It’s beginning to heat up in San Luis Obispo County and for a lot of families that have dogs that means having to keep their pups cool and safe. While our dogs may not sweat like us, they definitely feel the heat like us. So we hope these tips do the trick for the upcoming hot SLO days.
Stay Indoors
Some of us may have air conditioning or even fans in our homes to make the heat more bearable. If your pup is ok staying in for most of the day, that would be the ideal situation. This will ensure that your dog’s body temperature is at a comfortable level throughout the day. Of course, there are some dogs that require more activity than others so we hope the following tips help!
Morning & Evening Walks
If going on walks with your dog is a part of your daily routine, you will need to be cautious of taking them out in the heat. During incredibly hot days, the middle of the day (early to mid-afternoon) tends to be the hottest time of the day. Venturing out with your dog in the middle of the day will increase their chances of getting burnt paw-pads or even getting heat-stroke. However, if it is absolutely necessary for your pup to be out in the heat of the day, keep your pup off concrete and asphalt (you may purchase shoes to protect their paw-pads!) and take plenty of water for them. Just keep in mind that the ideal times to walk your pup will be in the early morning and in the evening. This might cause some rescheduling but in the end will be worth it to keeping your best friend safe and comfortable.
Provide Shade
Whether at home or outdoors, it will be vital to ensure that there is plenty of shade for your pup to keep cool. Trees can be helpful but sometimes unreliable due to the movement of the branches and leaves. For that reason, we recommend having patio umbrellas, pop-up canopies, or even easy set up sun-shades. If you’d like to go all out for your best friend, then consider buying them a shaded pet bed. While your dogs are staying under the shade, they will also be keeping cool. So what if you go out to the store? Leaving your dog in the car with all the windows down is still a shaded area right? Unfortunately, no. Leaving your dog in the car for even a few minutes in the heat can be detrimental. We suggest your dog stay at home when running errands to ensure that they will not get a heat-stroke.
Water for Hydration
Water is very important for humans and for dogs. So we all know that staying hydrated during hot Summer days is vital. While at home ensuring that your pup has enough fresh water is crucial. We found that having several bowls throughout the house helps ensure that our pup is well hydrated. You could even place a couple ice-cubes in their bowl to make it cooler for them to drink.
Water for Play
Now for playing in the water, this can be done in the comfort of your own home. You could use something as simple as a hose to mist your pup or you could place an oscillating sprinkler-head on your hose for your pup to play with. Taking it to the next level of fun would be using a pool for your dog to take a dip in because getting their paws wet alone helps dogs stay cool. Playtime with water will require supervision so we hope the whole family is ready for some fun as well! Perhaps your dog is not too keen on water-play, that’s ok! You can get a clean rag or towel to dip in cool water (not ice cold), ring it out, and place it over your dog's body to create a cool wrap for them.
Well we hope these tips were helpful! May everyone and their pups stay safe in this summer heat!
References:
All proceeds from Thousand Hills Pet Resort go toward New Life K9s. New Life K9s provides service dogs to veterans and first responders with PTSD at no cost to them.
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