Dr. Ankur Sharma
Summers can be a wonderful time for you and your pets to spend time exercising outdoors and having fun. However, hot temperatures can be quite uncomfortable and dangerous too. To keep your four legged companions in tow, check out these following tips and ideas.
Whether you are indoors or out, both of you and your pet need access to lots of fresh water during the summer. So hydrate, hydrate and hydrate. Be aware that water will evaporate on extremely hot days, so check your pet’s water bowl several times a day and make sure it is full. Consider your pets housing. If they are kept outdoors, keep a close eye on them, do they have shade and fresh water access at all the times? Shade can move throughout the afternoon and pets can become ill quickly if they overheat, so keep them inside as much as possible. Cooling vests, collars, water or gel filled cooling mats are great for dogs kept outside. An elevated pet bed keeps pets cool and comfortable by providing great air circulation.
Dogs normal body temperature are warmer than ours and with a built in fur coat, summers can be downright unbearable for them as lot of fur makes heat loss difficult. Lack of active sweat glands like humans makes them feel excessive heat. It is like wearing a woolen coat in summer without access to water. Elderly, very young and ill animals also have a tough time regulating their body temperature. Dog breeds having long hairs like Spitz, Lhasa Apso, GSD, St. Bernards, overweight dogs; dogs with snub noses like pugs, boxers, bulldogs cannot pant efficiently, so make sure they stay cool and out of the sun on steamy summer days.
Pets can be kept cool by spraying cold water over them and feeding lots of fluids. Moreover, dog coats which work on the principle of evaporative cooling just like desert coolers can also be used. Keeping your pet well groomed will help your dog to protect and insulate her from heat. If your dog has extremely thick hair which my trap too much heat, trim the body hair. Pets can get sunburned too especially the ones with light skin and hair. Keep your pet out of the sun between 10 AM to 5 PM and when you go out, rub sunscreen on unprotected areas like nose and ear tips.
Exercise is an important component of keeping their body cool. However, overdoing it can cause them to overheat. So its best to limit exercise to early morning or evening hours at a gentle pace with plenty of water. Protective booties can protect sensitive paws from the hot pavement. If your dog pant a lot and seems exhausted, it is time to stop.
Avoid heat exhaustion; never leave your pet alone in the car during warm weather, as temperature of car inside can rise to dangerous levels within minutes even if parked in shade with windows slightly opened. Hot weather may tempt your pet to drink from puddles which may contain antifreeze and other chemicals. With warmer temperature, cars overheat and leak antifreeze (bright green liquid oozing from the car) which tastes sweet and is inviting to pets. It is also extremely toxic in very small amounts.
Like humans, dogs appetite also goes down in summer. So their diet needs to be changed too. Apart from providing a good amount of water, their food should be high in fiber and low in animal protein. Curd and lassi made from milk and curd is a good option. They should be fed a diet which is easily digestible and produces less heat when metabolized.
Be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion; heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid pulse, unsteadiness, a staggering gait, vomiting, or a deep red or purple tongue are all signs of possible heat exhaustion. In such cases, move the animal into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to their head, neck and chest or immerse them in cool water. Let them drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes, administer ORS or glucose powder and consider taking them to a veterinarian immediately.
Even with emergency treatment, heatstroke can be fatal, so the best cure is prevention. Summer does not have to be fraught with peril–with ample precaution, both you and your pets can enjoy those long, hot days of summer.
(The author is Assistant Professor, Division of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, FVSc & AH, RS Pura, SKUAST-Jammu)
Follow our WhatsApp channel