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Quick Summary
- Perhaps the most effective way yo keep your dogs safe from overheating is by keeping him hydrated by providing him lots of water, proving a cooling mat, as well as wraps and vests soaked in cold water.
- Avoid leaving your dog in a parked car, keep off hot asphalt/pavement, and walk your dog during cooler times of the day.
- Watch out for signs of overheating like excessive panting, pale gums and tongue, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you notice these, take your dog to the vet ASAP.
During the hot summer months, I always notice many veterinary offices and animal hospitals to be full of pets affected with health issues directly related to the rise in temperature. My immediate advise to keep your dog safe from overheating is to keep him hydrated and provide cooling mats or cold towels.
It is important to consider the safety of your canine during the summer by ensuring that you provide them with of cool water and a place to rest that is outside of the heat. DOG OVERHEATS can lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and even death.
In this article, I will discuss the causes of overheating in dogs, the symptoms of overheating, and how to cool down an overheated dog.
What Is Heat Exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion in dogs occurs when a dog’s body temperature becomes too hot. This heat can lead to heatstroke, which is potentially fatal unless it is dealt with quickly. Heat exhaustion does not always cause heatstroke. Some dogs can recover from exhaustion without the help of their owners or a veterinarian.
Heatstroke in Dogs
Heatstroke in dogs is caused by heat and humidity, lack of access to water or shade, excessive exercise, being overweight or older in age (dogs over seven years old are more susceptible), having an existing heat-related illness like laryngeal paralysis (inability to open the mouth to pant), and being confined in a car.
What to Do If Your Dog Shows Signs of Heatstroke
Heat stroke: Heatstroke can be fatal if it is not treated quickly. In order to prevent overheating, try to save your dog’s long walks or strenuous activities for the mild evenings and early mornings.
Signs of Overheating
It is also important to be on the lookout for excessive panting, pale gums and tongue, vomiting, and diarrhea, which are all warning signs of overheating. Dogs can easily overheat and suffer from heat stroke in the summer months. The life-threatening condition can cause seizures, vomiting, and even death. If your canine shows any of these symptoms, take him to a vet immediately.
How Do Dogs Become Overheated? What Study says
A study by the Animal Protection Institute revealed that a temperature of 82° can translate to a temperature of 109° inside of a vehicle. Alarmingly, at 94° weather, the temperature inside the car shoots up to 119°. Finally, at weather with temperatures 100° and above, the inside a car can reach higher than 130°.
Pet Parents Should Know:
Another safety concern during heat waves occurs when dogs are left in parked cars after being brought along on errand runs. Leaving dogs alone in parked cars puts them at risk for organ failure as well as death due to excessive heat. This because parked cars undergo a “greenhouse effect” which traps in the heat that has permeated through the car windows, resulting in a temperature much higher than what it feels like outside. This occurs even inside of cars that are parked in the shade with their windows cracked.
Keeping dogs safe from overheating
Dogs are susceptible to hot temperatures and can easily become overheated, which can be deadly. The website My DogIsCool is great resource for those concerned with canines being locked inside hot cars by negligent caretakers. My DogIsCool provides informative fliers as well as temperature warming posters about this issue to display in offices or store windows. They also offer a forecasting tool. That provides the temperature of specific zip codes, so you can be fully aware of the high risk areas of the day.
How to Keep Your Dog Cool When It’s Hot Outside
There are several ways to prevent your dog from overheating in hot weather. It is important that you take steps to avoid heatstroke and heat exhaustion by providing shade, plenty of water, cooling body wrap and exercise breaks as needed during hot days. To protect your dog from the sun’s rays, use sunscreen for dogs or keep them inside during hot hours of the day. You can also keep your dog cool by using a cooling vest or bandana when they are outside.
How to keep your canine safe
Here are some hot weather safety tips on how to keep your pets safe from overheating:
- Never leave your dog in a parked car – even if the windows are open – as cars become hot very quickly.
- Avoid hot asphalt/pavement, as this can easily burn your dog’s paws and cause overheating, too.
- Walk your dog during cooler times of the day – early mornings or evenings are best. If you walk during hot hours of the day, please carry water with you and give your dog plenty of breaks.
- Make sure your dog has a shady spot to rest in during hot weather, and plenty of fresh water to drink.
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