4 tips for summer heat safety
As we approach the end of May temperatures are climbing, and we’re starting to get into true summer territory. Here are 4 things that you can do to help keep your dog/s cool and safe this summer!
Know the signs of heatstroke & what to do if you spot them
Heatstroke is a killer; it can come on extremely rapidly, and unfortunately can be fatal in an equally short amount of time.
heatstroke is the big risk to be aware of in the summer months, and it’s really important to familiarise yourself with all the information surrounding this condition, and what to do if you think that your dog is suffering from heatstroke.
The key is that prevention is always better than a cure - take a look at the following 3 tips and consider how you can adjust your routine & make use of equipment to help keep your dog safe this summer. For full details on heatstroke, including an in-depth look at symptoms and severity as well as first aid you can perform if needed, check out this article from the PDSA.
Take extra caution if your dog is particularly old or young, overweight, or has an underlying medical condition that could be aggravated by heat. If you’re not sure about how heat might affect your dog, have a chat with your vet - they’ll be more than happy to give you some advice on your dog specifically.
Extra caution and preparation should also be taken by owners of brachycephalic breeds (flat-faced) such as pugs and bulldogs. The reason for this is detailed in the quote below, extracted from the PDSA article linked above.
“Dogs get rid of a significant amount of body heat through their nose as they breathe out. Brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs struggle to release heat this way because they have much less space inside their nose, which puts them at a very high risk of heatstroke, even on cool days. British Bulldogs are 14 times more likely to develop heatstroke than Labradors, and Pugs are 6 times more likely! Dogs most affected include the Pug, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Dog de Bordeaux, Pomeranian, Shih Tzu and Boston Terrier.”
2. Adjust timing
Probably the most important, and certainly the most impactful change that can be made during the hotter months of the year is adjusting the timing of walks. As we all know, temperatures are cooler at the start and end of the day, before the sun is at its strongest, and after it has set in the evening. So it makes sense, then, to take advantage of those parts of the day in order to avoid those high temperatures which can present such a major risk to your dog’s health and wellbeing.
Something simple to keep in mind is the rule of 8’s - ie. walk before 8am or after 8pm, when the temperatures will be lower. This is just a template however, not a hard rule, and so should the conditions demand it you can and should adjust this further to suit, going out earlier and later as needed.
Every year I see people walking down the street with their dogs right in the middle of the day, when the heat is at its highest and their dog is visibly struggling. Adjusting your schedule when needed is a simple way to keep your pet safe, and there are plenty of options that you can take advantage to help this process - for example, using a professional Walker to take them out early/late, getting someone to pop round during the day to hang out with them in place of a walk, or making use of safe indoor activities such as scentwork games to burn off energy in the middle of the day.
Always remember the golden rule - if you can’t miss the heat, miss the walk! Any dog (no matter how crazy energetic) can go a day or two without a walk, but even a short period of time spent out in extreme temperatures can be fatal, so why risk it?
3. Carry water
My two insulated water bottles for walking - L: Onegreenbottle 2ltr Epic Canteen, R: Asobu 1ltr Water Bottle w/ Bowl.
It might seem simple, but bringing plenty of cool, fresh water with you when out and about could be the difference between your dog coping in the heat and your dog struggling in the heat. Drinking cold water is one of the best ways for dogs to regulate their body temperature, and of course we also know how important it is to stay properly hydrated, particularly in the summer! There are tons of options for portable bottles and bowls around, and my personal recommendation would be to get your hands on an insulated steel bottle where possible. The benefit of an insulated bottle is fairly clear - you’re going to have nice cool water to hand regardless of ambient temperature, whereas materials such as plastic allow the water to lose that important chill faster on a hot day.
When out walking in the summer, make sure to take plenty of water breaks as needed so that your dog can have the opportunity to stop for a moment and cool off. It might be tempting to leave the bottle in the car for when you finish, but ideally we want to help our dogs to maintain an even body temperature throughout the walk, which can be achieved with regular water breaks as you go. Waiting until the end unfortunately runs the risk of your dog overheating before then, which can have catastrophic results. It’s a bit of a pain for us, but carrying a little bag which can hold water and bowl can make such a difference! Plus, you can carry some for yourself too - win-win!
4. Offer cooling mats
Bonnie enjoying a cooling mat on the sofa after a walk!
Cooling mats are my favourite bit of dog-cooling-equipment (of which there’s probably more out there than you think!). The reason is simple: cooling mats are the only bit of equipment designed for helping dogs to cool down that allows them to self-regulate. Other items like bandanas and vests don’t have that option, and can even sometimes have the opposite to the desired effect, ultimately making our dogs warmer!
These mats are brilliant, as they give dogs an option to lie somewhere cool (which is another important way in which dogs are able to regulate their body temperature), and then determine for themselves when they’ve had enough and need a break. We’re never going to know as well as they do how hot they might be, so why try to manage this for them? Of course, there are times when we do have to step in, for example with excessive-sunbathers who just don’t know when to get out of the boiling sun, but when it comes to helping our dogs to cool off in the home, this is the best option in my opinion.
Another thing to note about these is that these mats are excellent if you have a primarily or fully-carpeted home. As mentioned above, dogs use lying down on cold surfaces as a means to cool themselves (ever noticed those funny bald patches at your dog’s elbows/armpits and inside the hips? that’s what they’re for!), but if there’s nowhere suitable in your home then they’ll struggle to make this work. Hard surfaces in a cool room that your dog has access to can provide the same effect, but if you mostly have carpet or a home that becomes very warm overall, then having a cooling mat out allows them to do this and keep themselves from overheating.
This year, I’m also going to be making use of my cooling mats in my car whilst transporting dogs to and from walks. Although all of my clients are within a fairly small distance from the woods where I walk, the last thing you want after a warm-weather walk is to get into a hot stuffy car, which can feel like the worst thing ever even if it’s only 5 minutes! So, on top of making use of ventilation or air conditioning, placing cooling mats down will further help to cool the dogs as they travel. The main thing to consider if you’re thinking about doing this yourself is lack of supervision - if you have a dog who’s a bit of a chewer, or a young pup (so being a chewer is a given!), then you might need to think about placing an additional layer over the mat, or having someone in the passenger seat who can keep an eye out for chewing of the mat. The mat contains a gel which is obviously not intended for ingestion, so make sure to mitigate the risk of damage as much as possible if using it in this context. Likewise, when leaving a mat down in the house, make sure this is done under supervision if necessary, and that the mat is taken up if you have to leave your dog and you’re not confident that they won’t have a chomp on it.
So there you have it, 4 tips for staying safe this summer whilst exercising your dog/s! The best thing you can do is be prepared - know the signs of heatstroke, know what to do if you spot them, and above all, know how to keep them at bay! Making changes to your routine can take some thought and planning, but remember that there are always people around who can help you.
Have fun out there and stay safe!