How To Keep Dogs Cool In The Summer?

Every dog parent wonders how to keep dogs cool in the summer to avoid their pooch from getting a heat stroke or any other conditions triggered by heat.

Hence we have made a list of 12 things which you can do to keep your pooch cool this summer.

1. Look For Signs Of Overheating

A dog doesn’t have sweat glands like humans.

Here are some signs your dog will show if he has heated up more than normal.

• Dogs try to cool off by panting with their tongue out.
• Check if they have a warm or dry skin
• Failing to respond to commands
• Anxious expression
• Rapid heartbeats
• Agitation
• Dehydration
• Heavy drooling
• Weakness
• Collapse

Take him to the nearest vet if you see signs of overheating.

Give him a block of ice to lick.

You can let him dip in a pool filled with cool water.

Don’t put him in extreme chilly water.

Giving wet towels around his body will also help the cause of cooling.

2. Water And Fruits

• Make sure you give them enough water to drink so that they maintain hydration in their body.

This also prevents having weakness, dehydration and getting heat strokes.

• Watermelon is a healthy fruit option and it also cools the body in summer.

The seeds should be removed before giving it for consumption to your dog.

• Prepare some frozen treats for your pet friend.

This will help his body remain at normal temperatures.

• Provide fresh and normal temperature water for them to drink.

• Sunscreen

• Human sunscreens can be harmful to the dog.

Dog sunscreens are available so make sure you apply them if there are any burns or if outdoor activities are planned.

Light-colored or thinly coated dogs are more likely to suffer from burns or infections so require precautions.

3. Water Safety

• A dog’s natural ability for swimming shouldn’t stop you from supervising them while swimming.

Even good swimming breed dogs are at risk of drowning.

So, you should always keep an eye if your dog is going in for a dip.

• Take into account the depth of the pool and create a baby pool for them in the yard.

The dog will take time to settle but it will enjoy the cool water dip.

Inflatable pools can be used for this purpose.

• You can also turn on the sprinklers in the garden/yard which will give out cool water and it may feel refreshing to pups and doggos.

4. Wet Towel

Wrapping the dog with wet towels will soothe the skin of the dog in summers.

Cool towels would help the dog to return to normal temperature after a heatstroke.

People with the question of how to keep a dog cool inside the house might want to practice this for reducing the body temperature of the pooch.

5. Parasite

Ticks:

Ticks are tiny parasites which feed on your dog’s blood.

They attach their mouth to the skin of dogs and start feeding on their blood.

In extreme cases, it can even cause anemia to your dog.

They attach to your dog’s skin when you take them for a walk, hikes or activities outdoors.

To prevent these, use the best tick control products.

Fleas:

Fleas are an all-year-round problem in some states with more humidity and temperatures.

They are small brown insects which jump from one host to another or from the environment to feed on the dog.

Their bites can cause itching and dogs with sensitive skin can even have severe chewing and scratching issues.

To treat this, dog shampoos are available specially made to remove fleas, once the dog is bathed, a tick and flea comb will help remove the dead fleas from the hair.

There are some prescription and non-prescription medications which can be used to remove fleas.

Ask your vet which one should be used for your dog.

Roundworms:

Roundworms are parasites that stay and feed off in the intestines.

Puppies are a higher risk of getting roundworms either from their mother or the environment.

For the treatment of this, deworming drugs are available.

Tapeworms:

A tapeworm can develop inside the intestines of the dog if he swallowed an adult flea with the larvae.

How to know if your dog has worms?

1. Checking his stool for worms. Tapeworms are 5-8 inches long and continuously keep on shedding their segments. These segments can be seen in the stool of the dog.
2. Checking the skin on the lower part of the tail, on beddings can give an insight if there are tapeworms present
3. If the dog is having normal amounts of food and it seems like he is losing weight then he might have worms.

Medicines are available for the treatment of removing tapeworms.

A vet will give you accurate advice related to the medical history of your dog.

Heartworms:

Heartworms are spread by mosquito bites which are infected with the heartworm larvae.

For the treatment, the dog needs to be taken to the vet.

A set of three injections is given to the dog to kill the microfilariae that have spread through the bloodstream because of the bite.

Parvovirus:

It is a contagious virus which affects mostly dogs who are unvaccinated and puppies who are younger than 4 months are vulnerable.

It spreads through direct dog to dog contact, environment, stools or people.

If a dog is infected by this virus then he is likely to show loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and bloat, continuous vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.

6. Walk During Cool Hours Of The Day

Taking walks during cool hours of the day such as early morning or the time around sunset can help your dog stay away from direct heat.

The floor on which the dog walks should be cool for them.

Substances like asphalt, sand, and stones get heated up more than normal so make sure he doesn’t step on them as it may give burns on his paw.

Another solution can be putting on shoes to your pet’s paws every time you go out which will eliminate the risk to his paws.

Before walks make sure that you have put on the Dog Cooling Collars to keep them cool outside the house.

7. Never Leave Your Pet Alone In The Car

You must NEVER leave your dog locked in a car alone.

The temperature inside a car can get heated up quickly and even if windows are open there will be no cold air for the dog to breath.

It may even result in death.

On a warm day, leaving your pet in a parked car can be very dangerous as it may lead to heatstroke or death.

8. Antifreeze

Antifreeze is the liquid that helps in keeping the cars cool.

This liquid is toxic and lethal but it tastes sweet.

These liquids can leak from the car and the dog may try to lick.

So, dogs must be kept away from parked cars because he may taste and antifreeze will have harmful effects on the dog.

9. Cooling Collar, Cooling Mat, And Cooling Bed

Dog Cooling Collars are available which are tied to the collar of the dog which provides a feeling of relief.

Dog Cooling Mats and Cooling Dog Bed prevent the dogs from sitting on the hot ground surface and instead gives a cooler place to lie down.

These dog cooling essentials will avoid dog overheating at night also people wondering how to keep dogs cool in a hot apartment can use these cooling essentials to see effective results.

10. Care For Their Food

Food can take a toll on all your external efforts of cooling down your pooch until and unless you avoid items which have heat in them.

If you are wondering how to keep dogs cool in summer you MUST include the following food items.

A dog’s diet should go from being dry to wet in summers.

There are some things you can include when the hot weather hits.

• Carrots:

Fresh carrots are easy to chew and make a good chew toy for your pooch.

It is a source of vitamins and minerals.

• Sweet potato:

It helps in maintaining a healthy digestive system for your pet friend.

• Meat:

Frozen meat can be given to the pups which will give them more fluids and keep them cool.

Your dog wouldn’t have an appetite for hot meat as it is considered a food with heat and keeps the body warm after consumption.

Many dog owners complain about their canine leaving their food in the food-bowl in summers.

• Fruits like apple, bananas, coconut, celery, raspberry, pineapple, mango, and pear can be given to your dog to keep them cool.

• Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, peas, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts can be given and carbohydrates can include millet, buckwheat, barley, and wild rice.

11. Lids On Toilet Bowls

Toilet bowls have cooler water which attracts pets to have water from there.

Make sure you cover the bowls with its lid and avoid using cleaners that stay in the bowl.

12. Humidity

The temperature is not the only thing to be kept in mind.

The humidity is determined the moisture content in the air.

If the humidity is high, your dog may feel very tired, show signs of overheating or show lethargy.

When you are stepping out with your pooch, make sure you check not only the temperature but also check the humidity.

I hope this article was helpful to you.

Share these tips with your friends who have pets.

Comment down below if you use other ideas to keep your dog cool.

Happy Summers!