I am sure you are all enjoying the Summer! It's the best time of the year for outdoor adventures. For those of you who have dogs, the summertime is when you really love taking your dog on hiking trips or for a swim at the beach or lake. Lately, I've been taking Walley to the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle. It's a gorgeous place to walk my dog and the best part is that there is a pocket beach where Walley can swim and retrieve sticks from the water!
However, you've got to watch your dog for heat exhaustion. A few days in the Summer see temperatures rising up to 100 degrees F. Some states in the US even see temperatures above 110 degrees F. On days like these when the temperature is so high, your dog can easily suffer from dehydration, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. Some of the warning signs to look out for in a dog with dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke are the following:
1. Lethargy in an otherwise active dog.
2. Pale gums or bluish discoloration of gums
3. Excessive panting
4. Loss of Appetite
5. Vomitting (occasionally)
These above signs indicate that your dog needs urgent medical attention. If you see any of the above signs in your dog, rush him to your nearest veterinary clinic.
In order to prevent dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke in your beloved dog, I would highly recommend the following precautionary meansures:
1. On days when the temperature is above 90 degrees F, limit outdoor activity for your dog. Take him on a brief walk preferably early in the morning and late in the evening when the heat is not as scorching. I always carry a bottle of water for Walley even when we go for a thirty minute walk.
2. If you are outdoors for an extended period of time of the day with your dog and the heat is too much for your dog to bear, make sure your dog has access to clean drinking water at all times.
3. Outdoor activities involving a beach, lake or even a pool are great for your dog especially if he/ she is a swimmer. Dogs love to cool off in the water! Unlike humans, dogs don't sweat so they need other ways to cool themselves off and there's nothing like a swim in a beach or lake in the summertime for these furry friends of ours. Walley is a Golden Retriever and an obsessive swimmer so he feels like he's in heaven whenever he gets a chance to take a plunge in the water!
4. At home, make sure the air conditioning is turned on for your dog especially on the extremely hot days even when you are not home. If you don't have air conditioning like me (because I live in Seattle and they don't have ACs in most apartments) then make sure you keep the windows open for ventilation and invest in an indoor portable fan. Your dog will thank you for this! Walley has his own personal fan and he loves it!
5. Leave a big bucket of clean, drinking water at home easily accessible to your dog at all times of the day. Just because your dog is indoors and the air conditioning is on doesn't mean that he will not feel thirsty. In the summer time, I've noticed Walley drinks upto 3-4 litres a day especially if he has exercised outdoors in the heat. I usually throw in a couple of ice cubes in his water after his outdoor activity so that he cools off faster.
6. Lastly, you know your dog better than anyone else. You know best how much heat your dog can handle. Every breed of dog is different. Make sure to take advice from your Vet early in the Summer as to how much outdoor activity is safe for your dog when temperatures hit the peak. Dogs need their daily dose of exercise but not at the cost of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Your Vet will give you the best advice on summer care tips for your dog. The summer hydration tips I have listed above are just basic measures that I have learned over the course of my time with Walley and advice I've received from our Vet.
Enjoy the summer with your dog and stay hydrated !
Here's a picture collage of Walley having fun at the pocket beach in the Olympic Sculpture Park :
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