Keeping Your (Dog's) Cool

[arealhuman]

Hi,

What recommendations does anyone have about keeping your dog cool?  Obviously I'm applying the common sense stuff like staying in the shade, keeping out of the sun as far as possible, making sure plenty of water is available, but over the last few days it's been getting up towards 28 degrees centigrade so I'm hoping there's something else we can do.  I've read about those gel cooling mats, are these any good?  He has a cold tiled floor to lie on, but more often than not chooses not too when it's been hot recently.

All ideas welcome - it's got to be very warm wearing a permanent fur coat, I'm finding it hot in summer clothes!

Thank you

 

[Kate75]

I came on to post almost exactly the same thing!  Holly is really having a hard time especially at night!  She's a short haired GSD but I don't think that's making any difference at the moment!

She's also choosing not to lie on the cold floor and at night wants to be upstairs with us but then gets really restless cos the carpet is making her hot!!

I was also looking at these cool mats so it will be interesting to see what people think!

 

[gypsysmum2]

Never used a gel mat but a wet towel is sometimes appreciated. A distressed dog can be covered in one. Kennel owners often lay wet towels over the kennel run so that the water evaporation helps to cool the area.

 

[Kate75]

Wet towel is a good idea!  I think I'll give that a go today and maybe tonight upstairs!  Its not as if the carpets not going to dry out!

One thing we are doing is spraying the grass outside with just enough water to make it wet but not saturated.  Holly isn't keen on the hose unless my daughter plays in it with her but once the grass is wet she will go and lie down in a shady spot and roll to get her coat all wet!  that seems to make her happy!

 

[excuseme]

We use a free standing fan both for ourselves and the dogs, it keeps the air moving and a lot fresher too. Curtains are left closed and windows too as sometimes this lets in more heat when open. If we can leave the back door and front door open when we are home this also creates air movement although as with the windows it may let too much heat in!!

 

[JoanneF]

Fill a Kong and freeze it - doggy ice cream (even if it's meaty)!

 

[hollysh]

What are your views on walking in hot weather? Im a dog walker. Nobody has cancelled. I took 2 dogs out for 2 hours today. We stopped a lot more for water, shade, refreshments. I have messaged one dog owner im supposed to be walking tomorrow to see if she still wants me to take him. 

Also does anyone have a certain temperature cut off point that theu wont take their dog out? Or do you base it on how your dog is on the day? 

 

[Kate75]

I'm only walking Holly very first thing in the morning at the moment.  We were out at 7am this morning and even that was pushing it.  My husband was going to take her last night but at 10pm it was still 25 degrees and she was still very hot so we abandoned that idea! 

A friend of a friend runs canine first aid courses around the country and she has a temp guide and a risk scale of 1 -5 (1 being no danger at all to 5 being a definite no) based on the size of the dog.  Basically the larger the dogs then the cut of temp point for a safe walk comes down.  In winter its the reverse, larger dogs can withstand colder temperatures.

For Holly the cut off point is about 22 degrees as she is a GSD.  23-26 degrees and its a proceed with caution and only with lots of water and walking in mostly shady areas.  Any temp higher than that then its only take them out when absolutely necessary and with plenty of water.

I'm really surprised no one cancelled on you, I would have done and probably just asked for a home visit instead to check on dog and water etc.  

Lovely as this weather is, its really no fun for our furry babies!  Although Holly has finally discovered that the hosepipe is great fun and cools her down!

 

[gypsysmum2]

I just go by the dog. Keep a very close eye on them and walk according to what you see. If they are happy to pootle along then, as long as you don't go too far and have to walk miles back, you should be fine. If they are heavy coated do make sure they are groomed out. Excess hair is a nightmare in hot weather. Normal hair moves and lets some air in but dead hair does not. Most dogs benefit from some sort of outing to have a sniff around. It is chasing about and getting too excited that is bad for them.

 

[arealhuman]

Thanks all for the replies to my question.  I tried the wet towel thing last night, gently placing it over Jimmy as a bit of fun as well as a cooling method, and he just waddled around to get it off, it was quite funny to watch!  I've also tried some cold stuff in his Kong which went down well and I;ve got a fan on order (desk size), although he didn't like the small little handheld ones you can get, he tired to bite it!

Based on the comments above, I might look at reducing the distance of our walks in very hot weather like we have now, or the number he has each day (currently three).  He was a bit slow on the way home yesterday afternoon, and I put this down to the heat.

Thanks again to everyone who replied

 

[Sharkoman]

My sister had this really cool fan which sprayed cool water droplets along with the fan, but that's a bit expensive.

I usually just take my dog with me to go swimming. Only problem is that most pools where I live don't allow pets </3

 

[Biker John]

I used a cool mat for a Shih Tzu that was affected by hot weather, he used to lie on it a lot and yes it worked, by keeping him cooler and happier.

 

[arealhuman]

Thanks Biker John, may look in to the cool mats again if the weather gets as hot as it has been.

 

[Peegee]

I give Evie an ice cube to eat.  She loves them.