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| 3 Hot, Sleepy Dogs - heat will make your dogs more lethargic than usual. |
We are having a prolonged heat wave here in Southern California and many people who live near the coast do not have central AC. Imagine having a fur coat and dealing with this heat. Here are a few tips to keep your pets a little more comfortable in this heat:
1) Walk your pets in the early morning or after the sun goes down. Not only is it cooler but the pavement won't burn the pads of their feet. My last post reviewed how to test the pavement to make sure it is safe for your dogs. Avoid hiking during a heat wave so that you do not expose your dog to the risk of heat exhaustion.
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| Walk your pet in the early AM or evening to keep them cool and protect their paws. |
2) Evaporative Cooling - I will wet down the fur between the shoulder blades and back of the neck to help cool down my dog via evaporative cooling. If you set up a fan, dogs will sleep in front of the fan to enhance this effect.
3) Freeze a partially filled water bottle - wrap it up in a towel and place it near your dog. Often they will sleep against it or use it as a pillow. Senior dogs may not be able to tolerate the heat as well as younger dogs.
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| Kiku is sleeping against a frozen water bottle wrapped with a towel. |
4) Raised loungers - raised bed or loungers can help with air circulation. And, many dogs like sleeping on them when it is hot. The lounger in the picture below is from Doggie Loungers.
5) Hydration - it goes without saying that you want to make sure your pet is well-hydrated. Keep extra bowls of water out if you are going to be out of the house for long periods of time.
Do you have any other tips you would like to share. Post them below. Happy Training!
