Keeping cool, the traditional way
It’s been a long time coming but dare we say it – summer is FINALLY here!
As temperatures creep up and we start to spend more time outdoors getting that all important vitamin D, it’s the time of year to start being conscious of your dog’s body temperatures.
As we know, overheating and heat exhaustion can be incredibly dangerous for dogs. Sadly, of all heat related illnesses presented at the vets, approximately 15% end fatally. The problem with dogs and heat is that when unacclimatised, dogs struggle to keep themselves cool. A sudden increase in temperature – even by just a few degrees – can have a serious impact on your dog’s health.
Signs of overheating in dogs
When a dog’s body goes into an overheated state, they may exhibit some of the following symptoms: frantic panting, rapid heart rate, excessive drooling, vomiting/ diarrhoea or disorientation. If you notice any of these symptoms after a period of exposure to heat, then you must act quickly. Contact your vet immediately, and attempt to gently cool your dog with the use of wet towels, encouraging to drink cool water, and keeping the dog calm with little movement.
Remember that brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs such as bulldogs, boxers and pugs, tend to be more prone to overheating due to their more restricted breathing abilities.
How can I keep my dog cool?
Prevention is certainly better than cure when it comes to heat related illnesses in dogs. It is a lot easier to keep a dog at a cool, healthy temperature, than to try and cool your dog down once they have overheated. Fortunately, there are many simple ways to keep your dog cool in the summer months and keep the dangers of overheating at bay.
As an absolute minimum
You should always ensure your dog has access to fresh, cool water, both inside and out of the house. It’s also worth making use of mornings and evenings for daily dog walks, to avoid the high temperatures of the day. Additionally, if your dog is long or thick haired, maintain a rigid grooming schedule to reduce the thickness of their coat.
Feed little and often
Your dog may not fancy eating big portions of food in hotter weather and may prefer to graze or pick at their food throughout the day – just like some of us humans. This is absolutely fine, and you should not force your dog to eat more than they choose to. Remember, you can also feed your Nutriment raw food partially frozen to help cool your dog from the inside out.
Consider Traditional Chinese Medicine
The key principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is centred on Yin and Yang – the notion that balance is key. Anything in excess should be balanced out with the application of the opposite. For example, heat being balanced with cold, damp with dry, light with dark, etc. Active, young, energetic dogs (which are most likely to be culprits of overheating), are generally described as ‘yang’ and so should be balanced out with ‘yin’ environments and foods.
What does this mean when it comes to feeding our pups? Well, simply put, balance heat with cool foods, and cold with hot foods. In TCM, ‘cool’ foods include fish, turkey, duck, celery, kelp, spinach and broccoli. The Nutriment raw food product portfolio includes a great choice of nutritious and balanced raw meals that contain these cool, yin ingredients. You could choose our Salmon with Turkey formula, Duck formula, and stock up on our Leo & Wolf Salmon or Turkey treats.
Heat exhaustion is a very serious condition for dogs. Never leave it untreated and always contact your vet if you suspect your dog has overheated or is suffering from heat exhaustion.
