When theypant, wanderaround looking for shade, and finallystubbornly liedown and refuseto walk, your dog is telling you something, and you probably don’t need a dog whisperer to figure it out: Your canine friend ishot, and telling you in
the adorable way that only dogs can.
Though you can’t control the humidityor tame the unrelenting cruelty of thesummer sun, you can takeactive steps to keep your furry friend more comfortable during the hottest months of the year. Since dressing them down isn’t exactly an option—more on the benefits of a summer trim in a bit—most of the adviceinvolves helping them avoid riskysituations and recognizing the warning signs that yourpup is overheated.
How to keep your dog from overheating
It probably goes without saying, but what’s true for humans applies to dogs as well: When it’s hot out,staying hydratedis key. Dogs love to run around and fraternize with their furry friends, and may do so even if it’s punishingly hot outside—but they can’t exactly ask you for a drink. So whenever you and your doghead out on a hot day,take cold water with you, and bring along acollapsable bowl or something else they can easily slurpfrom. Water consumption will varybased onyour dog’s size and theiractivity level, but you should be giving them a chance to drink often.How often?PetHealthNetworkadvises doing soevery 15–20minutes.
How much water does your dog need to drink?
Counterintuitively, your dog can also drink too much water at once, so you want to guard against overwatering them (while rare,water intoxication is a risk).Arleigh Reynolds,a senior research nutritionist and veterinarian withpet food company Purina, offers some guidelines for calculatinga healthy water to weight ration:
For a forty-five to fifty-five pound dog, don’t let them drink more than four to eight ounces of water at a time. After they’ve had time to absorb it and get it out of their stomach, give them some more ten or fifteen minutes later.
Limit your dog’s activity on hot days
The heat also means you should impose limitations on your dog, because theyaren’t able to cool themselves like humans are and aren’t as likely to naturally avoid overexerting themselves. TheAmerican Humane Societyrecommendsbeing active with your dog during the morning and evening hours,哪一个tend to be the coolest parts of the day, and limiting their outdoor activity in the midday heat.
Giving your dog a summerhaircut won’t cut it
Seeing your longhaired pooch panting in the heat might make you wince (imaginethe discomfortwearing a full fur coat in summer!), but don’t bothershaving them to cut down (no pun intended) onthe likelihoodthey’ll get overcooked. According to theAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, longer coats actually helpdogs regulate their internal temperaturewhen it’s hot. You might be doing them more harm than good, asdogs can get sunburned,too, especially in areas with less fur coverage.
Never keepyour dog in a parked car
This oneis common sense, and applies toany living creature that can’t cool itself by lowering the windows or cranking the air conditioning. Your parked car becomes an oven when it’s hot enough(in some regions,this can happen throughout the year),even when the temps feelpleasant and balmywhen you were driving or walking around outside.
Don’t assume cracking a window is enough, either:The American Veterinary Medical Association points to twostudies,both of which demonstratedthe temperatures inside cars parked on hot days increases almost exponentially, even if the windows are down. One of the studies,“found that the temperatures in a dark sedan as well as a light gray minivan parked on a hot, but partly cloudy day, exceeded [125 degrees Fahrenheit]within 20 minutes,” the AVMA writes.
This isn’t a selective grouping of data, either:Twenty-eight statescurrently have laws on the booksthat criminalize leavingdogs alone in parked cars.
Know the warning signs of dogheatstroke
The worst possible outcome is that your dog will experienceheatstroke, which is defined as,“increased body temperature above 104°F,”Today’s Veterinary Practice writes.According to theAmerican Humane Society,symptoms of this威胁生命的条件包括,“excessive panting, dark or bright red tongue and gums, lethargy, stumbling, seizures, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.”
If you suspect your dog is experiencing heatstroke,consult a veterinarian immediately. In the interim, there are many things you can do to soothe and cool downyour dog if necessary, includingsubmerging them in cool water or rubbing them with a cold, wet towel or sponge. No matter what happens—and even if they seem to perk up once out of the heat—you should still take your dog to the vet, as organ failure is one of the unfortunate consequences of severeheatstroke.
While it’s great to watch your dog romping and frolicking during thetorrid months of the year, it’s up to youto understandhow their activity could potentially harm them. You’ll be a better dog owner for it,and probably you’ll enjoymore love from your furry buddies as a result.