You can feel the humidity rising. The hot weather of summer is approaching and it’s essential that you know and understand vital steps to take in order to keep your dog cool and healthy. On the flip side the warm weather inspires us to unchain ourselves from our winter bonds and explore the outdoors with our furry friend. It’s very easy to lose track of the necessary steps needed to stay healthy while you are enjoying the summer time fun like for example playing freebee, fetch, or simply running alongside your companion. Not to fear! We are going to provide you with every important step needed to keep Fido cool while you enjoy the escapades of summer. The last thing you want to do is cause your best friend to experienced heat-related illnesses and we will make sure you can put this risk at bay.
Protect your friend from sun rays:
If you think about it every time you go outside or unto the beach you protect the whole family from the sun by slimming on tons of sunscreen to protect your skin cells. Unfortunately many people forget about their dog. The truth is canines are just as vulnerable to the sun as us humans are. Dont let the fur fool you into thinking otherwise. If you own a dog with light colors or thin hair then their at a much greater risk for sunburn. Just like humans dogs have high risk areas on their bodies like their abdominal area, muzzle, and ear tips.
Fortunately, there are plenty of different methods for you to effectively protect your dog from the sun. After a long, hot, and tiresome day in the sun where do you go? Home of course. So make sure your dog has a shady and cool area to seek refuge to. You can even pick up a tube of sun block at your local pet store. It’s important to know that you cannot use any sun block. and be formulated just for them so you curve any risk of poisoning due to toxicity levels. If your dog is just as much a part of the family as he is a pet then we would strong recommend Epi-pet Sun Protector. Its the only FDA approved sun screen for dogs and its recommend by top Veterinarian Janet Tobiassen Crosby.
Protect city dogs from pavement:
Dogs were meant to walk on many surfaces like grass, dirt, and rock, however they were not made to walk on tar filled hot pavement. We protect our entire family with shoes and socks on those long and hot days, but our poor pup has nothing protecting his sensitive paws. What would happen if you walked on hot pavement all day barefooted? I imagine you would develop burns and blisters that would plague you. The exact same thing happens to your dog when they walk on hot asphalt.
All of this can lead to horrible side-effects such as blisters, ulcerated areas, and loose flaps of skin on the paw pads. In order to curb this avoid unnatural surfaces like metal, sand, and asphalt. Matter of fact the best areas to walk your dog in is grass and second to that would be dirt. Leading Veterinarians all agree that if your dog is experience heat related walking problems the best thing to do is wash their paws and apply antibacterial ointment to their paws. Afterwards wrap them up and that will contain infection.
Safeguarding your canine from Heatstroke:
Have you ever seen your dog sweat before? Thats because canines cannot sweat and release heat like humans for making them more prone to heat-related illnesses’. Dogs usually use the art of panting instead to cool off, however under the right circumstances this is not enough to protect your pup from the blistering heat. Humidity works against your dog’s natural ability to cool off. When the air is thick with moisture your friend will not be able to cool down. The way a dog cools himself is by allowing his lungs to expel moisture levels in his body. This is not possible during days of high humidity .
Canines from colder climates such as American Eskimos, Malamutes, and typical sled dogs tend to not deal with heat very well and have an increased risk of heat stroke. Just like some humans have an increased risk of stroke or cardiovascular difficulties, dogs alike can share the same traits. For example dogs that are young, old, or obese tend to have more issues in the heat. The first defense you have in helping your dog overcome heat-related illnesses is by knowing what the canine is naturally predisposed to. A quick tip to keeping your dog healthy during the summer is by not forcefully allowing your pet to sit in an air conditioned room all day and then allowing them to run outside. It’s very difficult for all breeds of dogs to go from one client to the next quickly.
Tell-tale signs of problems:
You can try to do everything right and still face problems with your canine friend overheating. That is why its imperative that you know the signs of trouble before it is too late. A couple of things to watch out for include, but are not limited to: excessive panting, noisy breathing, liberal salivation, bright red gums, and vomiting. All of these conditions are stepping stones to complete collapse and can cause an onset coma.
If you are unsure about your dog’s temperature you can always get proactive and measure it with a thermometer. Normally a dog’s temperature runs at a consistent 101F to 103F degrees. Once your dog’s temperature exceeds 103F he/she is suffering from mild heat illnesses. You can combat this with simple tactics such as, letting the dog rest, providing them with fresh water, or slowly conditioning them with air conditioner. If you believe your dog is experiencing severe problems due to heat related illnesses then do not take a chance and take Fido down to the local Vet to be checked out.
