Every year, we humans notice the change in temperatures and we tend to suffer from heat spikes. The same is true for our four-legged friends who, however, need our help to stay healthy: for this reason it is necessary to protect dogs in hot weather .
We have already talked about the fact that you have to protect dogs in cold weather and the logical principle is the same: like low temperatures, high temperatures can be very dangerous for dogs, even fatal. But let’s go and see everything in the deggalio.
Index
- How dogs regulate their body temperature
- What to do to protect dogs from the heat
- What never to do with your dog on hot days
- The attention to pay to the dog in hot weather
How dogs regulate body temperature Furry dogs
do not regulate body temperature by sweating, as humans do and if you think it is a matter of hair you are wrong: dogs should not be shorn when it is hot. Dogs have a complex system that works through breathing and saliva.
If you observe them, in fact, you notice that compared to the cooler months, when it is hot they keep their mouths open , their tongue out and they pant much more. This body temperature regulation system shows its limits as temperatures rise.
By breathing torrid air, in fact, dogs emit heat so instead of cooling down they heat up further and risk hyperthermia and heat stroke. Heatstroke can be fatal. For this reason, when it is hot, dogs must be handled with great care. What to do to protect dogs from the heat
Fortunately, there are ways to protect our four-legged friends from the heat. Doing it is very very simple, here is a very short list that can be useful:
- Regular outings and activities, not going out during the hottest hours and decreasing the duration of the outings. If necessary and if the dog can support them, at least the number can be increased;
- Reduce physical effort : when it is very hot it is advisable to avoid running and intense efforts and dedicate yourself to walking;
- Make sure the dog stays in the shade as much as possible. This also means equipping gardens and terraces with shaded spaces where Fido can rest even if he likes to be outside (attention, he likes: it must never be deliberately left outside, as we will see below);
- Always provide plenty of fresh water : the dog alone cannot choose what to drink and he too prefers fresh water over the one that has remained for hours in the bowl.
These are simple things, as we said, and not very demanding, which help Fido to get better. Instead, what you absolutely must not do What never to do with the dog on hot days
Many bipeds who are not very careful (and with little knowledge of the dog) allow themselves to make mistakes that can prove fatal . Let’s see what they are:
- Never leave your dog locked in the car : when it’s hot, dogs shouldn’t be left in the car for any reason in the world. The interior temperature of the passenger compartment becomes exponentially higher than the external one and the dog closed inside, even if with the windows open, risks dying;
- Do not leave the dog tied up outside the shops , especially if under the sun: always opt for shops that welcome Fido with open arms or leave him (for a short time!) At home, rather than make him suffer and risk heat stroke;
- Never leave your dog on the balcony, terrace or garden . We have said it a few paragraphs above: basically you should not leave the dog in open spaces under the sun and regardless, if he likes to be outdoors, he must be provided with adequate shelters and equally adequate quantities of water.
Finally, now let’s see what to pay attention to. The attention to be paid to the dog in hot weather
Finally, there are also some things to be more careful about. For example, the heat that rises from the asphalt: with the heat, in fact, the asphalt becomes red-hot and the dogs walking along the asphalted roads in addition to the heat of the air take the virulent heat that rises from the asphalt. This means that the fingertips are at risk : on the other hand they walk “barefoot” and can burn and suffer from blisters that can open and, if not treated promptly, can become infected and trigger important problems.
It should also be remembered that some dogs are more at risk than others. Given that all dogs need to be protected from the heat, there are a few to pay more attention to: the brachycephalics, the obese, the sick and the short. Finally, another aspect to consider is that, like humans, the heat makes dogs nervous and negatively affects their behavior.
