How should I behave with my puppy when it's hot?
We asked Dr. Sara Trivella, a graduate in TACREC (Techniques of breeding purebred dogs and canine education) from the University of Pisa, a CSEN canine educator, a dog assistant, and responsible for activities (qualification issued by the national reference center for animal-assisted interventions, and registered on the "Digitalpet" portal).
Since 2011, in collaboration with Dr. Fagiolini, Lisa founded the association "With trust in life a.s.d." where various activities are carried out, such as obedience lessons, puppy classes, pre-post adoption consultations, information days about dogs, internships, and seminars.
Thanks to the help of Dr. Sara, we will better understand how to behave with puppies to avoid dangerous heat strokes.
Let's start with this first article dedicated to how to protect the puppy from the heat.
Let's give the floor to our educator.
Thanks to the help of Dr. Sara, we will better understand how to behave with puppies to avoid dangerous heat strokes.
Let's start with this first article dedicated to how to protect the puppy from the heat.
Let's give the floor to our educator.
Hello dear owners of four-legged friends,
These days the heat is becoming more and more noticeable, and our puppies are starting to suffer from the heat, just like us, and since dogs have a lower capacity for thermoregulation, they can be exposed to the much-feared "heat stroke."
It is nothing more than "HYPERTHERMIA," meaning a sudden increase in the dog's temperature and the inability to properly dissipate heat.
The symptoms are always the same for both puppies and adult dogs and are:
- increased respiratory rate
- dyspnea (altered and labored breathing)
- dry mucous membranes
- dark gums (in the early stage) or pale (in the collapse stage)
- increased salivary density
- cyanosis of the tongue (turns blue)
- tachycardia (accelerated heartbeat)
- fatigue
- loss of balance
- emesis (more or less recurrent vomiting)
- bloody diarrhea
- oliguria (lower urine production than normal)
- convulsions (violent and involuntary contractions)
- collapse
- death
So I thought I would create a small guide of tips to prevent the possibility of heat stroke and to ensure that your puppy copes as well as possible with the heat of these days.
GUIDE AGAINST HEAT
1 – Always keep your puppy hydrated: always check that they have access to fresh, clean water.
2 – The timing of walks: it's always best to go out during the cooler hours, either early in the morning or late in the evening. If that is not possible, it's always good to take short walks, perhaps passing through shaded areas; also, the asphalt during the hottest hours is scorching and could be too hot for their paws, causing burns.
3 – During walks always bring water, and if you notice that your puppy is panting and slowing down, it's best to stop in a shaded spot.
4 – If you have a garden or a small outdoor space, you can implement two solutions:
the first is to spray some cool water on their belly, paws, and head with a watering can or sprinkler.
the second is to equip yourself with a small pool for them to bathe and play in.
5 – Place the dog bed in shaded and well-ventilated areas.
6 – At home: ventilate the rooms well; it will then be your puppy who chooses where to stay.
7 – If you need to go out in the car: remember to open the windows or turn on the air conditioning to cool the cabin.
8 – If possible, instead of blankets or beds at home, a good solution could be the so-called cooling mat
9 – Make use of your culinary imagination by preparing small cold snacks like homemade ice creams and popsicles.
Thank you, Sara, for this fantastic guide; you did a great job.
We are sure that this article has been helpful to you and that you will treasure these valuable tips.
Here are some products that can improve your puppy's well-being in summer.
Comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.