This obviously is part two of my series, Hot Tips for Cool Pets. Part one was about water. My goal for this series is go provide pet parents with information and ideas to help keep their fur kids cool, safe and comfortable during hot weather and all year long.
Pets don’t sweat!
Our fur kids far more likely than we are to suffer from heat related issues, including deadly heat stroke! We have the huge advantage over our furry friends of being able to sweat. You may thinking, “What? I spend big bucks on stuff to keep me from sweating.” However, our ability to perspire, gives us a great mechanism to regulate our body heat. Our fur-covered friends are only able to cool themselves through panting, basically exhaling their body heat, and through a small amount of perspiration from their paw pads and nose. This is much less efficient than sweating, so our pets are far more susceptible to heat exhaustion or heat stroke than we are. Remember: If you’re hot, your pets are even hotter!!!!
FYI… Brachycephalic (flat faced) breeds, like Bull Dogs, Pugs, Persian Cats, etc., are even more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Many of them cannot tolerate heat at all, so if you share your life with a Brachy, like I do, be very careful to keep them cool at all times!
Pets don’t complain!
The thing is many pets don’t complain when they’re starting to feel sick. Instincts tell them not to show signs of weakness, so they often suffer in silence. Or they’re having so much fun playing, lying in the sun, being with us, etc., that they ignore what their bodies are telling them.
Some animals, especially young ones, aren’t always in tune with their bodies, and they can get so caught up in playing, ball/Frisbee chasing, etc., that they won’t stop when they start to get hot and tired. While most pets will seek out cool places to rest during the heat of the day, I’ve known sun loving dogs and cats (and people) who, if allowed to, will lie in the sun until they nearly pass out from heat exhaustion. It’s up to us to monitor our fur kids, make them stop playing or come inside before then start to get overheated.
Exercise doesn’t replace good training.
OK, now I’m going to have a bit of a rant… Even on cool days, I see people on bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, etc., running an obviously hot and exhausted dog… and it makes me so angry! It makes me even angrier during hot weather. If they were actually running themselves, they might think twice about how far and fast they are forcing their dog to go.
I’m certainly not opposed to exercising us, or our dogs, and exercising with our K9 friends can make it way more fun! Just keep in mind that many dogs will push themselves way too far to keep up with us, even if it means making themselves very sick in the process. And, let’s be honest, they often don’t really get to choose to stop, when we’re pulling them along by their necks. Of course, there are those breeds and types of dogs for whom a good long run is good exercise, but even they can get too much of a good thing, especially on hot days. Most breeds were not designed for long distance running, they’re more like sprinters than marathon runners. Making them do so can be damaging to their muscles, bones, and joints. Plus, on warm days, it can be very hazardous to their health!
As with ourselves… Be wise when you exercise your dog! On very hot or humid days, only exercise your dog in the early morning or late evening, when it’s cooler. Even then, it can still be humid, which makes it difficult to breath well. When your dog starts to pant heavily, with his tongue hanging way out of his wide-open mouth, and he starts to slow down… he’s tired… give him a break!
I know most people aren’t trying to be cruel to their dog, even though they often are; they really love him or her and think they’re doing a good thing for their dog. Often they’re operating under the misguided idea that dogs just need lots and lots of exercise to make them better behaved. Usually, it really makes them too tired to move when they’re done running for several miles, so they just seem better behaved. But what has the dog really learned? Maybe… that his beloved person can be very mean! It’s better to train your dog, along with providing reasonable exercise and giving him positive things to do! For some ideas, check out my blog: I’m Soooooo Bored!!!!
Most of us wear shoes when we’re walking around outside, especially on hot days. So we often forget just how hot streets and sidewalks can get. Our dogs can’t forget because they’re often forced to walk on these very hot surfaces with their bare paws.
When I was a kid, I had to be forced to wear shoes (I hated them, still do). I would shed them whenever I could and go barefoot. My mom must have asked, “Where are your shoes?” a million times. Since our bodies are often smarter than we are, the soles of my feet got thick and hard to accommodate the wear and tear of barefoot walking. But, even with my very tough feet, I would often have to run across asphalt streets, they were so hot, and even then my feet occasionally got burned. Even concrete sidewalks got too hot to walk on.
You might be thinking, “That’s nice, but who cares? A human’s foot is not like an animal’s paw.” You would be right, there are obvious physiological differences. But you would also be wrong… our feet, like their paws did not evolve to walk on hot blacktop or concrete. During the day, pavements can reach 150 degrees. Walking and running on hot pavement can burn your dog’s paws. Some dogs have actually had the pads of their paws literally burned off by being forced to run on the hot ground! BTW, even dirt paths can get very warm on hot days!
When you’re out with your dog, keep an eye on him while he’s walking. If he starts picking his paws up quickly, the ground may be too hot. Try to get him off the pavement and onto grass ASAP, grass is always cooler than cement! However, the best idea is to avoid asking your dog to walk on hot surfaces in the first place.
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