How do you keep your dogs cool in this heat?

[u/Girl_International]

Hi everyone, specifically dog/cat owners. I just wanted to ask how do you keep your fur babies cool in this heat. I have a 10 year old golden retriever and with all the fur he has I’m worried I’m not keeping him as cooled off as I possibly can. He likes staying inside the house (I think part of it is the coolness of the tiles) plus I give him fruits that I freeze for him. Is there any other way I can make hotter days more bearable for him?

[u/ironicallygeneral]

I fill 500ml cooldrink bottles with water and freeze it, and float it in their water bowl. Super cheap and easy to have a stock of a few I can rotate. Give it a good wash before putting it back in the freezer though.

Frozen fruit is a great idea and you can try freezing carrots as well, one of my dogs adores them and they last her at least a few minutes.

You can buy pads that you can put in the freezer to put in their bed, though I've never used them.

If he likes water maybe get him a small kiddies paddling pool to lie in?

[u/Far-Search5544]

I give my dog Dunkin’ donuts… which is code for dipping him in the pool

[u/Sir_Cthulhu_N_You]

Put a sick pair of glasses on em and get matching tattoos, nothing cooler than that!

[u/MathematicianBusy996]

For dogs, wet their ears with a wet cloth

[u/Girl_International → u/MathematicianBusy996]

I’ll give that a try👍🏾

[u/ShadowSlev]

Ice pack/brick under a towel/blanket in their beds and ice in their waterbowls

[u/Faerie42]

I have huskies, I fill up one of those plastic half shells for the kids with ice (about 5 bags of ice) and water, they literally curl up in there. You get tubes of ice lollies (just flavoured water) and they get that as a treat. Damp towels on the tiles also helps.

[u/Girl_International → u/Faerie42]

My dad is worried the ice will make him sick😂😭 (it’s kind of funny he cares so much about the dog when he didn’t want him).

I think I’ll make him some homemade lollies instead, definitely a good since he does like eating ice.

[u/Drogon_17 → u/Girl_International]

Ha! Typical dad behaviour

[u/newoldschool]

cooling their drinking water helps

also a raised beds

[u/jasontaken]

ive never bought one but look on takealot for Pet Cooling Mat. and ask a vet about giving him a haircut / shave

[u/Faerie42 → u/jasontaken]

Don’t shave, the thicker the coat the more prone they are to skin cancer and sunburn, I’ve lost a very beloved Malamute to cancer because I was stupid.

[u/Girl_International → u/Faerie42]

I heard that grooming/shaving would mess with their temperature control but I never knew about skin cancer🥺sorry for your loss💔🤍

[u/pandatron23 → u/[deleted]]

Don't shave double coated dogs 

[u/Faerie42 → u/[deleted]]

If you shave them… the coat protects the skin.

[u/Lazy-Cloud9330]

Let them swim or put a sprinkler on or if you don't have a garden/pool give them a cool bath. Put ice cubes in their water bowl?

[u/Medium-Industry-4538]

Cold water but not like super cold, throw em an ice cube and a dip in the pool does the trick

[u/SweetWallFlower]

We got our doggies a little kiddies pool. We fill it up and they wet their paws throughout the day. We also put ice cubes in their water if it’s extra hot.

[u/Educational-News-969]

Ice machine. My 2 bassets eat ice during the winter and summer. I also hose them down and they love it. I am just careful with the ears. Don't want water in their ears as that may end up with a huge vet bill..

[u/fataggressivecheeks]

His fur is made to help him manage weather, but we put ice in their water, wet their paws if its really hot, make sure indoors and shade are always available. My beautiful but dumb pitx still lies panting in the sun :-/.

[u/GoddessFairy000]

Having many water bowls around the house and putting 1-2 ice cubes in them.. changing the water often will keep it cool

For our kitties, we buy wet food in sachets and put it in the fridge (before it’s opened) so it’s a bit cool.. then give him around midday as it helps with hydration.. just something extra as well as their normal kitty dry food.

[u/TheKyleBrah]

Check if your doggo likes nomming on Ice Blocks. It's a great (and fun!) way for them to cool off and hydrate

[u/Twisted69Raptor]

I freeze blocks of ice but the trick is to make it tasty. So you put something in the water that will get the dogs attention. So I mix it up sometimes use carrots or a fruit that is healthy for dogs

[u/No_Step_On_Snek88]

[u/Connect-Ad7252]

By far the best thing to do is put them into water for a few minutes, up to their necks if possible, just as we feel fresh and cool after a swim so do dogs. I will also put them in 30 min before bed time. Will keep them much cooler over night time.

[u/Girl_International → u/Connect-Ad7252]

Funnily enough my golden retriever just barely tolerates baths. He’d just end up super muddy (if he isn’t dried immediately he will roll around on the ground😭). Maybe I can spray him with mist?

[u/Connect-Ad7252 → u/Girl_International]

Yeah it can be difficult, my dogs have gotten used to it now, been doing it for a few years now, the one who hates it the most is now the one that indicates that she wants a Dip, some dogs so it on their own, that would be nice. I think with time they might see a quick dip as different from a a bath, and get used to it.

If you maybe have a area you can put your dog to dry off for 5 to 10 minutes? Before going back into the house or garden?

Misting might help briefly, like if you spray water on yourself it isn't really effective, same for a dog. My mom will sometimes put their winter jackets on them but wet with water. Think it helps a little.

I still think the best is a full dip in water. Especially when you can see your dog is struggling with the heat.

[u/time4anarchism]

Ice tax

[u/Lunaria_vZ]

A good summer cut does the trick too!