Keeping your dog safe and cool in the summer heat
It’s just past mid-May, and here in Texas temperatures have already quickly risen! While the Summer season can bring tons of opportunities to engage in fun outdoor activities for you and your dog, they can also bring a number of risks if you aren’t careful. Summer temperatures can lead to a number of heat-related illnesses, and many can be quickly fatal if you don’t recognize the signs and seek medical attention in time. Thankfully, we’ve got some tips to keep you and your dog safe in the heat while enjoying the Summer months together!
Tip 1: Keep Higher energy outdoor activities to specific times of day when the temps are coolest
During other times of year it may be harmless to take your dog out for a walk through the neighborhood or out to play in the backyard during your mid-day lunch break, but in the Summertime, these high activity outings can become dangerous in just a matter of minutes. If long, vigorous walks or jogs are part of your routine with your dog, make some adjustments in the hotter months to go out during the coolest parts of the day: early morning or late evening hours. Set your alarm an hour earlier in the mornings, or wait until temperatures drop in the late evenings before heading out for any kind of vigorous exercise. Any time the temperatures reach the mid-80’s or higher, you are at a significantly higher risk for heat-related illness.
Tip 2: Check the pavement Before you walk!
It’s easy to forget about our dog’s paw pads when we think about bringing them outside on a hot day, but it’s very common for dogs to get burns on their feet or overheat from walking on hot pavement! Concrete and asphalt hold on to heat when exposed to the direct sunlight, so it’s incredibly important to make sure your dog is staying off pavement as much as possible throughout the day. Even into early evening hours when the air temperature starts to drop, the pavement still may be too hot to walk on. When in doubt, take the palm of your hand or the bottom of your bare foot and place it on the pavement before walking. If you can’t hold it there comfortably for 10 full seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paw pads. If you can, it should be safe to walk on.
When the pavement around your neighborhood is too hot to walk on, try finding a grassy area or shaded, wooded trail to use for exercise instead. Keep your dog’s paw pads safe from burns!
Tip 3: learn the signs of overheating so you can act quickly
Even with taking appropriate precautions, it’s still possible that your dog can experience signs of overheating or even early signs of heat stroke. The sooner you can catch on to the signs, the quicker you can act to help cool your dog down and get their body temperature back to a safe level again. Some common signs of overheating in dogs include:
Uncontrollable, heavy panting
Skin reddening
Dog is seeking shade
Becoming restless or having difficulty paying attention
If your dog is showing these signs, please bring them indoors into an air conditioned space and provide fresh water to help cool them down. If you do not have access to an air conditioned space, provide fresh water, bring your dog into the shade, pour water over them, or place cool wet towels/rags on their armpits, neck, and between their hind legs to help bring their body temperature down. If your dog does not cool down quickly, seek medical attention.
There are also more severe signs that may indicate heat stroke. These signs mean your dog needs medical attention as soon as possible and you should seek the help of a veterinarian right away. Signs of heat stroke may include:
Gums are an abnormal color (bright red, purple, blue)
Dog is acting disoriented, dizzy, or collapses
Dog may seize uncontrollably
Lethargy
Refusing water
Excessive drooling
Vomiting
Tip 4: on very hot days, opt for indoor activities instead
Even when temperatures soar, you likely will still need a means to keep your dog entertained or give them an outlet to use their mind if a walk or romp in the backyard isn’t safe at the time. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to keep our dogs entertained while staying indoors. Using enrichment activities and training are a great means of keeping your dog’s mind busy, and 30 minutes of sniffing, licking, and chewing can equate to up to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise when it comes to using up some of your dog’s energy. A few activities we suggest to keep the Summer-heat-blues away while inside include:
Give Food Enrichment Puzzles
Having your dog forage and work for food is a fantastic way to keep them entertained and help them meet their biological needs when outdoor exercise options are limited. Try investing in a few stuff-able for enrichment toys, food puzzles, and edible chews to have on hand when you need them. A few suggestions we recommend include:
Try Nosework With Your Dog
Nosework is a fantastic, low-impact activity to do with your dog while indoors that works their mind and allows them to use their sense of smell to find target odors and get rewards. Nosework is also a really beneficial activity for shy, nervous, or reactive dogs to build their confidence and connection with their handler. To start with Nosework, try placing a few food rewards in a small box in the middle of the room. Bring your dog into the room and cue them to “find it!” Once they go to the box and find the treat, praise heavily and drop a few more treats into the box to reward them before bringing them back out of the room and resetting for another repetition. As your dog gets the hang of this, you can start placing the “dirty” box with the food in it around other objects and boxes in the room to have your dog use their nose and sniff through all the obstacles to find the right box. Interested in getting into Nosework? Trainer Liz offers Nosework lessons both in person and virtually! Go to our booking page and book a Nosework consultation with Liz here.
Practice Training With Your Dog
Having a structured 5-10 minute training session with your dog to teach them something new or practice solidifying a behavior they recently learned is a wonderful way to entertain your dog! It doesn’t take long with training to mentally tire your dog out, it requires them to use their mind and problem solve which is a perfect recipe for a satisfied pup. Training sessions can involve working on impulse control exercises, cooperative care sessions, teaching obedience behaviors, or learning new tricks! Trick training can be a fantastic way to build your relationship with your dog, build their confidence, and expend excess energy. It also doesn’t hurt that it gives you something fun to show off to friends with too. Trick training is great mental stimulation!
Giving your dog activities to do indoors like allowing them to try de-stuffing a new toy, giving a frozen food puzzle, or practicing learning some new tricks are fantastic ways to work their brains until temperatures outside are safe enough for physical exercise.
Tip 5: Water Is (usually) your friend!
Fresh water needs to be readily available to your dog often or at all times when you do bring your dog out for outdoor activities in the heat. Making sure they stay hydrated through the Summer months and especially before/after vigorous activity is key to a healthy dog. We want to encourage drinking and hydration through the Summer, and with dogs who may not drink a whole lot of water, we may need to help them out to ensure they stay healthy. Try adding warm water or dog-safe bone broth (found at most pet stores) to your dog’s meals to re-hydrate them. Make your dog a pup-sickle by filling a silicone mold with broth, kefir, coconut water, canned pumpkin, yogurt, etc with some treats or dog-safe fruits and veggies, then put the mold in the freezer. All of these liquids or soft, moist foods are healthy and hydrating, plus your dog will likely appreciate getting a frozen treat when the temps outside are climbing! If you are concerned about your dog’s fluid intake and think they should be drinking more, consult your veterinarian for additional tips.
When it comes to outdoor activities, it’s not a bad idea to incorporate water into your dog’s vigorous walk or play! Many dogs will appreciate a small kiddie pool in the yard with water to step in and out of. Dogs who love swimming may appreciate you choosing a hiking or walking spot that has a body of water for them to get in mid-walk. There are even cooling vests available to wet and put on your dog to keep their body temperatures down while exerting themselves outside, and cooling mats if your dog needs to lay down and take a breather. Water is your friend!
However, be wary of standing water, or water that is discolored or has an “off” smell to it. Especially in late Summer and early Fall months, dogs can be susceptible to blue-green algae poisoning, which can be fatal. Any time your dog gets access to a questionable body of water, be on the lookout for any signs of illness and head to the vet straight away if you see any. Additionally, be sure to fully bathe your dog and don’t allow them to lick themselves clean to prevent potential additional ingestion.
Summertime can be a whole lot of fun for people and their dogs. The warm weather opens up the possibility for all kinds of fun activities, but these activities can become dangerous and even fatal if you are not careful. Follow these tips to keep you and your dog safe through the season!
