meat broth or anything your dog enjoys- many dogs love to lick them! You can use an ice cube tray or a Kong-type toy and freeze the ingredients for 4 hours or overnight. And always provide water, whether your pets are inside or out with you.
- Another option to keep you dog from overheating is with a cooling vest, wrap or mat. Soak these in cold water and they’ll stay cool for hours. If your dog doesn’t find baths stressful, perhaps help your dog enjoy a cooling soak in the tub.
Watch for Signs of Heatstroke
- Extreme temperatures can cause heatstroke.
- Signs of heatstroke are: heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure and unconsciousness, disorientation, staring or anxious expression and weakness.
- Animals are at particular risk for heat stroke if they are very old, very young, overweight, not conditioned to extended exercise, or have heart or respiratory disease. Some breeds of dogs—like boxers, pugs, shih tzus and other dogs and cats with short muzzles—will have a much harder time breathing in the heat.
How to treat a Pet Suffering from Heatstroke
- Move your pet into the shade or a space with air-conditioning.
- Apply ice packs or cold towels to their head, neck and chest or run cool (not cold!) water over them.
- Let them drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes.
- Take them directly to a veterinarian as heatstroke is a medical emergency due to dogs’ intolerance to extreme heat changes.
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