TUPELO, MISS– Summer heat is no excuse to skimp out on dog walking duty, but you’ll have to make sure Fido isn’t getting too hot when it is exercise time.
“Dogs don’t sweat,” says Dr. Steven King at Tupelo Small Animal Hospital, so there’s other signs to overheating to keep in check.
“Heavy panting, swaying on their feet.. excessive breathing,” King says those are key signs that your dog is getting too hot.
Other ways to prevent overheating could be shaving your dog for the summer, but some people are a little apprehensive about it. Dr. King says it’s up to the owner whether or not to shave the dog, but keep you’ll have to keep up the fur if you don’t shave it off.
“Make sure it isn’t tangled or matted,” says King, “if it gets matted it holds heat and moisture, which could irritate the dog’s skin.”
Pavement gets too hot for a pet’s feet in the summer time, so try to keep them in the grass as much as possible, says King.
“They would walk on hot pavement like you or I would,” says King, “they’d put their pad down and start high-stepping to get off the hot pavement.”
King says also be careful about too much exercise on the hot pavement. A dog’s paw pads could get worn down, which might mean a trip to the vet and a lot of pain for your pup.
