Question:
We have a big, hairy breed of dog who is really feeling the heat of summer. We give him plenty to drink and he has lots of cool, shady spots to sit in during the day. He doesn’t like the water and won’t lie on a wet towel. How can we help him beat the heat?
Erin
Answer:
Thick and long coated dogs were never bred to endure our Aussie summers and they really do suffer. That is great you give him shade and water — you can also try ice blocks (even frozen stock for a tasty treat), hosing him down, or keeping him indoors in air-conditioning. The trouble with being hairy is that it traps the heat and dogs can only lose heat via panting as they don’t sweat. Now while you will get lots of breeders of certain pedigrees having all but heart failure at the thought, vets will always recommend clipping the coat short for summer (ignoring aesthetics). Your pooch may not look like the breed standard but will thank you for taking off that fur coat instead of letting him fry!
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
