Hot Dogs: What Every Dog Owner Should Know to Help Their Dog Manage the Hot Summer Weather

Written by Dr. Sarah Wilson, BScH, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Summertime can be a time of fun and great opportunity to play outside, but it can also come with some hazards, especially with the ever-increasing temperatures. Dogs can’t sweat the way that people can, so they cannot benefit from evaporative cooling from their body sweat – they cool themselves by panting. When you factor in a coat of fur, and cooling mainly from panting, that can mean they can overheat very easily in the hot or humid weather. Make sure you are prepared for the summer heat, so you and your pup can enjoy a safe and happy summer season!

Ten Tips for Surviving Summer Sizzle

1.       Providing plenty of fresh, clean water is important for your dog to maintain hydration and keep cool. When it is hot and humid it is easy for dogs to get dehydrated. When playing with dogs, remember to give them water breaks, and be careful not to over-exercise particularly during the hottest times of the day.
2.       Ensure they have safe, cool places to rest. If playing outside, take breaks in the shade, and try to keep outdoor activities to a minimum during the midday or afternoon (the hottest part of the day).
3.       Never leave an animal alone in a parked vehicle! Temperatures in vehicles can get too high in a matter of minutes (even with windows open), which could lead to heat stroke that could be fatal. It is also illegal to leave your animal in a parked car in some states, so best run errands on your own and leave pup at home in safe, cool comfort.
4.       Flat faced dogs (like pugs) have faces that are squished and as a result have increased risk of heat stroke. This is because their squished face can lead to difficulty breathing and their panting may not as effectively cool them. Keeping activities to the cooler parts of the day (morning and evening) are best to help keep these flat faced cuties cool.
5.       Watch their paws on hot surfaces like sidewalks and asphalt. The roads and sidewalks get very hot and emit a lot of radiant heat. Dogs walking on them (particularly during the hottest part of the day) can burn sensitive paw pads or absorb a lot of the radiant heat into their body since they are so close to the ground. Keep walks really short during the hot parts of the day or stay on the grass – or better yet walk early in the morning and later in the evening to really avoid potential harm.
6.       Grooming fixes are another way to support your dog’s cooling ability. Since dogs can’t sweat, having excess fur trapping heat can really make a hot day a deadly day. Dogs with double coats (ex. Pomeranian, German Shepherd, and Golden Retriever) have a dense undercoat that helps trap heat, so ensuring these dogs have regular grooming to remove excess coat can help reduce the risk of overheating.
7.       Dogs with health conditions such as breathing issues, excess weight, heart worm infections or other heart conditions are at an increased health risk in hotter weather. Keep activities to a minimum during the hot weather to ensure they don’t overheat is best, and if you must be out in the heat, be sure to take lots of breaks in the shade and offer lots of cool, fresh water.
8.       Practice safe water activities, whether at the pool, the lake, or the ocean, always monitor your dog’s activity around bodies of water to ensure they remain safe. Provide them with clean water, and prevent them from drinking pool, lake, or ocean water as they can get sick from drinking from these sources. If you are boating, ensure your pets have life-preservers/floatation devices appropriately sized for them to keep them safe. After swimming be sure to rinse your dog’s fur off as chlorine or salt can remain on their fur and cause irritation. Once rinsed clean, be sure to dry them as thoroughly as possible (especially the double coated dogs) as moisture kept on the skin in the undercoat can contribute to irritation and may lead to secondary skin infections.
9.       Protect sensitive areas that are susceptible to heat or sun. One example are dogs with black coats, who can overheat quickly in the sun since they absorb heat with their dark coat, so keep them in the shade, or consider a light-colored loose dog shirt to help reflect heat away from them when doing activities in the sun. Another example are dogs with areas with little fur (often limited white fur and pink skin). These dogs are at risk of skin damage from burns due to excessive sun exposure. Be sure to protect their exposed skin with a pet safe sunscreen or keep outdoor activity to early morning and late evening when UV rays are not as strong.
10. Maintain a relationship with your veterinarian to ensure your dogs are as healthy as possible. Being up to date on preventative medications (such as heartworm prevention) is part of ensuring they are healthy and it is important to test for heartworm if they aren’t on year-round medication.

Taking steps to prevent overheating in your dog are best to ensure their health and safety in the hot summer weather. But knowing the signs that they are overheating are also very important. Excessive panting, difficulty breathing, drooling, weakness, increased heart and breathing rate are all signs that your dog is overheating, and you need to get them cooled off and out of the heat right away. More significant signs like collapse, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and seizures are an emergency and you should bring your dog to your primary care veterinarian or an emergency veterinary hospital immediately to ensure you get them safely cooled down and hydrated as needed. Enjoying the summer season with your dog can be a very fun time, and with a little careful planning can be safe and cool too.