If you are anything like me, I look forward to summer all year long. Those hot temperatures are enjoyable for me, and I would take a 90-degree day over a 2-degree day! Sometimes I forget that my dogs don’t take the heat as well as I do. My Labrador mix has dark, thick fur that quickly gets hot. It is so easy to forget that they can overheat, much faster than humans! Not to mention, he’s always panting anyways so it is easy to overlook his discomfort.
Why can the hot sun be bad for animals in the summer?
If your pet spends too much time in the sun, they may be at risk of multiple conditions.
- Dehydration – symptoms include sunken eyes, lethargy, and weakness
- Heatstroke – symptoms include excessive panting, collapse, vomiting/diarrhea, seizures, and discolored gums
- Sunburn – most common in pets with lighter colored fur on their bellies, ears, muzzle, and face
To combat the hot weather, there are a few things I do to keep my dog cool in the heat. Though I may enjoy an immense amount of sweat from a hot day, my dog most likely does not! Here are five ways I keep my dog cooled off during the summer!
- A full water bowl
- Homemade Frozen Treats
- Doggy Pool
- Cooling Dog Toy
- Using an Elevated Pet Bed
A Full Water Bowl
This is pretty self-explanatory, but especially important when it is hot outside. Keeping your pet’s water bowl filled with cool water is an excellent way for them to regulate their temperature on their own terms. If your pet is thirsty, you want to give them ample chances to quench that thirst and cool off.
Homemade Frozen Dog Treats
All I do for these frozen dog treats is combine blueberries and goat’s milk. You could fancy these up by mixing in peanut butter or your dog’s other favorite ingredients like bananas or strawberries. Add the milk to a silicon mold and then add the berries. Freeze overnight and these are the perfect low-calorie snack you can give your dog to cool them off a bit.
Doggy Pool
On those hot days, we get out of the doggy pool to burn off some energy but stay cool doing so. The Midlee Designs dog pool is super easy to use and has lasted a few summers now. The pool folds up easily and the water can be emptied quickly from a drain on the side. We just set it on a tarp in the grass and fill it up! Our dogs love running through it to cool off or grab the toys they sneakily placed inside!
Cooling Dog Toy
We also have a Cool Pup Dog Toy that you fill with water and freeze. It is supposed to already be flavored like lemon, cherry, lime, and blue raspberry, but I think my pup loves it because it is cold. It is super simple and by far one of the easiest and quickest ways to cool them off with little prep work
Using an Elevated Pet Bed
We use an elevated pet bed, specifically the Midlee Cot Canopy that offers both shades from the sun and elevation off of the hot ground. We love these canopies because they can be taken apart easily and offer some shade for our pets. There are a lot of elevated cots for dogs on the market, but not many with an added shade that goes over the top. This keeps my pet off of the hot pavement and covered from the blazing sun.
There are so many ways to keep dogs cool during the summer, especially if it's very hot. Some pets overheat faster than others, while other breeds are more susceptible to heat. Understanding your pet will help you see their signs of heat exhaustion. If you try to keep them cool as much as possible, then you won't have to worry about them overheating as much.
Hopefully, this article was helpful as I know owning a dog that gets hot easily is nerve-racking, especially when they spend lots of time outside. We just try to keep them cool and comfortable as much as possible during those brutal summer months!