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!

FiveSibes Top 10 Tips to 
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. 

Coupon

***And as a special offer to my FiveSibes readers, Calming Collars has extended a 10% discount until June 16, 2024 using the code FIVESIBES10 when checking out!*** 

 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!

Size Large Blue

Size Large Red

 

2. COOLER BED/MATS

This was a fave of us here at FiveSibes! These are also very helpful in helping to cool down a pet. I had one for Gibson that he used every day. Being a wooly Siberian Husky and an Epi-dog, a canine epileptic, it was important to keep him cool as being overheated can trigger a seizure. We used a cooling bed 365 days to help keep my big wooly guy cool. These beds do eventually warm up, so it's important to have the dog get off of it for awhile to regenerate the cool factor. Also, a caution is to know that when placed outdoors, the outdoor temperature will also warm up the water in the bed, so it's key to keep in a cool spot and check on your dog. Mats are the same in that they offer temporary relief from the heat, but need time without a dog on them to regenerate the cool.

Large Blue Bed (32x44)

Medium Blue Bed (22x32)

 

Small Blue Bed (17x24) 

 

3. FRESH, COOL WATER AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES

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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!

 

Just like with us humans, a little cool treat like ice cream or a tasty

homemade frozen treat goes a long way to cooling some warm wagging tongues on a hot summer day! Check out our FiveSibes YouTube Canine Cooking Corner video below for our Frozen Berry Yogurt Bites Recipe! 

 

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.

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As promised above, some of our affiliate links to other sizes of the Kool Collars:

Size Small Blue

Size Small Black

Size Small Red

Size Medium Blue

 

In Summary:

 

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Stay Safe & Keep Cool!

 

*Blog Article Updated 2022 

 

 

 Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our Blog Hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week! To catch our past Flashbacks, just enter "Flashback Friday" in the search box.  Come join us! We'd love to see your pets' Flashback pics! Just grab our badge below:

 

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!

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