Summer is around the corner! Imagine wearing a fur coat on a hot summer’s day and you’ll understand why a dog is a soft target for heatstroke. How can we keep our dogs safe in the heat?

As summer approaches, and temperatures start to climb again, it’s vital that you do everything you can to keep your doggo as chilled as possible this summer.

How to Keep your Dog from Getting Heatstroke

Understand how dogs cool down

Summer can be a stressful season for dogs. A dog’s normal body temperature is generally a few degrees higher than ours, and their ability to regulate body temperature is limited. They pant and release heat through their nose and paw pads. Not having sweat glands like we humans do makes their bodies far more sensitive to ambient temperature.

Changing exercise times to the cooler parts of the day

Limit walks to cooler times of the day, early mornings or evenings. If you must walk your dog midday, stick to shaded areas and avoid hot roads. The back of your hand is a good test – if it’s too hot for you to touch comfortably, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.

Change the setting on your thermostat

If you have a thermostat control in your dwelling, you should ideally set the thermostat at around 75 to 78 degrees F (23 to 25 degrees C) for summer. A larger and / or longer haired dog will be most comfortable at around 75F / 23C.

Create shade for them

Make sure there’s sufficient shade outdoors or create a shady area using shade netting, or tarpaulin, you could even dampen some towels for your dog to lie on. Depending on the size of your garden, let your dog splash in a paddling pool because standing in water is one big way for a dog to cool down they release heat through their pads. Or turn on a sprinkler for them to play in.

Cool their water

Cool water (ice cubes in their water is a good idea) should be readily available at all times, both indoors and outdoors. Refill and refresh their water bowl throughout the day. And remember when on walks take that collapsable bowl you bought at DogFest and a water bottle with you!

Clip their coat

If their coat is very thick get it clipped for them this summer.

A doggie diet

If you dog is overweight better get them on a diet, the extra pounds will only add to their stress in the heat.

Dogs can’t be left in hot cars

A car left in the sun with its windows closed is like an oven. It can be 22 degrees outside, but within an hour the temperature inside the car can reach 47 degrees. Cars heat up incredibly quickly and can be deadly for pets.

Even leaving the windows slightly open can be dangerous. The heat may be slightly lower than when all the windows are closed, but it’s still not safe for dogs. A car parked in the shade is also problematic, this may only be a false sense of cool. Make a mental note to never leave your dog in a car on very warm days.

What do you do if you come across a dog that’s shut inside a very hot car with no sign of the owner and the signs of heatstroke are beginning to show? Can you smash the window and rescue it? Well, you can – but your good deed might lead to legal problems.

The safest thing to do is contact an authority. For example, if you’re at a busy shopping centre or supermarket, or in a car park when you find a distressed dog like this, make a note of the make and model, colour, and registration, then ask the customer services manager of the shopping centre to make an announcement. Try not to leave the scene until the situation is resolved.

How to know if your dog has heatstroke.

  • Excessive panting
  • Red gums
  • Foaming at the mouth
  • Vomiting and diarrhoea
  • Uncoordinated movements
  • Physical collapse