Quick Cool Down Tips for your pup.
Water is especially important during the hot spring and summer months! Keeping your dog cool and comfortable is critical.... Know your dog's body temperature when it's resting. Most dogs are around 101-102F. Then.... check your dog's temperature after a rousing round of play in the summer heat and see what the difference is. Anything 104F and above is cause for alarm and immediately start cooling down. Working Some Military K9s can reach 107-108F without heatstroke- but your pup may not be as tolerant.
If you need to cool your dog down fast here are a few important tips that can be life-saving.
If you wet down your dog, put him in moving air (fan) Don't put him away in a crate- the wetness can actually build heat if there's not good circulation.
Cool down paws, belly-groin area, and underarms.
I travel with a cooler jug mostly ice with water and a large 3-4" high x about 24"+ storage container. Not only is it great for holding more dog junk in my car.... but it also serves as a quick cooldown if needed for the dogs while I travel.
Use COOL water NOT ice water
And- HYDRATE- get water into your dog in small amounts. There are lots of things you can sprinkle on the water to make them want to drink more- a few ideas are, floating a few kibbles, Fortiflora, Broth powder or cubes, and there are tons of "dog sport" drinks you can give to boost electrolytes as well.
You might also notice that on the first hot spring days, your dog struggles the most!
Mine absolutely do!
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