How to help a dog in the heat: helpful tips

Owners who seriously take care of their pet want to prepare the dog in advance for the summer. On hot days, the animal may refuse to eat, feel apathy and a general deterioration. In order to somehow make life easier for a four-legged friend, you need to take care of the cooling methods. It is worth approaching the procedure with responsibility and starting from the breed of the pet.

What breeds are at risk?

1. Almost everyone knows that molting occurs in dogs twice a year. The dog loses its hair when the temperature rises to 25 degrees or when the mark on the thermometer does not rise above 18 degrees. According to these data, we can conclude that the dog removes the coat or dresses up in it. If by nature the pet has no undercoat, then only the core hair changes.
2. There are breeds of animals that do not molt. This list includes Yorks, Poodles, Italian Greyhounds, etc. The listed breeds do not react at all to climate change and temperature increase in particular.
3. Not only temperature, but also excess humidity can start molting. This indicator to a lesser extent affects the well-being of the pet, but you should not discount it. In a humid and hot climate, the pet feels much worse than in a dry one.
4. By the hot season, all pets with a thick undercoat are prone to overheating. This includes Laikes, Husky, Sheepdogs, Malamutes and other furry friends of man.
5. The risk zone includes those pets in which the color of the coat is dark. An example is the Rottweiler. Owners of decorative (indoor) dogs should be careful, such pets have poor thermoregulation. Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, etc., are prone to thermal shock.

Features of dog thermoregulation

1. This is not to say that the body of the four-legged pets was left without protection. The dog has sweat glands, but in small quantities. They cannot remove heat to a greater extent. Therefore, the pet sticks out its tongue and wants to expel the warm air from itself by mouth.
2. Not everyone is aware of the unique qualities of dogs that affect their way of sticking out their tongues. With such actions, the salt metabolism is disturbed in the body of the animal, so the cells cannot independently produce heat. This protects the animal from overheating.
3. Salty liquid dries faster than ordinary unsalted water, and the area in which it was present begins to cool rapidly. By the same principle, the body of the animal is cooled when opening the mouth and breathing with its tongue sticking out.

Natural cooling dogs

1. The first and main way is to provide the dog with free access to water, to drink it with an average amount of liquid. Do not force the animal to consume water without measure, because this will not affect the kidneys in the best way. But dehydration should not be allowed. Stick to the middle ground.
2. Heat acts as a catalyst that triggers various diseases in animals. If these diseases "slept", then an increase in temperature will quickly put them on alert. If the animal drinks too much or, conversely, not enough, this may indicate infection with ticks. Therefore, it is important to timely treat with special drops / sprays / collar, etc.
3. The fact that the dog refuses food in the heat is considered normal. But everything should be a measure. If the animal literally went on a hunger strike, this behavior should not be let loose. However, in cases where the pet does not eat, but drinks water, everything is fine.Dogs refuse food for a simple reason: when carbohydrates enter the body, the body warms up. But the animal does not need it. Therefore, the pet usually eats in the evening, when the heat subsides.
4. Another option, as the dogs cool in the heat, is digging holes. They dig a "mink" for themselves, removing the heated top layer of the earth. Then they sink into a cool layer and slowly begin to cool. The difficulty lies in the fact that the dog gets tired when digging a hole, so the owner needs to help her.

Dog Cooling Methods

Change your walk mode

1. To alleviate the condition of the animal, walks should be carried out in the early morning or late evening. If the street temperature is very high, and the pet has not yet learned how to cope with the need in the fresh air, you should lay the diaper in the room or on the balcony.
2. If you live in a private house, then lock the animal in the room is not worth it. If necessary, the dog should move freely to find the most comfortable and cool place for her.
3. As an alternative, it is recommended to fill the bathtub with cold water. The dog will thus be able to cool without any problems when she pleases. You can lay a thick metal sheet, the main thing is that sunlight does not fall on it.
4. Keep in mind that in the hot season it is strictly forbidden to walk the animal in the muzzle. If there is an urgent need, give preference to open models that are made of nylon.
5. Dogs with dark and black color must be worn in light white clothing made of cotton. As an alternative, your regular white t-shirt will do. Almost everyone knows that light clothing reflects the sun's rays.
6. Try not to walk on the asphalt, remember, you walk in shoes and your sole is protected, which cannot be said about the animal. Pads on the legs of a pet are quite sensitive to a hot surface. Try to lead the dog to the place of walking on the grass.
7. After you return home, it is highly recommended that you treat your paw pads with liquid paraffin. Thus, the pet does not crack the skin. Otherwise, problems of a certain nature may develop.
8. On hot days it is forbidden to give the dog heavy physical exertion. Try to reschedule classes in the evening when the heat subsides.

Change your diet and diet

1. Often changing the diet does not present any difficulties. The pet itself will let you clearly understand what it needs and what it can refuse. If you stopped exercising with your dog, it’s worth moving the animal to light food.
2. Without fail, change the dog’s water several times a day for cold. The pet is allowed to give homemade ice cream that you prepared yourself. Keep in mind that the presence of sugar in the delicacy is strictly contraindicated.

To cut a dog or not?

1. Often, it is enough to provide the right care for the hair to significantly facilitate the life of the animal. Also, do not rush to cut the pet almost bald. Wool not only warms the dog, but also protects it.
2. In hot weather, be sure to comb out the entire undercoat. If the dog is furry, the furminator will do the job well. Trimming “to zero” is allowed only for those pets that are not prone to molting.

We examined how the animal can cool. However, natural methods can not always help and the pet continues to suffer from unbearable heat. Your task remains to facilitate the life of the dog and avoid heat stroke.

Video: how to help a dog in the heat