7 Ways to Keep Your Dog Cool in Summer
Summertime means a lot of fun and several walks outside. Your dog loves to go to parks and play at the beaches. But with summer, your dog is more prone to several health issues. Let’s not forget that depending on their breeds, dogs are covered with multiple layers of coats.
The scorching heat of summer can harm their health and make them sick. Thus, it becomes really important to keep your dog cool to see your furry friend enjoying summer to its fullest.
To help you out, I have discussed the 7 best ways by which you can keep your dog cool this summer –
1. Make arrangements to keep the house cool
Keeping a dog comes with responsibility. You can’t just leave the innocent soul to suffer in any situation. During the hot days, you have to pay special attention to keeping the house cool.
So even if you aren’t in the house, keep the air conditioner on as your dog is still there. If you don’t have an air conditioner or can’t afford the expenses, switch on the fan while leaving the house and open the windows.
You can also buy a cooling mat from an online pet store to provide your dog some extra care.
2. Take special care of your dog’s paws
The skin of your dog’s paws is very sensitive and prone to getting burnt by the hot surface of roads and lanes. While walking your dog out for a walk, make sure that the ground is comfortable enough. Keep your hands on the ground for 10 seconds. If it feels comfortable, only then take your dog for a walk.
3. Do not leave your dog alone in the car
Keeping the dogs alone in a car means inviting a lot of unnecessary stress and discomfort to your little friend. Even if you leave the windows open and park your car in a shade where the sunlight isn’t able to reach, dogs can feel very hot and uncomfortable.
The situation worsens when you leave the car doors closed. In such a case, it takes just a few minutes to make the car overheat. Even at a 102° F temperature, closing the doors for only 10 minutes increases it up to 120° F. So never leave your dog in a car even if it’s for only a few minutes.
4. Spoil your dog with chilled treats
Have you seen any good boy/girl disliking treats? Treats fill their eyes with joy and they do a quick dance for you as a gratification after grabbing their favorite snack. During the summer, bring a twist to this by making/buying cool and chilled treats for them.
5. Bring changes in the time of walks and exercise sessions
I know that you and your dog love routines but changing the time of walking and exercising sessions according to the seasons is very much required. If you take your dog out during the afternoons, change the time to early mornings or late evenings. This way you can keep your dog safe from excess humidity.
6. Keep an eye for signs of heatstroke in a dog
Sometimes, your dog can experience a heat stroke due to overheating. As your dog isn’t able to communicate its problems, you have to keep an eye on the signs to save your dog from danger. These signs can be following:
- Heavy panting
- Trouble breathing
- Excessive drooling
- Rapid heartbeat
- Lack of consciousness
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
7. Take your dog for regular grooming sessions
Summertime for dogs asks for regular grooming sessions. Don’t shave your pets yourself. Instead, take it to a professional groomer. The fur on their skins can further amplify heat during summers.
Also, summer is a favorable time for pests and parasites. Before fleas, heartworm, and other parasites harm your pet, make efforts to get rid of them after every outside stroll.
Over to you…
Currently, more than 103,996 dog grooming businesses are operating in the United States. This number confirms that taking care of your pet dogs is definitely not an easy task. But pet owners love to see their four-legged friends happy and smiling. I hope this article helps you in your quest of keeping your dog cool this summer.
