Poor Suki! She just wants to go on long walks and play outside all day. Unfortunately, summer has finally hit the Midwest with a heat advisory and high humidity all week. It’s miserable even in the shade. Since I would prefer not to rush Suki to the vet for heat stroke, I’ve imposed limits on her outside time. She is NOT amused!
This “lovely” weather has put me back into summer pet safety mode again. Dogs can’t sweat or cool down efficiently like humans, so we have to be extra careful with them in the summer. We need to look out for them!
The folks at www.theuncommondog.com have created a cute infographic for reminders on keeping our canines cool this summer:
Also, please keep these tips in mind:
1. NEVER, EVER leave a dog in a car. Even outside temps in the 70s can be fatal. If I see a dog in a hot car, I will break the window and call police. The dog’s life is way more important than your car window. The graphic below from Out of the Woods Rescue facebook page shows how quickly the interior of a vehicle can heat up. How about you sit in the car and see how you like it!
2. Pavement heats up quickly, especially blacktop. Even just a few minutes can severely burn a dog’s paws to the point of blisters on their pads. My cousin’s dog can attest to this after running down their driveway. Make sure you protect your dog’s paws with boots or one of the many paw sticks/paw balms on the market. Currently, I’m using pawstick from Fou Fou Pet. I like that it’s a stick and easy to apply….plus Suki despises boots. I just rub it across Suki’s paws and we’re ready to go with no mess. I picked it up at a local dog store for $4.99.
3. Water, water, water! Again, dogs can’t sweat or cool down as quickly as humans. Make sure they have plenty of fresh, cool water available especially on walks. There are some cool doggie water bottles on the market, though Suki refuses to learn how to drink from them. For our outside time, I bring a standard water bottle and collapsible water bowl. I use the Dexas BPA free one. I love that it has a caribiner clip, so I can attach it to the leash or a belt. It folds/collapses very flat for storage and is dishwasher safe.
4. Don’t forget the sunscreen! White and light colored dogs are especially susceptible to sunburns and skin cancer, but other dogs can be at risk too. Suki has a bare spot on the bridge of her nose which needs protection. There are several dog sunscreens on the market, but I use a baby sunscreen stick for her nose area. It’s gentle and easy to apply. No, she doesn’t like it…but I’m pretty sure she’d like skin cancer less!
5. Please, please, please do not leave your dog outside in this heat. If you’re uncomfortable or hot, your dog hit that point awhile ago. If you’re inside comfortably cool in the AC, your dog should be too.
