Heat alert : 5 tips to protect your dog from warmth

Heat alert : 5 tips to protect your dog from warmth

Summer is here and with it sun and warmth which often turns to heatwave. You are not the only one to suffer from heatwave, your dog is also concerned, if not more than you. If you thought about enjoying nice weather with him, you have to apply measures to protect him from heat :

 

  1. Give him cool water

Fill his bowl regularly with cool water. Nevertheless, be sure not to pass from lukewarm water to ice-cold water, it can be dangerous for him. Try to maintain a regular temperature. As far as possible, try to put the bowl in the shade, in order to maintain the good temperature. You can also invest in a water fountain which provide water to your dog whenever he wants and this avoid having to change water every half an hour.

 

  1. Provide fresh air

In a fresh room, install a place for him with his toys and blankets where he can escape from the heat. If you have a garden, set up a shady and airy area.

It is important to avoid walking your dog during the hottest hours of the day, that is from 11 am to 4 pm. Walks early in the morning or in the evening will be more pleasant both for him and for you. During the day, give him a rest in a quiet and fresh place with water.

 

  1. Never let him enclosed alone in a car

As we know, and it cannot be said often enough, it is really dangerous to let your dog enclosed in your car, even for a little while. Each year, hundreds of dogs dies from heat and dehydration in a car parked in the sun. During hot periods, children and pets must not be left in a car. In the passenger compartment, temperature rapidly reaches 50°C to 60°C. Therefore, air will not be breathable anymore and your pet will quickly dehydrate.

 

  1. How to react in case of heat stroke?

In summer, a long sun exposure can provoke a malaise. Minor accident for humans (excepted for children and elderly people), it can be really serious concerning dogs. How to react in this case ?

First, be sure that it is actually a heat stroke. Symptoms are the following : fast breathing / panting, high body temperature, vomiting and diarrhoea, muscular trembling, lethargic state, unusual moves or loss of consciousness must alert you.

Then, how to react? Refresh him and moisten his body with cool water (not ice-cold !) and put him in the shade next to a fan. If no evolution can be noticed in the following minutes, go immediately to the veterinary.

 

  1. Beware of the burning bitumen !

Once more, avoid walking your dog in the middle of the day, at hottest hours. If you have no alternative, an easy tip exists to know if bitumen is too hot for your dog’s pads :

  • Put you hand on it
  • Wait for 7 seconds
  • If the heat is bearable, your dog can walk on the pavement. Otherwise, walk him in the shade or in the grass.

Shoes for dogs also exist, but they are not ideal.

After the walk, you can apply salve on your dog’s pads to rehydrate them.

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