It's that time of year when the mercury rises, flip-flops are popped on and ice cream vans can be heard most evenings.
Dogs often don't make good choices for themselves and will stay out even when it's too hot. So we need to make those choices for them.
We know to not leave dogs in cars or walk them in the middle of the day. However, heat injury is something that most owners have little understanding of. Understanding how dogs cool themselves, why it's important and what to look for to prevent heat injury is important. It could save your dog's life.
In this blog post, we're going to explain how dogs cool down and how you can help them do it. We’ll also tell you how to prevent problems in hot weather.
Let’s dive in!
How dogs cool themselves down
Dogs cool themselves by panting rather than sweating. Panting reduces heat by the evaporation of saliva from the dog's respiratory tract. The effectiveness of panting is dependent on the dog's hydration levels, as well as environmental humidity. A dehydrated dog is going to find panting less effective. When humidity is higher than 80% panting is completely ineffective.
Panting increases airflow over the mucosal membranes in the respiratory tract, mouth, tongue and throat. There is a collection of blood vessels at the back of a dog's throat that acts as the radiator of a car. Evaporation cools the blood in those areas, cooling the blood going to the brain.
Keep in mind that your dog’s core body temperature will continue to rise, even after they’ve finished exercising. Then it will plateau, and eventually decrease.
Dogs have sweat glands in their feet when standing they will sweat onto the floor. This isn't their main cooling system though. Dogs radiate heat through their body surface. This happens with radiation from the sun warming them up and heat coming off of their bodies.
Blood flow to the skin can vary depending on the need for heat loss or conservation. More blood flows to the skin as it heats up. Air has a low heat capacity and is a poor conductor of heat, so it serves as an insulator. Hair stands up to trap air to conserve heat. Despite this, shaved dogs get hotter when in the sun, because more radiation from the sun reaches their skin, so take extra care!
How to help your dog cool down
Brush the heat away
Your pet’s coat provides built-in climate control, so brush them often. This removes loose hairs and allows air to circulate freely through their coat. A healthy coat can keep a dog cooler in the summer months by controlling the temperature of his skin. With non-moulting breeds, remember matting stops hair from moving and thus reduces cooling. Regular grooming is key. However, this will only work if the temperature around your dog is lower than your dog’s body temperature (approx 38C).
Keep their environment cool
Use a fan, and keep the room temperature cool by closing the curtains or blinds. We also recommend keeping windows open at night where possible.
Lying down on a cool surface is also great. Dogs can cool themselves a little bit by conduction (through direct touch). My dogs often lie like frogs, or on their side. Cool mats are perfect for this, and if you train with us you can train your dogs to use them. We've tried a few and really rate George Barkley mats - great size, coolness, hardwearing and affordable.
Hydrate (but not too much)
Take water on walks with you and train your dog to drink regularly. If your dog doesn't drink when out, practise this and reward them for doing so. Form this habit of small frequent drinks. If your dog drinks less when out, cut things short and prioritise hydration.
When a dog is overheating you can get frothy saliva which coats their mouth. This makes panting ineffective. A small drink or squirting some water in their mouth can help clear this and help them to reduce panting.
Check for dehydration by offering them water. Encourage them to drink. You will still need to check for physiological signs of dehydration.
You can check the dog's gums by swiping a finger inside the cheek. It should be wet and moist. Check before they drink rather than after. Check this roughly every 10 to 15 minutes.
You may also perform a skin turgor test by raising the skin behind the shoulder blades. It should snap back down. If your dog is dehydrated, the skin will return slowly. If it doesn't return at all, that is a late sign of severe dehydration. This is a late-stage test for dehydration.
Water intoxication is less common than dehydration, but something to be aware of. Pace their water intake by offering a small amount of water in several bowls or by removing the bowl for a minute. Water intoxication happens most often with swimming and playing with water. We encourage paddling but avoid things like hose pipe play.
Identify your dogs risks
Sully gets hot in the car - so we avoid car travel (and have a plan for traffic/breakdowns). I've also seen dogs get too hot in the boots of cars where they are under the hot window and cool air doesn't get to them while driving along.
Deri will sunbath - so he's supervised in the garden and bought back in
Sully runs too much on walks - IF we go for a very early walk we keep him on a long line or let him potter in a secure field
Deri doesn't drink much - we add water to his food
Both dogs enjoy the fan - we have 2 so they dont keep it from each other
We have 6 water bowls around the house - encouraging regular drinking
Sully molts lots - hes groomed daily to remove undercoat
Deri is shaved - reduce time in the sun as he could burn.
Sully love to swim and is very good at it - Going to rivers or lakes often isn't a solution as the the dog gets hot from the exertion and the top couple of foot of water is so warm it doesn't cool the dogs down.
Both the boys have a large SA to volume ratio - so are more susceptible to over heating
Watch out for heatstroke
Heatstroke occurs when a dog can't cool itself and its internal temperature rises to dangerous levels.
Overheating can cause blood clots, respiratory distress or neurological problems. While dogs are at risk, the severity of the risk varies depending on the dog. Health problems like heart issues, being overweight or having an inflammatory condition can increase the risk.
A dog's breed or age can also affect its risk. Brachycephalic dogs, such as French Bulldogs and Pugs, are at high risk because they're ineffective panters. Puppies and older dogs use more energy to move around, which increases their metabolic temperature. There are also some breeds (like those with double coats) that are going to struggle.
Heat stroke happens quickly and is often fatal. It's a complicated chain of events which can be challenging to stop once it's begun.
Signs of heat stroke include
Seeking shade
Excessive drooling
Collapsing
Vomiting
Heavy panting and difficulty breathing
Mental status changes such as slow reactions or poor response
Proactive and early detection of mild heatstroke is key. Heat stroke is more than overheating. Heat stress is difficult to identify as it can look like the dog isn’t struggling. They may want to play, are too distracted to drink or even choose to stay in the sun.
High drive dogs have an engrained work drive and will keep going despite the hot weather. Dogs aren't great at thinking about consequences, so you have to do it for them.
As you can see, dogs cool down in a variety of ways, but there are some things that you can do to help their furry friends stay comfortable and safe during the hot summer months. If you’re concerned about your dog overheating, be on the lookout for these symptoms of heatstroke and contact your vet immediately if they occur.
Want to learn more about caring for your dog? Come along to one of our classes! We cover everything from obedience, spotlight session, trick training to behaviour modification (canine first-aid, frustration management to massage) to how to keep your pooch happy and healthy all year round.
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