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31st Oct 2007
Now that the hotter months are here, there are things we can do, cheap and effective to help your dog and you through summer.
DID YOU KNOW?
That your dog breathes out a steady 40°C. So when the hot days hit, your dog will really start to feel the temperature.
Take a 1.25ltr bottle (or similar) and freeze it. Take it out the next day, take the lid off and you now have a cooling system for your dog. We know that some like to lie on the bottles and cool their glands down (front shoulder blades), and you also have a constant source of cool water. If you have a larger container (1/2 shell – kids sandpit), put a couple of inches of water in the bottom, and they can use this to cool down. Although we may be experiencing a drought, always leave large buckets of fresh water out everyday.
You must make this available at all times. Dogs are unable to sweat like all humans. They have only the surface of the pads of their feet to sweat. Imagine being covered for just one day with all that fur! Yuck…! Could you just imagine how uncomfortable it could be? So lets decide now, that when the temperature gets too much for you to bare -it’s already too hard and hot for your furry friend!
Please leave your dog at home, no short trips to the shops this summer. Your car is a certain death trap for your pet. It takes less than 2 minutes for a car to reach 50°C+. You should really leave them at home rather than in the car. It’s not different on the back of a Ute, most floors are metal, and will burn the pads of their feet within a short time, and sunburn is a very real problem for dogs.
Clipping/shaving all excess hair allows the dogs a chance to cool down at a faster rate. Your dog will appreciate the difference through the hotter months. The coat will re-grow within 3 months.
SO, HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER, AND ENJOY YOUR PET, AND REMEMBER, WHEN YOU FEEL IT, THEY FEEL IT.
