Three Ways to Keep Your Dog Cool This Summer

It’s getting hot out there! Keep your dog healthy and happy this summer with these simple measures to help them cope with the heat. It’s not possible or healthy to keep a dog locked in the air conditioning 24/7 during the summer, so take some precautions to make the outdoors enjoyable for your furry friends.

Keep Them Hydrated

First and foremost, keeping your dog hydrated when it’s hot is crucial for their health. When it gets hot out, your dog may need three to four times more water than usual. Make sure they have constant access to fresh, clean water, and be prepared to refill their bowls more often as well. 

When you take your dog out and about, keep a bottle of water just for them. There are many options for travel bottles or collapsible bowls that will make it easy to have water close at hand for your dog. You can also add fluid to their food to easily fill their bellies with water.

Protect Their Paws

The sun will bake the ground, and whether it’s pavement, sand, or another surface, it will become hot and may burn your dog’s paws. Keep their paws safe with paw balms or even shoes for your dog, so they don’t burn or injure their paw pads.

A good rule of thumb for knowing if the ground is too hot is if you can’t walk on it in bare feet, your dog can’t either. As you walk and explore this summer, monitor the condition of your dog’s paw pads. Burns will be visible, and your dog may limp or lick their feet when they hurt. If you don’t have anything to put on their feet, keep them on the grass or cool dirt. If you notice an injury to your dog’s paws, keep them off their feet and get them to the vet for treatment as quickly as possible.

Give Them a Break from the Heat

Even if your dog is outdoors on a regular basis, they will need the opportunity to cool off to help them regulate their body temperature properly. Ensure they have access to shade or bring them inside to cool down. Fresh air and cool breezes are important, but they may not be available at the height of the summer, so bringing them in to cool off during the heat of the day will help keep them healthy. 

For similar reasons, don't ever leave your dog in a car unattended. Cars heat to extreme temperatures, and even cracked windows aren’t enough to keep your dog safe and avoid heat stroke. Leave your dog at home in the air conditioning or with a fan if you can’t take them wherever you’re going this summer.

With a few simple adjustments to your daily life, you can keep your dog happy, healthy, and most importantly safe this summer. Don’t let the heat keep you from your summer adventures! Take a few safety precautions and you (and your pup) can have fun in the sun no matter the time of year.

Consider enrolling your dog in a pet insurance policy for added protection from summer dangers like overheating, paw pad injuries, and foreign body ingestion. Accident & Illness Coverage through AKC Pet Insurance (underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company) is here for you when you need it, allowing you to focus more on summertime fun with your pet and less on costly vet bills. Click here for a quote today!