With a new season, it’s important to make adjustments to your pet care routine. Whereas efforts were spent to keep your dog warm throughout winter, you’ll need to help them stay cool in a fur coat once temperatures rise. To prevent rapid heart rate, respiratory distress, and other life-threatening symptoms of heatstroke, below are tips to regulate your canine’s body temperature during spring and summer. 

3 Ways to Keep Dogs Cool in the Heat

1. Schedule Walks for Dawn & Dusk

As the weather gets warmer, take your dog for walks in the morning or early evening instead of the afternoon. During mid-day, the sun is at its peak. This can leave the air too hot for your dog to remain comfortable while moving. Surfaces without shade covering can also become excessively hot, scorching paw pads. Because the sun is low in the sky in the morning and early evening, temperatures will be cooler for your animal. 

2. Turn on the Sprinklers

As soon as sprinklers turn on, let your dog out for playtime. Getting sprinkled with the water will keep their skin cool. This way, body temperature won’t get dangerously high as they run and roll around. So your pup remains hydrated, put a bowl of fresh water outside, too. 

3. Don’t Leave Your Dog in the Car

Take pet care into account when running errands around town, too. When left in direct sunlight, the inside of a parked car can be more than 50 degrees hotter than the surroundings. If your dog is traveling with you, make sure to turn on the AC while driving. Once you reach the destination, let the dog out of the car, too. Otherwise, they could experience heatstroke in the stifling conditions. Heatstroke can occur when a dog’s temperature exceeds 103 degrees Fahrenheit.  

If you are planning a vacation, the pet care specialists at Almost Home Pet Resort Inc in Fort Mitchell, KY, will provide a safe place for furry family members to stay until your return. Catering to clients in northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati, OH, area since 1994, the pet resort comes highly recommended by area veterinarians. The facility provides indoor and outdoor dog runs, spacious accommodations, and grooming services. Visit the pet care providers online for an overview of facility features and call (859) 356-8181 to arrange boarding. See photos on Facebook.