How to protect our dogs in the Summer Heat
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| Miss Charlie, Photo credit, Kim MacCrone |
Fur coats are hot
Fur provides some amount of protection from the sun but thick fur prevents body heat from escaping and promotes overheating. It's a myth that shaving a dog's coat makes him hotter. Shaving it to the skin can make him vulnerable to sunburn but cutting the fur to about one inch can help him stay cooler. If you don't want to shave him brush as much undercoat as you can out and be sure no solid mats are there to trap heat and moisture. Just ask one of our groomers!
Tips on protecting pets in the heat
· Don’t walk or run your dog in the heat. That may seem obvious but we see it every day in the Arizona scorching heat! Try to take early morning short walks or late evening walks. Even short walks will help keep your pet in a routine until Fall!
· Never, Ever, Ever keep your pets in parked cars! Or children for that matter! Why do we continue to see this?
See the Humane Society's Tips. What can you do if you see a pet or child in a hot car?
· Be prepared for travel emergencies. What are some things that could happen if your car broke down while traveling with your pet and while you waited you used your only bottle of water?
Try this:
· Try bringing a cooler with ice, or ice packs that are already froze.
· Bring a battery powered fan. Trust me, they exist!
· Have a towel that you can soak in the melted part of the ice in the cooler and place it over your pet’s head and/or body to slowly cool him down.
Cooling an overheated Dog at home:
We are all human. Even the worst mistakes can happen to people with good intentions. Most of us have busy schedules and people can forget. It can be a true tragedy. If you inadvertently leave your dog outside and find him overheated there are a few things you can do at home:
Move him indoors and cool him down slowly. Don't plunge an overheated dog into ice water. This is typically what most people think they should do. This causes the peripheral blood vessels to contract actually trapping the overheated blood at the body's core -- just where it does most harm.
Instead, cool the dog slowly by placing him in cool water or by draping him with wet towels and aiming a fan at him. Offer him plenty of cool water and don't force him to drink. He will drink when he's cooled down. If you have a thermometer, cool him until his temperature reaches 103 degrees F (39 degrees C), then stop as it will continue to decline. As soon as you have him cooling transport him to us so we can monitor him. Even if he appears to have recovered he needs to go to the veterinarian because some delayed but deadly effects can still occur even days later.
Not All Dogs Can Swim!
Although swimming is a great exercise in warm weather make sure your dog can swim first! Some breeds, such as bulldogs, French bulldogs and Pekingese, have the swimming ability of cinder blocks. Even good swimmers can drown in backyard pools if they don't know where the steps are to climb out. Be cautious of your dog swallowing too much pool water that could aspirate into his lungs. Never leave your dog un-attended around the pool! Trips, falls, stumbles are too common. If you have a senior dog who does not see or hear well, never let them alone near your pool! Just because they've seen the same pool for 10 years, doesn't mean they are not subject to a fall now that they are older!
Dogs and UV Rays
Dogs, especially light-skinned dogs and white dogs, can get sunburn and melanoma cancer just like people can. If your dog likes to be in the sun rub a sun block on his belly and the top of his nose, the most common sites for sunburn. Most sun block is safe especially if you put it in places he cannot lick. Distract him for several minutes after you apply the sun block.
Thanks pet parents! We will continue to provide articles, tips and links to help you and your pets survive the hot summer! Kim
Tips on protecting pets in the heat
· Don’t walk or run your dog in the heat. That may seem obvious but we see it every day in the Arizona scorching heat! Try to take early morning short walks or late evening walks. Even short walks will help keep your pet in a routine until Fall!
· Never, Ever, Ever keep your pets in parked cars! Or children for that matter! Why do we continue to see this?
See the Humane Society's Tips. What can you do if you see a pet or child in a hot car?
· Be prepared for travel emergencies. What are some things that could happen if your car broke down while traveling with your pet and while you waited you used your only bottle of water?
Try this:
· Try bringing a cooler with ice, or ice packs that are already froze.
· Bring a battery powered fan. Trust me, they exist!
· Have a towel that you can soak in the melted part of the ice in the cooler and place it over your pet’s head and/or body to slowly cool him down.
Cooling an overheated Dog at home:
We are all human. Even the worst mistakes can happen to people with good intentions. Most of us have busy schedules and people can forget. It can be a true tragedy. If you inadvertently leave your dog outside and find him overheated there are a few things you can do at home:
Move him indoors and cool him down slowly. Don't plunge an overheated dog into ice water. This is typically what most people think they should do. This causes the peripheral blood vessels to contract actually trapping the overheated blood at the body's core -- just where it does most harm.
Instead, cool the dog slowly by placing him in cool water or by draping him with wet towels and aiming a fan at him. Offer him plenty of cool water and don't force him to drink. He will drink when he's cooled down. If you have a thermometer, cool him until his temperature reaches 103 degrees F (39 degrees C), then stop as it will continue to decline. As soon as you have him cooling transport him to us so we can monitor him. Even if he appears to have recovered he needs to go to the veterinarian because some delayed but deadly effects can still occur even days later.
Not All Dogs Can Swim!
Although swimming is a great exercise in warm weather make sure your dog can swim first! Some breeds, such as bulldogs, French bulldogs and Pekingese, have the swimming ability of cinder blocks. Even good swimmers can drown in backyard pools if they don't know where the steps are to climb out. Be cautious of your dog swallowing too much pool water that could aspirate into his lungs. Never leave your dog un-attended around the pool! Trips, falls, stumbles are too common. If you have a senior dog who does not see or hear well, never let them alone near your pool! Just because they've seen the same pool for 10 years, doesn't mean they are not subject to a fall now that they are older!
Dogs and UV Rays
Dogs, especially light-skinned dogs and white dogs, can get sunburn and melanoma cancer just like people can. If your dog likes to be in the sun rub a sun block on his belly and the top of his nose, the most common sites for sunburn. Most sun block is safe especially if you put it in places he cannot lick. Distract him for several minutes after you apply the sun block.
IF IT’S TOO HOT FOR YOUR FEET IT’S TOO HOT FOR YOUR PETS!
Thanks pet parents! We will continue to provide articles, tips and links to help you and your pets survive the hot summer! Kim
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