How to Care for Your Dog in Hot Weather to Keep Them Safe? [7 Tips]

How to care for your dog in hot weather? Every summertime is coming, the worry of taking care of your pets raises. To keep your dogs healthy and happy, you will need to cool them down. That is also essential to prevent your dog from heat stroke due to overheating. Let’s dive into these useful tips below!

How to care for your dog in heat?

How to Care for Your Dog in Hot Weather?

There are many ways to take care of your dog in the hot weather. Below are just some of the most basic and easy ones. You can discover more in our guide to pet care in hot weather.

Keep your dogs cool

Dogs may become overheated very rapidly, so you should always check to make sure they're adjusting well. Some small tips people often do to cool their pets down are:

• Encourage them to stay in the shade and out of direct sunlight. Keep your pets in the air condition room if possible.

• Keeping curtains or blinds drawn reduces the amount of heat that enters through windows.

• Place damp towels on the floor for them to lie on.

Keep your dog cool down

• Fill a cold water bottle in a hot water bottle and then place it near your dog’s place.

• Turn on the garden sprinkler.

• Maintain a shaded paddling pool for them to splash around in.

Never leave dogs alone in cars

Surprisingly, leaving dogs alone in a hot car is illegal in several states. The high temperature in a car under the burning heat of the sun can lead dogs to heatstroke, even fatal. 

Do not leave your dogs in a hot car

Even when you park your car in the shade with the windows open, dogs are able to quickly become distressed and uncomfortable. Therefore, you should have a plan to ensure that your dog is not left alone in the car or any other enclosed space.

Let them drink enough water

Water takes up a large amount in both human and pet bodies; thus, it is essential to drink enough water, especially in summer. 

When you hang out with your dog, you should bring a bottle of water and a bowl for him/her. 

Keep your pets hydrated

Moreover, you can encourage your dog to drink more in many different ways such as playing with garden sprinklers, making pet ice lollies, and flavoring their drinking water. 

Playing water is a good idea for this summertime. It not only keeps your dog cool but also makes interesting playtime. 

Plan your walks

Plan a walk also should be in your tips on how to take care of your dog in heat. It is so great to go jogging with your dog on a hot, sunny day. However, this can result in many risks to your pets.

Plan your walks also should be in your tips of pet care in hot weather

Take your dog for a walk early in the morning or late in the evening, when the ground is cooler. Doing so will protect their paws and make them more comfortable.

Even on short walks, hot pavements, asphalt, and artificial grass can burn their paws and cause severe pain. Even on a pleasant, breezy day, asphalt and tarmac can reach 52°C when the sun is at its hottest.

Place the back of your hand on the ground for seven seconds if you are not sure if the pavements are too hot. It's too hot to walk your dog if you can not keep it down.

Participate new games

How to care for your dog in hot weather? You will need to keep your pets from the hot places. You can play some interesting games below that do not involve too much running around. 

• Hide toys and call for your dog to find them.

• Encourage your dog to enter a shaded paddling pool with toys or treats.

• To keep your dog stimulated without too much effort, freeze food or use special food puzzles.

There are many ways to keep your pets active in summer

Apply sunscreen for dogs

Dogs, like humans, can get sunburned if they are not properly protected. Breeds with short or white hair and pink ears are more vulnerable, so take extra precautions to protect them from the sun's rays.

It is critical to apply dog-specific sun cream to your dog's sensitive areas (nose, lips, tips of the ears, and belly) and keep them out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.

So, what kind of sunscreen is best for dogs? Consult your veterinarian for information on dog-friendly sunscreen and your pet's specific needs.

Take extra precautions to protect them from the sun's rays

Keep in mind regularly grooming

Grooming your dog, especially if they have long or thick fur, can help them regulate their body temperature.

In addition to brushing it regularly to remove shedding fur, consider safely clipping it shorter to allow more air to cool the skin's surface.

Never shave your dog because it will be more susceptible to sunburn. Instead, consult your vet or a dog groomer about your dog's summer coat. 

Regularly groom your dogs’ hair

Symptoms of Heatstroke in Dogs

Now you know how to care for dogs in hot weather. But it is not enough!

Heatstroke is common among pets in hot weather. That’s why you need to know some popular symptoms so that you can detect illness quickly and avoid bad situations for your furry friends.

Here are some common symptoms you can see if your dog gets heat stroke or heat exhaustion: 

1. Excessive panting or breathing difficulty: Your dog may be overheated if they pant constantly or more quickly than usual (hyperventilation). Dogs with flat faces, such as pugs, are more prone to heat exhaustion because they cannot pant as effectively.

2. Dehydration: Dehydration symptoms include a dry nose, visible tiredness, excessive panting, and sunken eyes.

3. Drooling in excess: Watch out for excessive drooling, especially when the drool is thicker and stickier than usual.

Be aware of heatstroke symptoms in your pets

4. Fever: In normal, your dog’s nose is wet and cool. If it is dry and hot, that proves that your pet has got a fever. When you measure the body temperature of your dog, it is considered abnormal if above 103°F.

5. Bright red, gray, purple, or bluish gums: If your dog is dehydrated, its gums will have a different color than normal.

6. Lack of urine: Lack of urine is also a symptom of being dehydrated or overheated. Does your pet have trouble producing urine?

7. Rapid pulse: Measure your pet’s pulse to see if it is overheated or not by placing your hand on its chest near its front elbow joint. If its pulse seems elevated, it could be overheated. Note that the normal pulse rate depends on the dog’s size, the bigger dogs, the slower pulses.

8. Muscle tremors: Regardless of outside temperature, when your dog is shivering or shaking, that is a symptom of heat exhaustion.

9. Lethargy or weakness: When overheating, dogs can take a nap more than normal or have trouble standing up or walking.

Measure your pet’s pulse to see if it is overheated or not

10. Vomiting or diarrhea: More severe symptoms of heat exhaustion are vomit and diarrhea. Watch out for if you see abnormally soft stool, or stool with blood in it.

11. Dizziness: If your dog has difficulty walking in a straight line or keeps bumping into furniture, they may be dizzy from dehydration or heat exhaustion.

Those are common symptoms of heatstroke that you need to take notice of your dog. Continue reading to know what you should do if it happens.

How to Treat a Dog Suffering From Heatstroke?

Not only take notice of how to care for dog in hot weather, but you also keep in mind treatments to solve immediately if your dogs get heat exhaustion. Apply these tips for the best results:

• Move your dog to a cooler location (preferably indoors) as soon as possible.

• Reduce their body temperature by thoroughly wetting them with cool water. Although it may appear counterintuitive, using cooling too quickly can be just as dangerous as heat exhaustion. Use lukewarm water instead of cool for very small dogs or puppies.

Reduce their body temperature by thoroughly wetting them with cool water

• Dry them off in front of a fan. Check their temperature every few minutes if you have a pet thermometer. Remove the fan and stop applying water once their temperature reaches 103°F.

• As they cool down, give them small amounts of lukewarm or cool water to drink. Again, no ice and no cold water!

• Make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Even if your dog appears to be recovering, he or she should be checked for shock, dehydration, kidney failure, and other heat exhaustion complications. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you on what to do next steps.

Make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible

Conclusion

How to care for your dog in hot weather? Hope this article shares useful information with you that helps you take better care of your dogs. Besides, you also know some tips to take action when your dogs get heat exhaustion or heat stroke.