To shave, or not to shave ...

Ok. It has been silly hot so far this summer.

No doubt you are feeling the heat, but imagine how it would feel wearing a fur coat all summer. Crazy hot, right?

There are many things you can do to help keep your dog cool this summer. Perhaps shockingly, a shave down really isn't one of them.

Though it would stand to reason that if a dog is too hot, less hair will make them less hot, this actually isn't the case. A dog’s coat helps to regulate its body temperature in both hot and cold weather.  The undercoat and outer coat form an insulation barrier that keeps the temperature regulated. Since dogs only sweat in the pads of their paws, sweating is not as effective of a method of cooling as panting, which is totally unrelated to its fur thickness.

Your dog's coat also works to protect him from harmful UV rays.  Dogs have almost no pigment in their skin to ward off these harmful UV rays and are very prone to sunburn and skin cancer. So removing their protective layer can shock their system. Just like if you were to stay all bundled up and inside all winter, then strip down to your skivvys, even in short amounts of exposure to the sun, you could find yourself really uncomfortable. The same holds true for dogs that get shaved down.

Lastly, when you shave a dog down, their coat has a tendency to grow back thicker. This means that as their undercoat grows back, you may actually cause the opposite effect and make them even more hot and uncomfortable, even in the colder weather.

There are some instances when a shave-down is unavoidable, such as for medical reasons or if your dog is severely matted, but the best way to keep your dog cool is  to make sure your dog has access to plenty of cool water and shade at all times.

Signs of doggie heat exhaustion

Summer may be filled with parties and giggles, but for your pup, the summer heat is no laughing matter, even if your dog could laugh ... like this guy.  (Note: Please don't ever let your dog breath helium air.)

The fact is that most dogs have a very low tolerance to heat. They pant to keep themselves cool, but when the temperatures soar in to the upper 80s and above, often that isn't enough to keep them cool. At these temps, dogs really shouldn't be out engaging in long periods of strenuous exercise, especially if they don't have frequent access to laps of water.

Heat stroke is a very real and dangerous threat to your pups long-term health. Basically what happens with heat stroke in humans and in dogs is that the body looses its ability to regulate its temperature. Basically, it cooks itself from the inside out, over-heating and shutting down vital organs, especially if not noticed and treated immediately. Even with mild cases, any heat ailment can have a chain-link effect on your dog's overall health.

That said, make sure you protect your puppy's health by watching for any of these signs of heat exhaustion this summer:

• A rapid or erratic heartbeat/pulse
• Rapid breathing, or struggling for breath
• Exaggerated panting, or the sudden stopping of panting
• Increased, excessive, loud, heaving, irregular panting or the sudden stopping of panting
• A very high body temperature - usually, cell damage begins to occur at body temperatures over 106 degrees
• Excessive drooling, or frothing at the mouth
• Dark red gums
• Vomiting
• Barking or whining
• Anxiety or agitation
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Incoordination - stumbling and/or trouble standing or walking
• An anxious, vacant, or staring expression
• Listlessness or weakness
• Shaking or seizures
• Collapse or unconsciousness
• Dry mouth and nose
• Lack of urine production
• Weakness and muscle tremors
• Dryness and redness (or dull grayish-pink or blue) of the inside of the tongue, mouth, lips and gums and gums - OR -
• Drooling and excess salivation
• Glazed eyes and/or dilated pupils
• Difficulty standing or walking
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea

If you notice any of these signs in your dog, call your vet immediately. If your vet can't see you right away, be sure to move your dog in to the shade and give him/her small amounts of cool, not cold, water. If your dog won't drink it, get a wash cloth and dip it in the cool water, then wipe the cloth around your dog's mouth and gums. You can also give your dog a bath in cool water, making sure not to use too cold of water, which could send your dog's system in to shock. Lastly, learn where your nearest emergency vet is just in case your dog collapses and need resuscitation.

The best method of treatment is to avoid the situation all together. Just use common sense and know that if it is hot for you, it's twice as hot for your dog, so limit exercise during the hottest parts of the day, don't leave them in hot places with no air flow and watch for any of these signs in order to get your dog cooled down as quickly and safely as possible.

Riding in hot cars

If you are like me, you love to take your dogs with you everywhere. I sincerely enjoy how a simple thing like my dogs' heads hanging out the window can help to put a smile on the faces of the people we pull up next to.

That, and it's like our dogs have ESP when it comes to car rides. They can sense when I'm about to grab the keys and go somewhere, and they place their little bodies in front of the door as if to say, "You'll have to go through us first!"

That makes it extremely hard to say "No" when they are looking at you with those big puppy-dog eyes. But in the summer time, saying "No" just might actually save your dog's health, or life, even.

Now, if you are just going for a drive, or are going somewhere where you can take your dogs inside, (insert shameless plug here) such as The Phur Seasons, :) then by all means, take them with you. But if you are running errands and cannot take your pooches inside, you are much better leaving them at home.

Heat exhaustion is a HUGE problem for dogs in the summer time, and a car can become an easy bake oven for Fido. Even with the windows cracked or rolled half way down, the heat in the car cannot escape as fast as it flows in, and in just a few minutes your dog can experience heat exhaustion to the point of brain damage or even death.  Of course, if you have no other option but to take your doggies, have a spare set of keys and leave your car running with the air conditioning on ... Just be extra careful to leave the car in park. ;)


P.S. If you see a dog sitting in a hot car, please be sure to call the Humane Society.