Summer Heat Tips And Tricks!
As we are getting into the summer season here are some seasonal reminders:
Make sure they have a supply to clean and fresh water, perhaps even putting ice cubes in it on the extremely hot days. Put fans on and keep blind or curtains pulled to maintain a cool indoor space for you dog to go if they’re home alone or if they don’t want to be outside. If you have a concrete area in your garden, hose it down to keep it cool so when you dog needs to go to toilet they don’t hurt there paws.
To check if it is cool enough to take your dog for a walk you can do the 5 second concrete test. You put the back of your hand or the sole of your feet on the tarmac/concrete for 5 seconds, as this is a good indicator to your dogs paw will feel walking on the pavement in the heat. If you can’t last the whole 5 seconds then you dogs won’t be able to either and could get burnt paws if they are taken for a walk.
Vets now and the kennel club suggest that walking your dog in anything above 25 degrees is a NO. This is because walking in higher temperatures for long periods of time can cause your dog to get heatstroke, burn there pads, become dehydrated very quickly and even get sunburnt. As dogs still need exercise when it’s warm you could walk your dog early in the morning before the ground is too hot or late in the evening once it’s cooled down, if your dog has long thick fur or gets overheated quickly do shorter walks in the summer to prevent them from exhaustion and becoming dehydrated. Supply your dog with enrichment as they won’t be getting they’re usual walk/routine to give them mental stimulation so they don’t get bored and frustrated. Enrichment ideas for the summer include, paddling pool, lickymatts (that can be frozen), dog pops( basically ice lollies for dog, look out for recipes in following blog posts).
Regular grooming in the summer will help your dog when it comes to dealing with the extreme heat, keeping the fur maintained by regularly bathing and brushing will help for better air circulation. And it’s a good idea to get your dogs coat cut shorter in the summer so they radiate more heat which will help them to be cooler in the extreme temperatures.
Remember not to leave your dog in a dog car in the summer. According to the RSPCA when a dog is left in a car in 22 degrees, the car can reach up to temperatures of 47 degrees within an hour.
Signs of heatstroke:
heavy panting or difficulty breathing
excessively drooling
the dog appears drowsy and uncoordinated
vomiting
loosing consciousness
diarrhoea
Signs of burn pads
limping/refusal to walk
licking or chewing feet/pads
pads are darker in colour
missing part of pads
blisters or redness
We want our dogs to enjoy the summer and being outside but it’s so important to do it safely. Remember no dog has ever died from not going on a walk, this is a good time to introduce some new enrichment activities to burn some energy and provide stimulation. Check out of upcoming blog post for some simple and easy enrichment ideas for your four legged friend!