Beating the summer heat - Paw Talk

corgimom · #1 05-13-2005, 08:08 PM

Any advice on how to help a puppy keep cool for the summer. I just took Ein out for a ride in the car (my boyfriend has an outside job, so I often take him drinks to help keep him cool). I had the AC on the coolest setting and the fan on the highest setting, and he was still panting. And it's only May!

Any advice on how to help keep him cool?

***Jade*** · #2 05-13-2005, 08:18 PM

I have a pug and whenever we go for a walk in warm weather, I douse him with water first. As in soaking wet.

It helps keep him cool. Dogs will pant when excited too, so it may not have been the heat alone.

ninja_smurtles · #3 05-14-2005, 12:42 AM

Indy sticks his head out the window. He hates being in the car without the window open and gets sick and it keeps him cool

CTChin · #4 05-14-2005, 07:28 AM

My corgi has a very thick undercoat. I find it helps to keep it as brushed out as possible.

Jodi · #5 05-14-2005, 11:41 AM

We soak our dogs too. Especially Manto (German Shepherd). Either before or after a walk or run we will spray him down with the hose. Our vet told us that it will help his body temp get and stay lower.

Tito is very good at maintaining a *decent* temp. When all the other dogs get back from a walk, they lay down. Tito stands (letting the heat disperse). My little bitty Tito has the best endurance in hot weather.

I realize that giving a good soaking before a car ride won't work but try getting him wet after and see if that helps. Maybe take a small bowl of water with you and see if he'll take a drink every once in awhile. We always bring a bottle of water and small bowl if we take the kiddies too far from home. In a pinch I've given the doggies Gatorade.

elfomatic · #6 05-14-2005, 07:45 PM

It also helps to have one of those portable water bowls with you so the dog can get something to drink when it wants to

juliet9521 · #7 05-15-2005, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninja_smurtles


	Indy sticks his head out the window. He hates being in the car without the window open and gets sick and it keeps him cool

Just so you know, its not good to let your dog stick its head out the window...it can cause ear damage.. and they could also get hit in the face with debris... i open the windows for my dogs but they have never been allowed to put more than their nose out

elfomatic · #8 05-15-2005, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juliet9521


	Just so you know, its not good to let your dog stick its head out the window...it can cause ear damage.. and they could also get hit in the face with debris... i open the windows for my dogs but they have never been allowed to put more than their nose out

Yeah, I've heard that too.

***Jade*** · #9 05-15-2005, 01:11 AM

We frequently see eye problems from this in the summer (being an ER hospital), along with dogs jumping out of the windows.

pihlaja · #10 05-15-2005, 11:09 AM

For dogs that like the windows open, I know some pet stores sell lattice-like grids that you put between the car and the window so that the window can remain open and the dog can't stick his head out.

To help keep Kirby cool, we put ice in his water in late spring and early summer and mid-summer we partially freeze his water.

Wetting the dog down is a good idea on really hot days, but if Ein has a thick undercoat, be SURE to brush him thoroughly before you do this! If you wet him down while he still has loose undercoat, it can turn into a HUGE matted mess later on that day. My husband tried this with Kirby and that was the result, so believe me, I know.

CTChin · #11 05-15-2005, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pihlaja


	Wetting the dog down is a good idea on really hot days, but if Ein has a thick undercoat, be SURE to brush him thoroughly before you do this! If you wet him down while he still has loose undercoat, it can turn into a HUGE matted mess later on that day. My husband tried this with Kirby and that was the result, so believe me, I know.

Also dogs that are allowed to stay wet with a thick, undercoat will often develop terrible hot spots.

This reminds me that I hate this time of year!! Often people assume that just because it is in the 70's, lower 80's it is o.k. to leave your dog in the car while you shop at Walmart

It is NOT o.k. A reminder to all... leave your dog home. His brain shouldn't have to bake while we are shopping. Leave him in the cool comfort of his home.

pihlaja · #12 05-15-2005, 11:23 AM

Brenda, in the summer Finnish stores post signs on their doors saying "DON'T LEAVE PETS IN THE CAR!" Even though Finland doesn't get as hot as some other places, in the summer the car turns into an oven and I'm glad people make sure others know NOT to leave their dogs on the car (especially since most cars here DO NOT have air-conditioning)!

And yes, don't leave the poochie wet! Not only could he develop sores, it gets messy and smelly if he's outside playing. (And while you don't have this problem, wet white dogs collect a lot of dirt.

)

corgimom · #13 05-15-2005, 07:47 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone. Unfortunately, because of the humidity, water doesn't evaporate very well. My boyfriend recently started working an outside job (he's the guy at the Walmart Tire & Lube Express that puts all of the customer information in the pda, in addition to helping with stuff like checking air pressure, moving cars in and out of the bays, changing wiper blades, etc) and it's brutal already. When he wipes his face, he'll literally have a pool of sweat in his hand that will go down his arm and fall to the ground, because the air is so humid that it won't absorb it. I'm guessing that wetting Ein down won't do much good if the water can't evaporate, but I'll try just in case.

Mostly, we've just been keeping him inside where its airconditioned, and only letting him be outside long enough to potty or get the mail. Every once in awhile, I take him with me in the evening when I go to take Lucas a drink at work, but it depends on how hot it is. I stop at a gas station to get Lucas an Icee (soda/water/gatorade doesn't stay cold for more than a few minutes, so I get him Icees so that it can cool him down better). I only have to be in the gas station for 2-3 minutes, but I still don't like to leave Ein in the car for even that little bit because I'm afraid that even 2 minutes in the car with the windows down is enough to make him extremely uncomfortable and cause harm. I only take him with me if it's recently rained and the air is temporarily cooler (which pretty much means that I've only taken him with me twice). He loves going in the car with me, but I just don't think it's worth it to risk him getting too hot.