Humans can change into cooler clothes, get inside for the air conditioned coolness and pack a water bottle to stay hydrated.
Pets have a harder time of it when the temperatures soar. The old saying “the dog days of summer” wasn’t coined for nothing.
The phrase actually stems from the stars, as Sirius, the “Dog Star,” rises in conjunction with the sun between July and August.
Some of our ancestors believed that the brightness of the sun and star combined to cause summer’s extreme heat. Over the years, however, we’ve come to use the expression for sweltering days that aren’t fit for any dog. The truth is that dogs are more susceptible to the summer heat than we are.
They have to wear a fur coat all year round. Whereas we can sweat to cool ourselves down, our pups sweat only through glands on the nose and paws and try to release heat by panting. So it’s up to humans to make sure that their dogs are comfortable enough and that they can live healthily in the summer heat.
As responsible pet owners, we know to not leave our pets in cars, even on mildly warm days, or stuck out in the sun without access to shade. But what about more “in-depth” tips to keep our pets as cool and comfortable as possible for those times we must leave our pets as we go to work or other appointments?
Just having shade and a bowl of water may not be enough in a severe heat wave. When the ambient temperature is very warm, the water dish doesn’t have to be in the sun to heat the water up enough were a pet will not drink it.
For animals that love the water, an inexpensive child’s pool or poly rubber water trough make excellent “on demand” swimming pools for pets. Caution is advised – make sure that the pets are able to use the pool without risk of drowning!
Another great idea would be to use a garden hose or a cool, very wet towel to wet down your dog for evaporative cooling. Once animals figure this out, many enjoy this quick water cool down.