If you are living in a place where the summers are gruelling hot, you know how exhausting it is to the body and mind. 

Now, if you have a dog, just think about how it would with thick fur on their skin. 

Contrary to popular opinion, dogs do experience severe heat during summer and are exposed to overheating as well.  One of the common signs of overheating in dogs is panting, a mechanism that helps them to cool down. This is similar to sweating in humans. 

In this blog, you will see 7 highly effective tips to help you keep your dogs safe, cool and healthy during the blistering heat of the summer. Here are those tips,

1) Keep them Well-Hydrated

Keeping your dogs well-hydrated is key to helping them beat the heat in the summer. For this, you can place a water bowl near your dog, to let them drink the water whenever they want. Make sure the water bowl is away from direct sunlight, to prevent it from heating up. On the other hand, if you are travelling with your dog, carry a separate water bottle for them, just as you carry one for yourself. During extremely hot weather, feed them more water than usual. These steps effectively reduce the chance of heat stroke in them. 

2) Walk them When It’s Cooler

Dogs typically need some physical activity daily to stay healthy and fit. However, walking them during strong mid-day sun can be highly dangerous. It would be better if you don’t go out with your dog between 10 AM to 4 PM since this is the time when sunlight would be at its peak and it will be scorching heat outside. You should also postpone activities like fetching and running when it is cool, especially in the evening. This is because rigorous activities in the noon can put them at risk of heatstroke. You may also take your dogs for a walk early in the morning when it is fairly cooler.

3) Make a Shaded, Cool Spot to Relax

When it’s too hot outside, dogs look for a shaded spot where they can sleep and relax. If you don’t see one, you can artificially create by using umbrellas or portable sunshades. An even better option is to buy them a dog bed and place it in a shaded region, so they can doze off peacefully. A dog bed is highly beneficial, especially for senior dogs who often experience the problem of arthritis, and have trouble lying on hard surfaces.

4) Give an Ice Pack, Cooling Mat or Wet Cloth to Lay on

As simple as it sounds, offering an ice pack, cooling mat or a wet cloth significantly helps in lowering your dog’s body temperature when it is hot outside. What you can do is, wrap an ice pack in a blanket and place it on your dog’s bed, which will give a cooling effect to the dogs.  Another great option is a cooling mat, which also provides a chilling effect to dogs, especially useful when they are sitting on the ground. You may also use a wet towel, which you can soak in cold water and drape over your dog.

5) Get a Fan for Them

Many houses are not equipped with ACs. In that case, you can place a fan next to your dog’s usual sitting. The air circulation from the fan regulates the body temperature of the dog and will give them a lot of comfort. To generate extra cool wind, you can consider putting a bowl of ice in front of the fan.

However, ensure that your dog is not too close to the fan, especially when it is running at full speed. This can create discomfort in them. Also, make sure that there is enough facility for your dogs to move themselves from the fan if they feel the wind is too much for them. 

6) Give them a Gravy Dog Food

Adding gravy dog food to your dog’s diet keeps them healthy and well-hydrated during the blistering heat of the summer. Besides, gravy foods are more appealing to dogs than dry dog foods, as the former has  excellent aroma and also helps them in hydration. 

If you are looking for a fitting gravy dog food, a diet like Brunos Wild Essentials Canned Gravy Dog Food, is ideal for dogs of all stages. It also consists of prebiotics for ensuring a healthy digestive system in the dogs. Chicken is the main constituent of this diet and it tempts even the pickiest of eaters. The high protein content of this food also helps in building strong muscle mass in dogs.

7) Never Leave Your Dog in a Hot Car

Cars can get absurdly hot within a short amount of time. This is why you should never leave your dogs alone in your car, not even for a short duration. Dogs are far more sensitive to heat than humans and can experience heat stroke or even organ failure in a matter of minutes. This is why you should be highly careful while driving with the dogs during summer.

Also, while driving with your dog, turn on the car’s AC as it will help them stay cool. Most importantly, when you are parking your car with the dogs inside, avoid doing so in direct sunlight. This will ensure that your dogs don’t suffer from overheating.  

In Short,

With the help of these seven tips, your dogs will happily ace this summer by feeling as cool as a cucumber. With these tips, you will be able to keep your dogs cool, safe and comfortable even during the hottest of days. Yet, at any point in time, if you see your dogs panting heavily, take them to a cooler spot and let them sip cold water. If you still don’t see any improvement, contact your vet without any delay.