How To Prepare Your Dog For Next Summer

Transitioning from the cold to the warm season is rough for everyone, especially for your doggy companions. Because their anatomy renders them ill-equipped to handle drastic changes in temperature, your dogs are likely to get negatively affected by the sudden change in weather. 

As a pet owner, making sure that your furry companions can bear the switch in their environment is a must. Here are ways to raise their chances of making their lives easier once the weather changes from cold to warm.

Ways to Prepare Your Dog for the Summer Season

Visit Your Trusted Veterinarian

Just like humans, dogs have visible quirks that affect their lifestyle. These effects depend on their overall health conditions and lifestyle. In such a case, your local veterinarian can help you out. 

For example, brachycephalic dogs, such as Japanese chin, Pekingese, or Frenchies have short heads and snouts which give them a hard time breathing. Because of their different-shaped faces, their short snouts stop them from panting normally like other dogs to cool themselves, making them more susceptible to the summer heat, especially, in the humid weather. 

In some cases, your pet dog might possess problems that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Learning to maintain their health condition is valuable knowledge, whether it’s the common cold or heart disease. Using what you’ve learned to customize their living conditions to their need is exactly what they need to survive the heat.

Aside from crucial health conditions, another problem that pet owners must be aware of is bugs, insects, and parasites such as worms, fleas, and ticks. Summer is the perfect weather for them to breed in large numbers and become a menace to humans and dogs alike. Fortunately, vaccinations and medicine are available to prevent and treat insect-related diseases during the summertime. 

Your veterinarian will also ask you to keep your pet in shape through regular exercise outdoors or indoors using dog exercise equipment or regular walks. Given the heat, having approval from a veterinarian ensures that it’s safe to let your dog do physical activities. 

Keep Them Hydrated

Since their sweat glands are only found on their paws, dogs use other methods to cool themselves. They regulate their body temperatures through panting and drinking water. But given how active most dog breeds are, they’re quick to heat up despite of their efforts. 

Have a bowl of cool water waiting for them because it’ll save them from overheating. Always try to keep their water bowl filled. You should have an idea about where your dog spends most of its time and place a water bowl nearby to save it the trouble of looking for water. Make sure that you regularly clean the bowl of water to prevent debris, harmful microorganisms, and others from accumulating and being consumed accidentally by your pet. 

Groom Them Regularly

Grooming your dog’s fur has a significant impact on your dog’s overall body temperature and it helps regulate their body temperatures. Hence, it’s recommended that you stick with a regular grooming schedule to make your pet accustomed to the whole grooming process. 

Generally, it’s recommended that you shave down dogs with long coats to take the weight off their bodies. Be mindful of how much fur you want to leave out, the veterinarian and pet groomer will determine what works for your dog. This applies to short-haired and non-shedding dogs as well. 

Buy Dog Products For The Summer

Even though dogs’ fur coats can regulate their body temperatures, it’s not enough to completely cool them down – especially during the peak of summer. As a dog owner, providing other means to lower their temperature falls into your hands. After all, they need all the help they can get.

Look up dog products that are designed for withstanding the summer. Fortunately, they come in different designs to cover more ground, ranging from protective boots to protect their feet from scorching-hot asphalt to cooling vests. Check out reviews of any cooling products you see to determine whether or not they can work for your pet and their lifestyle. 

Prepare Your Home For The Upcoming Summer Months

If you’re uncomfortable during summer, dogs most likely experience double the discomfort, given their body system. Luckily, there are many ways to cool down. For dog owners who keep their furry companions indoors, inspect your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units once summer’s right around the corner to make sure they’re fully functional. A cool home is a comfortable home for both dogs and their owners. 

Keep in mind that not all households feature an HVAC unit. If that’s the case, it’s better for dogs to stay outside or in the coolest room of the house. But instead of leaving them to fend for themselves, ensure they have the means to cool down. Check their dog houses if they’re still intact. Add spots that provide shades to allow your dog more freedom without letting them overheat.

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Take An Online Course On Summertime Pet Care

Being a dog owner is a massive responsibility. From the moment your dog laid their eyes on you, you’re entrusted with another living being who sees you as its companion and true friend. Considering how dogs are victims of extreme temperatures, summertime leaves them vulnerable to heat stroke and dehydration, among other things. Even if you’ve already provided cooling devices for them, get more knowledge by learning how to handle these emergencies from professionals.

Conclusion:

Summer is rough for everyone. In fact, your furry companions experience twice the amount of heat, given how ill-equipped their bodies are to transition from cold to warm seasons. Fortunately, the list above can help you to prepare your dog for the upcoming summertime.

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