Hot Dog, Worried Person
July 11, 2011 1:35 PM Subscribe
Hot Dog!
The Dog Days of summer have hit early in Minnesota, and my poor German Shepherd/Greyhound mix is taking it hard. Any ideas for keeping her cool in this heat wave?
Temps are in the 90's and the heat index is even higher. My dog is wearing a fur coat that she cannot take off. She is lethargic and hot: panting all the time, still lovable and up for walks, but definitely "feeling the heat". I'm one of Those Dog Moms who dotes upon my pup and wants her to be as comfortable as possible. I hate seeing her like this and want to help if I can.
We live in a house with just one window AC unit - in the bedroom. The bedroom is on the second floor. The first floor has two ceiling fans as well as the Home Base for her food and water.
This weekend we've alternated between hanging out in the downstairs with the fans on and shutting ourselves in the bedroom with the AC blasting. I bring her food and water into the bedroom when we're in there.
Obviously, I cannot leave the bedroom door open with the AC on, or my father will magically appear and shout something about "owning stock in the electric company".
We go to the river at least once a day so that she can play in the water and cool off. Instead of the two Big Walks we usually take a day, we go for more walks of shorter distance.
The heat wave is predicted to continue for at least a week. Anybody have any ideas on how I can keep her cool? I'm particularly looking for ideas of what I can do for her while I'm at work during the day. She's going to get bored being locked up in a small bedroom with the AC on (plus, Dad and the Electric Company) and she turns to panting and laying around sluggishly in the rest of the house - even with the fans going full blast.
PS - this post is useless without a picture.
Temps are in the 90's and the heat index is even higher. My dog is wearing a fur coat that she cannot take off. She is lethargic and hot: panting all the time, still lovable and up for walks, but definitely "feeling the heat". I'm one of Those Dog Moms who dotes upon my pup and wants her to be as comfortable as possible. I hate seeing her like this and want to help if I can.
We live in a house with just one window AC unit - in the bedroom. The bedroom is on the second floor. The first floor has two ceiling fans as well as the Home Base for her food and water.
This weekend we've alternated between hanging out in the downstairs with the fans on and shutting ourselves in the bedroom with the AC blasting. I bring her food and water into the bedroom when we're in there.
Obviously, I cannot leave the bedroom door open with the AC on, or my father will magically appear and shout something about "owning stock in the electric company".
We go to the river at least once a day so that she can play in the water and cool off. Instead of the two Big Walks we usually take a day, we go for more walks of shorter distance.
The heat wave is predicted to continue for at least a week. Anybody have any ideas on how I can keep her cool? I'm particularly looking for ideas of what I can do for her while I'm at work during the day. She's going to get bored being locked up in a small bedroom with the AC on (plus, Dad and the Electric Company) and she turns to panting and laying around sluggishly in the rest of the house - even with the fans going full blast.
PS - this post is useless without a picture.
Can you encourage her to lie in the kitchen, bathroom or somewhere else uncarpeted? (Maybe give her treats in there, or stretch out on the floor with her yourself for a little while?) Our cats really seem to need that kind of bare floor when it gets hot. I think she'll know instinctively to flop herself out full-length rather than curling up.
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:43 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:43 PM on July 11, 2011
My sister usually goes for a full under-belly shave for her Aussie Shepherd this time of year using her horse clippers. If you're not up to that task or don't have the equipment a lot of groomers will do it.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 1:46 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by Mister Fabulous at 1:46 PM on July 11, 2011
Also, you'll obviously be making sure she has plenty of water, but could you possibly give her a BIG bowl with a big chunk of ice in it that'll melt down into water during the day? I think she'd find licking the ice to be comforting.
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:46 PM on July 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by dlugoczaj at 1:46 PM on July 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Short of shaving, simply brushing her regularly to help remove shedding fur should help. You could also try a bandana around the neck, or even a vest/sweater, soaked in cool water to help encourage evaporative cooling.
posted by maxim0512 at 1:51 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by maxim0512 at 1:51 PM on July 11, 2011
Do you have a good butcher nearby? I got this tip from a vet tech friend. You can buy a frozen cow femur (I usually pay under $10) and the butcher will cut it into about three frozen, cheap bony treats that cost a couple of bucks each. Getting the fat and marrow out of there will occupy a dog for hours in the heat. It's like a dog popsicle.
posted by up in the old hotel at 1:54 PM on July 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by up in the old hotel at 1:54 PM on July 11, 2011 [4 favorites]
Expensive, but I used this with success in the past for my dog who used to splash all the fresh water out of her bowl so she could lay in it and cool off on the kitchen floor.
Cannot be used with a dog who chews on bedding.
posted by ephemerista at 1:57 PM on July 11, 2011
Cannot be used with a dog who chews on bedding.
posted by ephemerista at 1:57 PM on July 11, 2011
You could try one of these or make one yourself using water retaining crystals used for garden soil or in diapers.
posted by Carlotta Bananas at 2:04 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by Carlotta Bananas at 2:04 PM on July 11, 2011
I am not sure that shaving is the answer. Here in blistering AZ, my vet used to tell us that, even though it seems counter intuitive, our dog's full coat actually helps to keep them cooler, aside the obvious sun protection that it provides. Something about a mini- climate control between the top of the fur and the skin or something. I wish I had a source for this besides my fading memory.
Can you get block ice in a tub big enough to hold the melt off? I used to have a dog that would go crazy for ice in the summer. The dog can lay next to the tub, drink the cold water, lick the ice, etc.
Do you have tile floors? They are heaven for dogs when it is hot. I would put that ice tub on the tile floored area so the dog can hang there. Bonus if you have a ceiling fan (of floor fan) to move the air in that room.
posted by LyndsayMW at 2:06 PM on July 11, 2011
Can you get block ice in a tub big enough to hold the melt off? I used to have a dog that would go crazy for ice in the summer. The dog can lay next to the tub, drink the cold water, lick the ice, etc.
Do you have tile floors? They are heaven for dogs when it is hot. I would put that ice tub on the tile floored area so the dog can hang there. Bonus if you have a ceiling fan (of floor fan) to move the air in that room.
posted by LyndsayMW at 2:06 PM on July 11, 2011
Freeze a bowl or cake pan of water (with optional treats frozen inside) for a block of dog ice. You can also freeze a Kong full of peanut butter or yogurt or water (warning: the yogurt will drip. PB won't and water won't hurt anything unless you have wool rugs, but the yogurt is kind of messy) for a cold treat.
But panting and laying around uselessly is kind of what dogs do. Even when we lived in Texas and it would be over 100 degrees, my dogs would choose to go outside and lay around my yard *in the sun* like an explosion in a dog factory. Eventually they'd come in and sleep on the tile floor until they cooled off, then go back outside again. Sometimes I would go out make them come inside because the black dogs would be too hot to touch.
If a dog has shade, ventilation, and water, they are fine. If your dog has access to a cool hard floor, that's bonus. Grab a cheap room thermometer, and as long as it's not getting into the hundreds, it'll be fine.
If you're super-worried the temp will spike while you're at work, have a dogsitter come in for just a 15-minute visit every mid-day to check the inside temperature and hand out additional frozen treats if necessary.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:29 PM on July 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
But panting and laying around uselessly is kind of what dogs do. Even when we lived in Texas and it would be over 100 degrees, my dogs would choose to go outside and lay around my yard *in the sun* like an explosion in a dog factory. Eventually they'd come in and sleep on the tile floor until they cooled off, then go back outside again. Sometimes I would go out make them come inside because the black dogs would be too hot to touch.
If a dog has shade, ventilation, and water, they are fine. If your dog has access to a cool hard floor, that's bonus. Grab a cheap room thermometer, and as long as it's not getting into the hundreds, it'll be fine.
If you're super-worried the temp will spike while you're at work, have a dogsitter come in for just a 15-minute visit every mid-day to check the inside temperature and hand out additional frozen treats if necessary.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:29 PM on July 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
She's adorable. I would get a small stand fan and use it to circulate air around (not really blow directly on) whatever area she usually likes to sit in- the ceiling fans aren't really doing enough down on her level. Can you put some blankets or something over any window sections where air isn't coming in but the heat is beating down on? Plenty of water, plus a bowl of water with a bunch of ice cubes in it in the morning - she can drink it or put her paws in it as it melts.
She may go stretch out on the cooler tile when you aren't around.
posted by mrs. taters at 2:32 PM on July 11, 2011
She may go stretch out on the cooler tile when you aren't around.
posted by mrs. taters at 2:32 PM on July 11, 2011
Response by poster: I haven't considered shaving her - she doesn't have a lot of fur on her belly, and we are moving to a much, much cooler climate at the end of the month (North Shore of Lake Superior). This is very much a temporary problem. In a month we will have forgotten what 90's feel like.
I love the idea of a block of ice. I'm going to look into getting a kiddie pool and put a block of ice in the middle of it for her. I didn't want to bring a pool in the house for obvious reasons, but I don't think a block of ice would cause a tsunami of water when it melts.
Thanks for the tips everyone! Keep 'em coming. Lucy Fur thanks you.
posted by Elly Vortex at 2:45 PM on July 11, 2011
I love the idea of a block of ice. I'm going to look into getting a kiddie pool and put a block of ice in the middle of it for her. I didn't want to bring a pool in the house for obvious reasons, but I don't think a block of ice would cause a tsunami of water when it melts.
Thanks for the tips everyone! Keep 'em coming. Lucy Fur thanks you.
posted by Elly Vortex at 2:45 PM on July 11, 2011
Please don't shave her. My greyhound had much shorter body hair (and almost none on his chest and belly) and he still panted and grew lethargic in the summer heat. We had to move his doggy bed to a spot underneath the window air conditioner (we had one in the living room as well as the bedroom) after we noticed he kept stretching out on the bare floor beneath it. We regularly put ice cubes in his water dish, which he loved, and I discovered during the Big Blackout of August 2003 that he also loved being rubbed down with a paper towel filled with ice cubes. So you might try a serious cool-water/ice rub down on your precious pooch just prior to leaving for work - ruffle up her fur and get her skin wet with ice cold water. As it evaporates it will cool her.
posted by Oriole Adams at 2:58 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by Oriole Adams at 2:58 PM on July 11, 2011
Have you ever seen a dog or cat take a dirt bath? The dirt cools them off by spreading out their fur so they can release heat. You can replicate that with corn starch based baby powder.
I use the baby stuff instead of the pet store dry bath powder because it only has a couple of ingredients and is less expensive. Over the years my dogs have loved it.
posted by snsranch at 5:42 PM on July 11, 2011
I use the baby stuff instead of the pet store dry bath powder because it only has a couple of ingredients and is less expensive. Over the years my dogs have loved it.
posted by snsranch at 5:42 PM on July 11, 2011
Freeze a 2 liter pop bottle or a milk jug full of water and let her have it to cuddle with.
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:51 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:51 PM on July 11, 2011
When I had to leave for work during the hottest summer months, I would wet a towel, roll it up and put it in the freezer overnight or as long as I could. I would put down a dry towel (didn't want to mess up the hardwood floor) and unroll the frozen towel on top of the dry towel. My dog would lay on the frozen towel all day. Dogs cool off by panting (obviously) but also by cooling their underbelly. I think this really helped my shepherd mix through the dog days of summer.
posted by Term of Art at 6:22 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by Term of Art at 6:22 PM on July 11, 2011
Best answer: My little American Eskimo has a double coat and I currently have no a/c so I have researched this a LOT. Most of the stuff I do has already been mentioned but I'll reiterate:
- I always let my dog have access to the kitchen and bathroom floors, which are tile and much, much cooler.
- Shaving his belly helps him to cool off more quickly when he's lying on the floor.
- He has two water dishes which always have fresh water but I've started filling one of the dishes a little bit (about 1/4 or 1/3 full) and freezing it overnight and then taking it out in the morning and topping it off with water. Ice cold water all day long!
- I only walk him at night after it has cooled off. When the sun is out, it's just too hot for him (I'm in MN too).
- I buy marrow bones at the grocery store (in the meat freezer, a pack of them costs about $3-$5) and give my pup one a day straight from the freezer. He loves them and the chewing keeps his teeth clean and healthy. They don't need to be cooked.
- As someone mentioned above, lots of brushing to get the loose fur and undercoat off will help. Though I haven't read anything definitive, a lot of people think you shouldn't shave dogs not only because of their sensitivity to sunburn but also because their fur does help regulate their temperature to a degree. Keeping them well-brushed can really help this, I think.
Other than that, just the basics, which you sound like you're doing. Not too much activity when it's really hot, keeping her out of direct sunlight for long periods, plenty of fresh water on hand at all times etc. Good luck......she's a gorgeous girl!
posted by triggerfinger at 6:49 PM on July 11, 2011
- I always let my dog have access to the kitchen and bathroom floors, which are tile and much, much cooler.
- Shaving his belly helps him to cool off more quickly when he's lying on the floor.
- He has two water dishes which always have fresh water but I've started filling one of the dishes a little bit (about 1/4 or 1/3 full) and freezing it overnight and then taking it out in the morning and topping it off with water. Ice cold water all day long!
- I only walk him at night after it has cooled off. When the sun is out, it's just too hot for him (I'm in MN too).
- I buy marrow bones at the grocery store (in the meat freezer, a pack of them costs about $3-$5) and give my pup one a day straight from the freezer. He loves them and the chewing keeps his teeth clean and healthy. They don't need to be cooked.
- As someone mentioned above, lots of brushing to get the loose fur and undercoat off will help. Though I haven't read anything definitive, a lot of people think you shouldn't shave dogs not only because of their sensitivity to sunburn but also because their fur does help regulate their temperature to a degree. Keeping them well-brushed can really help this, I think.
Other than that, just the basics, which you sound like you're doing. Not too much activity when it's really hot, keeping her out of direct sunlight for long periods, plenty of fresh water on hand at all times etc. Good luck......she's a gorgeous girl!
posted by triggerfinger at 6:49 PM on July 11, 2011
This is an auto-translated page from a Japanese site that I'm considering buying from, but I'm thinking of getting this set of tiles for my dog this year. You soak them in water beforehand for at least an hour and the evaporation keeps your dog cool. I think they ship overseas, but perhaps you can google around to find a similar product in the US.
posted by misozaki at 7:53 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by misozaki at 7:53 PM on July 11, 2011
Down here in Iowa we have the same weather right now. Every summer my Giant Schnauzer gets an under-belly shave and a kiddie-pool from Ace Hardware. :) Lots of fresh water in her regular bowl, usually complete with ice-cubes in the morning and evening. She likes to hang out on our shaded concrete patios if outside and on our tile/concrete floors if inside. So she self-regulates and uses the "tools" we give her to stay cool.
My sister used to have a Husky in Dallas, TX and she would throw a big bag of ice cubes on the floor of her jeep for Ivan to lay on when they went out cruising around.
Yes, she (the dog, not the sister) still pants and sleeps more, but that's just normal canine reaction to a hot environment. It means she's being sensible and I keep her sensible by not running or exercising her in the sun.
Like others have said, don't shave their exposed (top and sides) fur, as they can get sunburn.
posted by webhund at 8:02 PM on July 11, 2011
My sister used to have a Husky in Dallas, TX and she would throw a big bag of ice cubes on the floor of her jeep for Ivan to lay on when they went out cruising around.
Yes, she (the dog, not the sister) still pants and sleeps more, but that's just normal canine reaction to a hot environment. It means she's being sensible and I keep her sensible by not running or exercising her in the sun.
Like others have said, don't shave their exposed (top and sides) fur, as they can get sunburn.
posted by webhund at 8:02 PM on July 11, 2011
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posted by rabbitrabbit at 1:42 PM on July 11, 2011