Chillin’ Out our dog’s

We really have been feeling the heat this week in Perth with  four days of 40c, so I thought I’d give a few tips on how to help your pets cope with the heat.

Keep them indoors with a fan or air conditioning. If they must be outside make sure they have lots of shade and plenty of cool fresh water.

Darker coats absorb more heat than lighter coats and overweight dogs are at higher risk for dehydration in the summer months.

Dogs don’t sweat so watch for signs of dehydration such as drooling excessively, lethargy and when you lift their  skin it will take longer than usual for the skin to fall back into place. Get them  to a shady area, apply ice packs or cold towels to their head, neck and chest and try to get them to  drink small amounts of cool water – if in any doubt take them directly to your local vet.

Dogs cool from the bottom up so a cool wet towel to lie on and relax will do the trick.  Puppies and older dogs can really feel the heat so fill up an empty plastic bottle or milk container with water then freeze, when its frozen  wrap it  in an old tea towel and put it in  their bed.