My fav thing to do on the weekends is walk Dixie on the beach. But when it gets hot, I find myself always worrying about how hot she is getting. So, I did a bit of research and talked to pet stores, and I’m giving y’all the inside deets!
Don’t be alarmed when your dog is panting in the heat! There are of course many signs to overheating, but this alone is nothing to worry about. Dogs only have sweat glands in their paws, so panting is their way of keeping cool. Some more serious signs of overheating are them being unsteady on their feet, visibly exhausted and vomiting and diarrhea. You may have seen your vet do this, but if you pull up their scruff, you can also tell based on the elasticity if they are properly hydrated or not! If the skin takes a long time to return to being flat on the body, this is a bad sign...
So, when you’re heading out with your pup for a day in the sun, there is some easy precautions that you can take! Pick up a doggy friendly water bottle from the pet store that allows the dog to drink water with ease. They are cheap too, typically under $10 at pet stores!
Also, this will be surprising but don’t cut your dog's hair! Them having longer hair will actually help keep them cool. With short hair, they are more at risk of getting sun burned. Yes, a sunburn! There is even pet sunscreen to put on to protect them from those UV rays! Also, the hotter it is, the more likely your pup is to dig because the dirt is cool! Your inner clean freak may have to let this one go for the day! As for ice cubes in extremely hot temperatures, they’re a big no-no! It changes the dog's temperatures too fast and can lead to shock!