Ah, summer is upon us, rather right on top of us! Ugh, this heat!! That brings me to discuss safety issues with dogs, well pets in general, and the heat.
Dogs do not sweat like we do. They do not have sweat glands and the only way they cool off is by panting and resting. If you leave your pets outside during the day while you are at work then you need to reconsider, at least until the fall. Even in the shade your dogs should be refreshed with cool, clean water at least every 2-3 hours. Water can get hot and build bacteria quickly. Also hot water is not going to help them cool off. If your dog is not crate trained then you need to do that and keep them crated inside during the day. If you do not want to do that then consider making a "room" for them with baby gates blocking off certain areas. Be sure that your pets cannot clear the gates or chew items in their new "room". Crates are the best, safest option.
Exercise your dogs only early, early in the day or for short periods in the evening. I know that even you don't want to exercise too long and you shouldn't, it's not safe! After exercising don't allow your dog to gulp down lots of water. They may take in too much and vomit or if you have a dog prone to bloat they can easily bloat if they inhale too much water/air. (More on bloat here.) You can give a tiny bowl of water or just enough to wet their throat and then let them drink more about 45-60 minutes later after they have had time to cool off [indoors].
And one that I feel is a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised--never leave a dog in a car for any amount of time if the temperature outside is 78° or above. On 78° day, temperatures in a car parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees -- and hit a scorching 160° if parked in the sun!
Have a safe and fun summer!
Dogs do not sweat like we do. They do not have sweat glands and the only way they cool off is by panting and resting. If you leave your pets outside during the day while you are at work then you need to reconsider, at least until the fall. Even in the shade your dogs should be refreshed with cool, clean water at least every 2-3 hours. Water can get hot and build bacteria quickly. Also hot water is not going to help them cool off. If your dog is not crate trained then you need to do that and keep them crated inside during the day. If you do not want to do that then consider making a "room" for them with baby gates blocking off certain areas. Be sure that your pets cannot clear the gates or chew items in their new "room". Crates are the best, safest option.
Exercise your dogs only early, early in the day or for short periods in the evening. I know that even you don't want to exercise too long and you shouldn't, it's not safe! After exercising don't allow your dog to gulp down lots of water. They may take in too much and vomit or if you have a dog prone to bloat they can easily bloat if they inhale too much water/air. (More on bloat here.) You can give a tiny bowl of water or just enough to wet their throat and then let them drink more about 45-60 minutes later after they have had time to cool off [indoors].
And one that I feel is a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised--never leave a dog in a car for any amount of time if the temperature outside is 78° or above. On 78° day, temperatures in a car parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees -- and hit a scorching 160° if parked in the sun!
Have a safe and fun summer!
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