Tips & Tricks to Beat the Heat
August truly means summer, and summer vacation is in full swing. While being the biggest month for fun, it can also be the hottest month! Hot days, warm nights- sometimes it can feel like there’s no break. The summer heat can get uncomfortable for you, but it can get twice as uncomfortable for your pet.
Water, ice, a pool, quick shower, A/C are all great ways to beat the heat. The preferred quick method of cooling off for this article writer- jump in the car, blast the A/C. You think it feels good for you, just imagine how it’ll feel for your pet.
In addition to a quick car session, here are a few ways to help keep them cool! 😎
The best and quickest way to help an overheating pet is by finding them A Cool Place. A cool place can be found in many different forms. Start out by moving them to a new part of the house where heat doesn’t accumulate as much. This could be somewhere that has wood or tile floors, which trap less heat than carpet, making it a more comfortable area for your pet to lay on. Or it’s a part of the house that isn’t exposed direct to sunlight frequently, meaning radiant heat doesn’t build up as quickly. Or maybe you have that one room where the A/C blows the hardest, or it has a lot of fans. You can even create a spot like that. A neat hack is hanging up a sheet and pointing a fan at it. The sheet helps collect the extra air flow, dispersing evenly around the room and effectively cooling it down. This trick will work for you even if you don’t have a pet!
A quick, easy way to help them cool down and is Ice Cubes. Take an ice cub tray and fill it with clean water, the same you would use in their bowl. Pop the tray in and freezer and wait for it to solidify. Then give it to your pet as an easy, effective way to cool them down and keep them hydrated. Just make sure the cubs are not too thick or densely frozen. Thicker ice cubs can be dangerous for your pet’s teeth, causing them to crack or chip when they bite down on the hard, frozen surface. Try more easily breakable ice like pebble ice. This ice provides the same ‘cooling down’ affect for them while also stimulating their senses without causing damage. If you want to give them an extra treat, try freezing low sodium chicken broth in shallow trays. Not only will they find relief from the cooling sensation of the ice, but also know their loved by receiving a healthy, tasty snack.
Not all homes have wood or tiles floors that keep cool. That is why another trick is by making a cool spot on the floor using a Wet Towel. Dunk a towel in cold water and lay it out on the floor. This provides a cool surface for them to rest on. Want to make the wet towel even more effective!? Combine it with a fan. Now you have not only the wet towel helping keep them cool, but also the fan blowing to help dissipate excess heat on the towel keeping it cooler for longer periods.
Hair is hot, let’s keep it as simple as that. Ever got a new hairstyle to stay cool during the summer? Well, your pet could use one of those too as a trick to stay cool. Brushing or Trimming your pet is most affective during summer. Dogs and cats and most animals don’t sweat like us humans do, so having the right hairstyle is essential. Some pets can be groomed and have their fur trimmed. Less Fur= Less Heat. Fur traps heat, acting as an insulator. While that may come in handy during a cold, rough New England winter, a hot California summer has the opposite effect. But not all pets can be groomed. Most pets that shed on a regular basis use fur to regulate temperatures consistently. Losing that fur can cause major issue, and it’s not as simple as just growing it back. Make sure to check with your vet before deciding to give you pet a summer buzz cut. For those pets that can’t get a new hairstyle, regularly brushing your pet can help remove excess fur and prevent it from building up. The less fur your pet has and the less dense it becomes which helps more heat escape from their body.
Lastly, and the most important, make sure your pet always has a fresh source of Water. While it seems like the most basic of thoughts, sometimes it can slip by. Pets should have access to fresh, clean water at all times. Knowing they can walk over and get a quick drink will help them on the hottest of days. Try rotating the water out too. Water sitting still, even in the cleanest of environments, can absorb heat. For good practice, empty your pet’s water bowl ever 5-6 hours and refill it, even if they haven’t touched it!
Doing all these tricks can help your pet beat the heat. However, sometimes things happen. Every pet has their different sensitivity to heat. If you notice your dog or cat is experiencing heat-related issues, DO NOT wait, seek medical attention immediately and call your trusted vet like the ones at Companion Animal Hospital.
