Hot News: Keeping Huskies Cool and Hydrated When Temperatures Rise
Baby, it's hot outside! Many areas of the country are seeing extreme heat conditions this summer, and weather forecasters are predicting dangerously high heat indexes of 101 to even possibly 107℉ spreading from the central United States and moving toward our Northeast area this weekend. And if it's hot for us, just imagine how it is for our dogs! Having "snowdogs," you can just imagine how unhappy they are in extreme heat. It's also important to exercise dogs early in the early mornings and late evenings to avoid the sun and heat, be careful of hot surfaces including cement, blacktop, and sand, and be aware of symptoms of possible heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
I've had several readers request that I recap ways I keep my FiveSibes cool, so today I'll be talking about how to help not just Siberian Huskies, but all dogs, beat the heat!
Help Dogs Beat the Heat:
Please Note: This post includes some Affiliate Links, which means if you click on the item and purchase it, we will receive a very small commission (at no extra cost to you)! Thank you in advance!
1. COOLING COLLARS
There are two types that we use. The beautiful handmade ones by Calming Collars (they make cooling and calming collars in a variety of fabric colors and designs) as modeled by my now furangel Gibson. You simply wet the collar, put it in a ziploc bag, and freeze! Then place around your dog's neck to help them cool down on a hot day. With Gibson being an Epi-dog and a wooly Husky, this was a staple in my warm-weather care for him. You can check out my full review on the product HERE.
The other type we use are ones that have an ice pack that slips inside of a canvas collar. You can purchase those through our Amazon affiliate links, Large is below, and other sizes are posted at the end of this post. Either way, your dog will thank you!
2. COOLER BED/MATS
Small Blue Bed (17x24)
3. FRESH, COOL WATER AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES
In conjunction with July being PetSafe's National Pet Hydration Month, this sounds
like an obvious thing, but outdoor dishes of water can heat up very
fast. Be sure they are out of the sun and refreshed often. Not sure?
Reach in and test it! And be careful with glass bowls as they can not
only heat up to the point of breaking, but the sun's rays can also
filter through and cause a fire if located on a wooden deck. (See my pet
fire safety infographic HERE).
Indoor bowls can also warm up or become "mucky" with dribbles of dog
food, treats, and saliva, so be sure to clean and freshen often.
4. SPLISH SPLASH! KIDDIE POOLS, SPRINKLERS, AND MISTING, OH BOY!
What can I say? There's nothing better than a cool pool to chill those paw pads, blow bubbles under water in, and splash around to beat the summer heat! Also for some cool summer fun, spraying a dog with the hose set on the gentle (and quiet) "mist" setting, or having an oscillating mister fan, will not only cool off your dog, but take down the surrounding temperature, too! And let's not forget the old style of fun by letting your dog run through a lawn sprinkler!
For today's cool Flashback Friday photo, and in keeping with the Keeping Huskies Cool theme, it's my all-time favorite fun summer pool shot from several years ago of my FiveSibes having a splashing puppy pool party! What fun!
5. OCEANS, RIVERS, LAKES & STREAMS
Visiting
dog-friendly parks with ponds, also lakes, rivers, and beaches can be a great way to help your dog cool
down in the hot weather. Just beware of hot sand, sharp cowheads (seed pods of the water chestnut found in many locations along rivers), and
things that could hurt their paws on the way to the water and in the
water. And beware of toxic blue-green algae! Read more HERE in this article, "Blue-Green Algae And Its Danger to Dogs" from Blue Cross.
6. LET THEM SNOOZE IN THE COOL
Turn on the A/C and fans and let them snooze comfortably and/or play some indoor games out of the sun and heat.
7. SCRUB-A-DUB-HUSKIES-IN-A-TUB
A hot day is the perfect time to give your pup a good grooming and an outdoor bath! A little soap, a little water, and lots of clean, cool fun! (Never shave a Husky, unless for medical reasons! Why not? Visit my post HERE to get the facts).
8. NOMS, GIVE ME SOMETHING COOL TO EAT!
9. BEING SHADY IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
If they have to be outside, or if you are at an outdoor summer event with your dog, please be sure they have lots of shade, fresh cool water to drink, and a kiddie pool to chill out in. An oscillating fan (with cords well out of reach of the dog for their safety) helps move the air and if you can get a misting oscillating fan that hooks up to a hose, you can not only cool off your dog, but the outside area temperature as well! Not at home? For those camping trips, hikes, or visits to friends and family, take a long a portable hand-held misting fan to help cool your furpal off, and periodically dip their paw pads into a pan of cool water to help keep them cool and comfy.
10. NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A CAR ON A WARM OR HOT DAY!
Please!
I can't emphasize this enough! And while you may think leaving the
vehicle run with the A/C on while you zip into the store, there have
been reports of malfunctions where the air conditioner stops working for
the car turns off, and it becomes an instant sauna for pets. Leave your
pets home on those hot days where they are safe.
As promised above, some of our affiliate links to other sizes of the Kool Collars:
And we're also joining in the "Summer" Pet Parade, hosted by Rascal & Rocco, Bionic Basil, and Barking from the Bayou! Be sure to visit them and their hoppers!
Mr. N has a cooling vest he wears in the summer.
ReplyDeleteThose were great tips. We didn't know about the cooling mats we may get one for Fenris.
ReplyDeleteThese are very great tips. I'd never heard of a cooling collar before!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! The last few summer of Pip's life we had to be really careful with the heat because of his heart disease. We used a cooling vest outside and cooling mats inside. This helped us make one final trip to northern Wisconsin his final summer. The north woods were one of his favorite places. We were very careful, but he was able to enjoy some outside time and even a boat ride. I was so grateful for the cooling vest and mat - they really helped!
ReplyDeleteWe are enjoying the cool a/c inside and some tasty wallymelon -so refreshing.
ReplyDeleteWoos - Ciara and Lightning
I have indoor only cats so I don't have to worry about overheating outdoors but these are some great tips for those who do.
ReplyDeleteKeep cool beautiful Huskies!! I can imagine this weather is horrible for you guys!! But obviously, mommy takes good care of you guys!!
ReplyDeleteThese are excellent tips, and we need to check out some of those products, cuz it is stinkin' hot here!
ReplyDeleteThanks for Pet Parading with us and especially for sharing ways to beat this current heatwave that is gripping us!
ReplyDeleteOh.... I knew what I was going to say until I read about your frozen strawberry treats, now that's all I can think about. Mmm.... strawberries!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, right. Excellent tips! Around here though, we need to be careful about lakes due to the Blue-Green Algae. It can be very harmful and even deadly.
We love going on our walk as soon as the sun's up, then getting a big drink, then having a splash party out on our deck! It's tons of fun! After Mom dries us off, we head into the air-conditioning and chill for the rest of the day. Except for potty breaks. And lots of zoomies and indoor playtime. Today our heat index is supposed to be 113!
Cammie!
Fantastic tips, Layla hates water so what I do when we are outdoors for the day is make sure she has lots to drink, that we are in the shade or if its the beach I bought her a canopy which gives her shade so I make sure she does not over heat. When she is not looking BOL I normally pour water on her also
ReplyDeleteTeddy ha been exhausted by this current heat wave. I keep wetting him down but it doesn't take long for a dog to be affected, something I reminded a neighbor who had her dog out side, tied up without water, while she enjoyed a beverage yards away. Sometimes what's obvious to us is not to others...
ReplyDeleteEveryone needs cooling tips these days. We're having a heatwave here.
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips for dogs, cats, humans - everyone! It's so HOT!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list of ways to keep your dog cool for Summer. I especially like the yogurt bites recipe! My dog stays indoors during this hot weather, soaking up the a/c
ReplyDeleteLove the list and will look at getting a cooling collar for Kilo (he has a mat, fans, aircon, water, frozen treats, shade and we are very careful as heat can be dangerous for flat faced breeds). Just one thing the vet warned me for our post was that while water may be a good way to cool down before a dog gets too hot, you can actually kill a dog that is already in heat distress by giving it a cold bath or putting in a cool pool as blood vessels contract etc.
ReplyDeleteExcellent tips! It has been really hot up here in Michigan too. Those ice packs look wonderful. I can't imagine how difficult the heat must be on an animal that is built for arctic air!
ReplyDeleteI wish my guys liked the water. The only thing they use their little pool for is drinking water. We use cool coats for our guys and they work incredibly well.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas for keeping them cool. I imagine Huskies wouldn't do well in the south.
ReplyDeleteI'll be moving where it gets warmer in the summer so I'll keep these tips in mind. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, those treats look tasty! I've got to try making them for my pups.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine trying to cool huskies in really hot temps!! You've got it down to a science though, and gave wonderful tips and tricks! Never knew about the cooling collars! Great to learn something new!
ReplyDeleteMy double coated corgis have a really hard time in this heat too. We just keep them indoors and they lie on top of the cool floor (usually). Hope all the peeps whose pets don't stay indoors are taking this stuff seriously.
ReplyDeleteOh I wish I had these tips when we had our Keeshond! She was not a fan of hot weather, but fortunately our house was pretty cool even during summer.
ReplyDeleteWe are very diligent about keeping our dog cool and comfy and appreciate all the tips. We also keep the feet protected with Pawz doggie boots on walks. Fab tips here!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous list of tips to keep dogs cool. I'm actually awaiting arrival of a cooling mat now! I didn't now about cooling collars, great idea. I took Icy to the beach this morning & cooled our paws off in the water - I posted some fun pics on my blog today. Definitely sharing these great ideas, thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Great tips! I just bought Gracie a cooling mat. I also give her coconut oil everyday and have started freezing it in icecube trays for a cold treat. I use a cold wet bandana instead of the cooling collars, but I will have to look into those.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good advice on the importance of keeping cool and hydrated. You provided such useful information and resources. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good advice on the importance of keeping cool and hydrated. You provided such useful information and resources. Bravo!
ReplyDelete