Dogs need to be able to cool off when it is very hot. A good way to do this is with the lawn sprinkler in the garden.
Soon they will be back again, the hot dog days: between July 23rd and August 23rd, summer reaches its peak here. Already in the morning the sun hits the floor and at noon the heat is unbearable for our four-legged friends. However, with a few tips you can easily ensure that your dog survives hot summer days well. We’ll tell you what your dog needs when it’s hot and how you can cool it down as best as possible.
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Create a cool retreat
Unlike humans, dogs can only sweat through their paws. But since this is not enough to regulate the temperature of the whole body, dogs also give off excess heat by panting. If the heat is too great, however, that is no longer enough.
For this reason, our four-legged friends need other ways to protect themselves from the sun and something like that Avoid heat stroke : You can put a parasol in your garden or on the balcony, for example. Dogs also like to cool off under trees or bushes.
Dark floors that are exposed to the sun should be covered with a light-colored blanket or an old towel to protect them from excessive heat. If it is particularly hot, you can also moisten them. Another way to offer your dog a cool surface to rest is to provideCooling mats . These are usually filled with gel or water and can be cooled in the freezer.
In order not to give the heat in the apartment a chance, it is also a good idea to darken the windows with curtains or blinds in the morning. At night, on the other hand, warm air can be displaced again by opening the windows and doors.
The hot time is the ice age
Everyone enjoys a cool and delicious ice cream in hot temperatures. This also applies to our loyal four-legged friends!Dog ice cream provides a tasty cool down for dogs in no time at all . You only need a few ingredients to make it, and the ice cream is ready after just a few hours in the freezer – for example in an ice cube tray. Creativity knows no limits!
Here are some ideas for ice cream that your four-legged friend will definitely love:
- Most dogs like natural yoghurt or quark, even when frozen.
- Frozen beef or chicken broth is also suitable as a tasty low-carb variant.
- When things have to go fast, overheated dogs do not refuse normal ice cubes made from water.
- Ice cubes in the water bowl are also good for cooling off in the hot summer.
Never leave it in the car
Even at mild temperatures, cars develop into dangerous heat chambers within a very short time. Unfortunately, open windows do not provide sufficient heat exchange above a certain temperature.
The risk of overheating and life-threatening heat stroke is therefore particularly high in summer. In order to be able to protect our dogs from this heat, we should therefore leave them in the shady home whenever possible while shopping or refueling.
Drinking water
During panting, more air is pressed against the mucous membranes. Liquid evaporates, which cools our dog down. The more he pant, the more fluid he loses.
When it is very hot, it is therefore even more important than usual that your dog drinks enough. To ensure that your four-legged friend has enough fresh water, you can try the following tricks:
- Put several drinking bowls in the apartment or house.
- Actively encourage your dog to drink by giving him water or showing the drinking bowl.
- Many dogs prefer to drink water from the garden or unsalted broth.
- Running water or splashing water also encourage some dogs to take up water. For this there isspecial dog drinks and fountains .
Food with a high percentage of liquid
The daily water requirement of a dog depends on its body weight, its activity and its food. So have toDogs fed dry food drink more water.
However, you can already cover part of the water requirement with the feed. If your furry friend likes tooIf you like moist food , you can add it to the dry food or replace it during the summer.
Active cooling for dogs: the wet coat
A very easy way for your dog to cool off in the heat is to take a bath. If you don’t have a lake or stream in the area, there are other ways to wet your dog’s coat.
Dogs are especially happy about you in summer own pool or at least a small tub. With theYou can also encourage your darling to take a little bath with matching toys . Lawn sprinklers and water hoses are also very popular among dogs for playing and cooling off.
However, if you are staying at watering holes for a long time, make sure that your dog is not in the water for too long. Swallowing too much water increases the risk of water poisoning. The first signs of this are restlessness or vomiting in your four-legged friend.
Beware of cystitis
Cooling down on hot days is important. However, this should not be exaggerated. Too cold floors or too cold a bath can lead to bladder infections (cystitis) in our dogs. Typical symptoms for this are frequent urination (polyuria) or pain when urinating (stranguria).
Always give your dog the opportunity to dry off on a towel. At the same time, cooling mats should be checked for their temperature or covered with a towel.
Adapt walks to the time of day
Walking the lunchtime walks in summer is usually no fun for our dogs. The asphalt gets boiling hot and the sun burns down on the thick fur of our four-legged friends.
It is therefore advisable to go for a walk in the cooler morning and evening hours on hot summer days. Furthermore, short distances are sufficient in most cases, especially in the shady forest or in the park.
Snap, snap – coat off?
Many breeds of dogs have very long coats. We humans quickly assume that it will be much too hot for our four-legged friends underneath. But makes it reaching for the clipper relief?
In fact, in addition to its warming function, the thick fur of our dogs also has a cooling function. The evaporation of water in the fur creates an evaporation cold, which provides dogs with dense fur a pleasant cooling. Therefore, one should not automatically trim the fur of every four-legged friend in summer. Race is very important here.
Protection against parasites
Granted, our last tip doesn’t really have anything to do with proper cooling for dogs. Nevertheless, the topic of parasites is particularly important in summer. Because green grass and high temperatures are the perfect conditions for ticks and mites. Protect your dog from dangerous infectious diseases or allergic reactions by starting the spring with theStart Parasite Prevention.
For example, pyrethroids are common Vermin collars to be dribbled onto the skinSpot-On or the chewable tablet. All three product groups contain agents against parasites (antiparasitics), which differ in their duration and spectrum of activity.