As I write this it is so bloody warm and I am sat inside a darken flat! I know I shouldn’t complain but I am but I’m sticky and uncomfortable urgh! Please can I get a side of fresh air with this sunshine? As you know dogs can only cool down through panting and can only sweat through the pads on their paws.
Today’s dog walks have been slow and either full of shade or lots of water to help the dogs I walk stay cool. In my van they lie on cool mats and have access to water too. I live in a 2nd floor flat with no air conditioning or direct outside garden so it can be difficult to keep my dogs cool in the warm weather.
My flat gets the sunshine every afternoon so my curtains are permently closed, the windows are all open and I have a desk fan on the floor going all day long. My flat is constantly warm in the summer so its vital that I ensure my dogs are comfortatble
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Here’s what I do.
1. Water.Now I don’t need to tell you how important access to fresh water is regardless of what time of year it is. In summer it is even more vital.So in summer I chuck a couple of ice cubes in the bowls to help keep the water cool and refreshing. Avoid turning it into ice water as the sudden coldness of the water won’t benefit your dog.
I also pop in Rock Sulpher its a natural rock full of minerals that dispirse into the dogs water. The minerals help to keep the dog cool as it cools the blood.
2. Hot Water Bottles Fill hot water bottles up with ice water, the hot water bottle will insulate the extreme coldness from your dog while providing a cool relief, place them on or near your dogs stomach.
If like my two your dog is highly suspicious of the hot water bottle then you can always directly wet their stomachs and chest area with tepid/cool water. Again avoid using ice water as it will be too much of a shock for them.
3. Cool Mats I love these and so does Ally, they stay cool without messing with water or the freezer, when the dogs lie on them they actively drop the dogs body temperature by a few degrees. I have several scattered around my flat and Ally can always be found sleeping on one…all year round in fact!
4. Frozen Treats.Grab your kongs, lick mats and fill them with your dogs favourite treats and pop them in the freezer. Your dog will get a lovely cool treat, make sure you don’t leave them too long in the freezer as you don’t want to get freezer burn over the food.
When I make up the Kong toys I use peanut butter to seal in the treats and this is also perfect for freezing, you could also use cream cheese.
Additionally you could freeze gravy in a ice cube tray for a nice cold treat. You could also pop your dogs favourite chew toys in the freezer for a little while to give them a cool chew. Its not uncommon to find a nylabone or 2 in my freezer!
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5. Grooming.Keeping on top of your dogs coat will help keep them cool by removing knots and dead hair. So make sure you’re regually brushing them through. My two hairy lunatics get combed through once a week to help remove their undercoats which aids air flow too. to help keep them cool. Hope that gives you some ideas to help in this hot weather.
What are your top tips?
Take care
Suzanne aka The Rescue Dog Ranger
