I’d love to have a conversation about avoiding over heating in dogs. We all know that it can be a life or death issue for all dogs, but the fact is that my Skip overheats easily. Very, very easily. It may be that his bad heart is the only factor, or perhaps there are others, but it can take him 30 minutes to cool off when it takes Maggie 10. I simply can not run him if it’s truly hot and humid; or if I do, for a minute or so only. Given that those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are rolling into summer, and it’s already been hotter than hell up here in the Northland, it seems like a timely conversation to have for all of us.
First, it probably goes without saying, (and yet I feel obliged to), that high internal temperatures in dogs can be a serious health emergency that can lead to organ failure and death. You no doubt know that a dog’s internal temperature is usually somewhere around 100 to 102.5, and that dogs are unable to sweat except through their paws. (Which has always confused me. Horses sweat and have coats similar to those of dogs; why can’t dogs sweat?) An internal temperature over 106 is considered a crisis; imagine my shock when I took Skip’s temp after a training run and it was, yeah, 106. (I should mention, however, that I used a digital thermometer, CiiNii, inserted in his ear, which I’m told is not as accurate as a rectal one.) Skip seemed fine after he cooled down, but needless to say, I take all this very, very seriously, and am now always quitting before I think I need to.
Here are some of the factors that effect overheating in dogs that I know about; and some of the ways to protect our dogs. Please, don’t hesitate to add your own knowledge and experience here:
TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY: This is the obvious one, and most often relates to dogs in cars. If there’s just one person reading this who doesn’t know how fast a car interior can heat up to a fatal temperature, then it’s worth mentioning it. A car parked in the sun can attain an inside temperature of 116 within an hour. However, it can take far less than that to kill your dog. The dashboard itself, in one study, rose to 157 degrees Farenheit. We’ve all heard the heartbreaking stories of children who have died while being left inside a car (an average of 37/year–I can barely type that), but we know it happens to dogs too. In 2018-2019, 78 dogs died in the US from heat stroke in cars. What seems to confuse people is that cracking a window doesn’t help much. Heat rises, right? It doesn’t want to go sideways. That’s why I have a car with a moon roof, which makes just getting into the car in summer so, so much nicer. (And explains why I left my dogs in the car on a warm but not hot day, and then had to explain to the person trying to break into my car to SAVE MY DOGS who were sitting in their crates looking amused.)
High humidity along with high temperatures, just as with us, can also make dogs more likely to overheat, no matter where they are. Of course, being in the sun, having a dark coat, being out of a breeze are also all factors that can influence a dog’s internal temperature, along with any exercise. Be especially careful of walking or running dogs on hot pavement–black asphalt is famous for holding and radiating heat, and while your head is high above it, your dog’s isn’t. I have to admit I’ve seen a few dogs walking on the street beside their owners that I felt a tad worried about. But there are some other, less obvious factors that you might be interested in.
ACCLIMATIZATION It matters a lot what the dogs are used to. The first time I worked Maggie on sheep here in Wisconsin she came close to overheating, even though I worked her for an extremely short period of time. She had come from Idaho . . . dry, dry, low humidity Idaho, and had never experienced a hot, humid Midwestern summer. It took her about a year, but she eventually became just as tolerant of our weather as any other normal working Border Collie. Acclimatization has been found to be a key factor in keeping working military dogs fit and able to work in hot environments. Of course, it’s not the only thing–Skip grew up in Ireland but he’s been here for two years and i see no signs of improvement in his heat tolerance.
HYDRATION There’s no question that well-hydrated dogs do better when exercising and build up less internal heat than dogs who are not well hydrated. The question is, how to do that? Lots of working dogs (mine included) are too focused on the work to bother drinking any water until they know that they are”done.” Giving dogs fluids, before or after working, with electrolytes (like Gatorade® for example) has been controversial, because of concerns of the build up of sodium. We sweat it out, but since dogs don’t sweat, the concern was that giving dogs electrolytes made for us would cause unhealthy levels of sodium. But a study done at the University of Pennsylvania found that excess sodium was simply excreted in the dog’s urine, and that such electrolyes, especially when flavored with chicken, were a good way to hydrate dogs before they worked. I’ve given my dogs Glyco-Gen Energy Bones to replace glycogen loss if they run twice in one day, but that’s not the same as hydrating them. I’m going to try some electrolytic fluid with chicken flavor in it and see how the dogs do. What about you? Do you hydrate your dog before exercise, as well as after?
GENERAL CONDITION Of course, being in good physical condition makes a difference as well. Just as you’re going to struggle on the track if you used to run five miles a day but haven’t lately, dogs need regular exercise to stay in condition. You can’t stroll around the neighborhood twice a day and then go on a five mile, off leash walk with yor dog on a hot day and expect him to be fine. Be sure to ask yourself–what is my dog in condition for, and how are the external conditions going to influence that?
Two to three times a week, besides two walks and sheep work every day, I put Maggie and Skip on a balance board to work their core and the large muscles of their hindquarters. The stronger they are, the less they will struggle when exercising. I also keep them thin, because carrying around an arctic insulation system is not going to help a dog deal exerting itself in hot weather. I manage Ski’s weight so carefully I might as well be a falconer. “Keep him thin,” all his cardiologists have said, and thin he is. I feel like I’m always on the line of a vet saying, “Uh, what do you feed your dog, Trisha? Perhaps he needs a little more?” Of course, all working dogs should be kept trim–less stress on their joints, less needless work carrying around weight. Thus, the dogs I meet at sheepdog trials are almost always as trim as long distance runners. I am reminded, however, that about half of our country’s dogs and cats are overweight, so you might want to take a look at your dog and ask yourself how it would do on the BCS, Body Condition Scoring system.
Related to condition is a dog’s structure. Brachycephalic dogs with shortened muzzles and noses are especially prone to overheating. There’s just not much more I need to say, except perhaps to focus on breeding dogs who have healthy respiratory systems?
A HIGH FAT DIET? Or the opposite? Auburn and Cornell Universities partnered up to research the effect of diet on scent detection dogs, and found that ” . . . dogs eating the normal diet enhanced with corn oil returned to normal body temperatures most quickly after exercise and were better able to detect smokeless powder, ammonia nitrate, and TNT.” The results suggested that a higher fat diet, and lower protein levels, enabled dogs to tolerate heat better. I’ve seen this quoted to suggest that dogs do better in the heat on a high fat diet. On the other hand, you can find the exact opposite recommendation: You should feed low protein and low fat, said to create less heat in digestion than fatty, high protein foods. Right now I feed a relatively high protein and high fat diet. Hmmmmm. Any expertise/research out there to help guide us mortals?
HOW TO COOL OFF A HOT DOG If your dog’s mouth is gaping open, and tongue is longer than you thought possible and curling up at the tip, your dog is getting hot. More serious signs are hind end weakness, staggering, or collapsing. Get them out of the heat and in cool water STAT if you think your dog is overheated. My dear garden helper and first year vet student told me she’d learned that the best heat transfer points are paws, groin, and . . . get this, cheeks.
I’m not sure that relates to dogs (apparently it does in people), but it does reinforce my shaving Skip’s belly in the summer time; now I’ll focus as much on his groin area. Do know, however, that shaving your entire dog is not believed to be a good idea. But water to lie in? Oh yeah. Skip dives into the water tank after working at home, and he has very own wading pool in the backyard. Every sheepdog trial has a tank set out with water for dogs to leap into after their run. (One of my criteria for a “well-run trial” is one that keeps the water tanks full of clear, cool water, both for the sheep and the dogs.)
If your dog is overheated, do NOT spend time and energy trying to get them to drink. They are usually panting too hard to even think about it. Here’s article about how to respond to an overheated dog that I think is helpful and clear–it too says to get your dog in water, (have you noticed the water theme here?), don’t force him to drink, and don’t take him out of the water until his temp is 103 or below. If there’s no body of water, find water and flow it over his paws, belly, and groin. Continue to do that for a good 5-10 minutes if at all possible. If you think he was badly overheated (staggering, collapsing), take him to the vet once he’s been cooled to 103 or less. Another reason to have a thermometer handy.
[ADDED July 11, 2022] Chilly Buddy Vests: I wanted to add that since writing this I’ve discovered Chilly Buddy vests, and am very impressed with them. They reflect the sun’s ray off of a dog’s coat, and can lowered the temperature by over 40 degrees. Here’s Skip with his newly acquired Chilly Buddy vest:
The difference was striking–I put my hand on the top of his head and it felt significantly hotter than the fur under the vest. What we don’t know if how it effects a dog’s internal temperature. I’ve reached out to the company with that very question, and got a call back within a few minutes. Impressive. I spoke to Mr. Leandro Monteiro at Chilly Buddy who told me that they’d never done that research, but now that I asked, was intrigued by the question. Right now it looks like all the data is based on coat temperature and behavior–Leandro’s own agility dog used to seek the shade, but with the vest on was happy to stay in the sun. I can say that Skip looked much cooler–tongue shorter, less panting–than he normally would have on this exceptionally hot and humid day at a friend’s last week. It wouldn’t be that hard to do the research; I think I might just try it on my own sometime, by using a thermometer. But I do recommend them based on everything we know so far. And I’ll mention that Skip completely ignored it, although I would take it off when working sheep!
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: I’m overheated just thinking about what I wrote above. Luckily, for me and the dogs, it’s cooled off here (finally!) and is now only 60 degrees. Too cold for lots of folks, but perfect for me and the dogs. I’m pretty much in heaven, and so are Skip and Maggie. It’s also beautiful, with lots of flowers blooming and birds, birds, birds, everywhere. A Cat bird pair is all over the yard, followed by the House finches, the Robins (tons of them!), Nuthatches, Chickadees, Hummingbirds, Chipping sparrows, and my favorite, Tufted Titmice. (One has gone on walks with me, seriously. Cue the Disney music), and many more. What a joy to have our friends back!
I’m going to do the equivalent of slipping into a water tank full of cool water after working sheep, shut down the computer, and enjoy the evening. Between my novel this morning and this post, I’m ready for the couch. I’ll leave you with just one photo of my absolute favorite plant of the spring. We hired a native landscaping company to kill all the invasive honeysuckle in the woods above the house, and look what showed up a year later: A Showy Orchid! It’s tiny, I should have put something down for you to see its size, maybe 6 inches tall? But huge in my heart!
May your week also include some sweet surprise.
Be sure to tell us your stories about keeping your dogs cool, whether one has gotten over heated, and any research you know that can inform us all. I’m all ears. Well, okay, eyes . . .
Kat says
Overheating is something I worry about when taking my Great Pyrenees Therapy Dog to work. Places with elderly residents tend to be kept very warm and he’s wearing fur. He won’t drink water, before, during, or after work. He might drink before we leave home and he’ll almost always drink after we get home but immediately upon leaving the building he won’t. I don’t worry about it when the weather is cold because we can find some cold pavement or snow for him to stand on to cool down some but in warm weather I have a cooling mat in the car for him to stand or lie on and I’ll often wet his face. When I’m more concerned I’ll wet his slobber towel and put it at his groin. And I’ll have the AC in the car set at temperatures that make me shiver.
When the outdoor temperature is above 90 F we start cancelling visits. It’s just too hard on the dogs. Today it’s only in the 60’s but we drove part of the way home with the AC on because he was pretty warm by the time we were done. But we made a number of people very happy with our visit. One resident in memory care was sitting there blank faced until he came over and demanded some attention (i.e. put his nose under their hand and nudged it up). I got to watch their face absolutely light up. It’s why we do what we do.
lak says
Thank you for the information. I pay close attention to my dog and the heat, in MI in the summer we walk in early morning or late evening and stick to grass as much as we can. I had a women stop me in my complex once and tell me about asphalt being too hot for my dog, I was on the grass at the time, but thanked her for the info, she then apologized to me recognizing that we were on greenspace only, but I again thanked her for the info as I would rather have people advocate for animals as oppose to ignoring something they may see concerning. I am jealous of your dogs though, they look so cute and cool in the pools, my dog has a small wading pool but won’t go in it at all.
Frances says
I live in Northern England, and have come to be very grateful for our mostly cool, damp summers as I have got older. Poppy (toy poodle, 13, liver failure for 2.5 years) struggles with even small increases in temperature, especially at this time of year when it can be 11C/52F one day and 20C/70F the next. We walk earlier when it gets warm, turn around sooner, and stay on the grass, but sometimes she just has to stay at home. Sophy (papillon, 13.5) has her own way of dealing with warm sunshine, running ahead to the next bit of shade and plopping her tummy down on cool grass. It will be Freddy the papillon puppy’s first summer, so I will be watching him carefully, but I have found that wetting the ears works well to keep paps cooler so I will be carrying extra water if we are going any distance! But mostly we cope by just mooching along slowly, pausing for a rest in the shade, and abandoning any hope of holidaying in warmer climes…
Sandy says
Hi, Thank you for the link to the BCS systems sheet. There wasn’t any link to explain the difference between the 5 pt and the 9 pt scale.
Meredith says
I don’t even have a dog now and am in a small apartment — but wanted just for contrast purposes to report from south central Texas where it’s routine anytime from March-end of October at least to run very high temperatures both during the day and at night when it will often not go below 80. With humidity, conditions are really perilous frequently for humans and animals, yet I see people jogging at noon or after work (peak heat), and walking their dogs on pavement and sidewalks at all times. You didn’t mention how that can burn their feet, and I didn’t know that when I was younger … With climate change, the patterns of heat/drought will lead to much higher temps than we thought we could live with and for longer periods of time. Everyone needs to be careful and hope the electrical grids stay working. Not a minor thought where I live … Thanks for this info; I hope to have another dog someday and I treasure your advice — and stories!!
Charlotte Kasner says
Very important information. Vet nurse Emily J Hall has participated in a lot of research in this area. It is quite shocking how many dogs die in hot cars in a northern winter (albeit that we don’t get many cold days in England). Even in sub-zero temperatures, Cani-X dogs were overheating 20 minutes after running.
Too many owners swathe their dogs in coats because they can’t be bothered to clean them in wet weather and/or because they are fashion accessories. I have seen dogs being forced to run on hard surfaces on warm, wet days wearing raincoats.
I would caution against shaving however, as many coats do not grow back properly once the hair growth cycle has been disrupted and dogs then lose any protection that hair gives them against sunburn and other hazards. Other than the belly area, far from enabling dogs to cool down, loss of the guard hairs means that they have no ability to deflect the sun and they lose waterproofing.
Trisha says
Charlotte, I agree completely about not shaving a dog’s entire coat. As I said in the post, I shave the belly and groin region, but like you, caution against shaving a dog’s coat completely. I do see this on occassion up here, I always wonder why it’s been done.
Trisha says
Meredith, yes, yes, thanks formthe point about hot asphalt burning feet! I should add this in, excellent point.
Teddy says
Thank you for this great post with lots of helpful information. I am not sure if it helps or not but: When we lived in Texas, I used to spray down my horse before we went for a ride on a warmer day — I figured, the saddle pad gets soaked with sweat anyway, what’s the difference if it gets wet before the ride with clean water? He seemed to really appreciate it. So, sometimes on warmer evenings here in Chicago, I’ll take our dog out to the back deck and spray her down all over before we go for a (not strenuous) walk. She does not like the spray-down part, but she does seem to enjoy the feeling afterwards. In my mind, I’m giving her the benefit of sweating before we start out. (I would not rely on this method before more strenuous exercise.)
Thank you again!
Lorraine says
On hot summer days I try to give my whippet a choice of walking surface. It’s odd that after I guide him to walk along the grass he nearly always veers back to walk on the paved sidewalk. Perhaps hot smooth pavement is actually more comfortable for him than hot prickly dried out grass.
Thin-coated dogs like whippets often seem to feel the summer heat more than dogs with thicker coats – they have less insulation. I got him a ‘cool bed’ that I can fill with water in the summer and he gravitates to that when it’s hot. I also tie a wet bandanna around his neck and rewet it frequently with cool water, as well as misting him with a plant mister, and frequently refilling his bowl with cold water from the fridge.
Dieta Decker says
It has happened to me with a Collie who didn’t know when to stop. I have become rather careful as a result. In town the temperature of the ground is also important. A hot pavement can burn a dog’s paws quite quickly
Abby Razer says
Like you I carry a thermometer but I’m excited to see this new tech on the market and hoping to try it soon https://www.dvm360.com/view/mella-smart-thermometer-approved-by-fear-free-for-preferred-product-program
Irene Stoller says
I’ve always been a little dubious about the idea that you shouldn’t shave a dog with a heavy coat. We used to have Old English sheepdogs and when we shaved them for the summer (not all the way to the skin) they acted like they were years younger. Instead of dragging around in their heavy coats, they would be bouncing like pups and had much more energy. The people who were horrified were mostly AKC show owners who wanted the hairiest dogs possible.
Irene Stoller says
I’ll just add that their coats grew back without the least problem. I guess don’t see the biological difference between cutting their hair short and the kind of trimming that is done for dogs like poodles who are constantly getting short trims. I’d to hear more about what breeds have that problem because clearly my Old English and various friends’ dogs of mixed and other breeds seem to do fine with it.
Suzanne Elshult says
The study re electrolytes at the University of Pennsylvania was total news for me and may impact how I hydrate my search and rescue dogs going forward. How recent was that study?
Trisha says
Suzanne: It looks like it was published in 2020.
Cathy Balliu says
I also wonder if the intensity/tension in a dog contributes to their inability to cool off. I would shave the area in the groin or at least trim with scissors. And before a run, I would hose off the groin area especially the femoral areas since I was told that the main thing was to cool off the blood flow to cool off the interior. So much more research needs to be done but I also think that the border collie herding community has so much anecdotal information because this syndrome seems so common in our trialing dogs. I don’t know how many working dogs get affected.
j says
There may be very good reasons to shave a dog’s entire coat. My dog was a severe epileptic. He was an Aussie with a super thick show coat. He would overheat during the seizures, which when he was young and in excellent physical shape, were super violent (lots of muscle to contract and send him slamming into walls across the room). We could cool him when we were home when he had a seizure, but we weren’t always around when he did have a seizure (he had a lot of them). Because of the epilepsy, we did not dare leave him with a kiddie pool or other water source to dunk in unless we were there (he did have a seizure in a river once. It was not fun). Needless to say we had to be very careful about sunburn after we shaved him, and about having him get too cold as he got older (his coat indeed was pretty messed up after a few summers of taking it off). We shaved a “water line” on him as he got older, and he may have looked ridiculous but it worked. Wish we’d tried that sooner. The full solution? Don’t breed epileptic dogs or dogs with epilepsy in the line (if there ARE any more lines of Aussies or BCs without epilepsy!). Don’t breed working dog breeds with crazy thick show coats. Even before his epilepsy expressed, we struggled to keep him cool during the summer.
Corinne says
My last dog was a lab mix, black, named Toby. We were visiting my cousin in Oklahoma in summer one year and I took Toby for a walk in the park by the river. It was a hot sunny day but I thought he would be able to get into the water to cool down as needed. He was not, the park trail was high on cliffs over the river. By the time I realized he was too hot, we still had a mile back to the car. I was in a panic, he was panting SO heavily that I thought he would die before I got him back to her house. But once there I hosed him down for about 15 minutes and he was fine. We had no thermometer and it never even occurred to me to take him to the vet afterward, but he lived to be 16 so it apparently didn’t hurt him. However now if I am walking my dog on a hot day I make absolutely sure I can get him into water at some point along the trail, or we don’t take that trail. I also do not have a/c in my house so my current dog (also a lab mix, black, named Gus) gets pretty well acclimated to heat. But the first really hot days each summer are hard!
Melissa says
I do nose work with my dog and trials in the summer get hot! I had a hard time getting my boy to drink. Someone just recommended giving them watermelon to hydrate. Have to be careful not to give too much or you’ll have other issues, but I thought this was a clever idea. We also use shade cloths and cordless fans to stay cool.
Kathy says
Our cattle dog mix overheats very easily, but he’s so ball- and toy-driven that he won’t stop on his own. He really has no self-preservation instincts at all, apparently. We had never had a dog so susceptible, didn’t recognize the heavy panting as different from his normal eagerness to get the ball, and the one time he started staggering was a horrifying wake-up call for us. Now on hot days, we limit ourselves to 5-7 throws followed by an “underbody flush” with the hose (he stands happily with his hind legs spread so we can run cold water all over his belly and groin), several long drinks, and nice rest in the shade or on the concrete floor of the cool garage. Our rule is “no more running until there’s no more panting.”
We may be overcautious, but better that than harm our boy.
Julie Rice says
Here in NC the heat starts in early May and continues until November. My sport of choice is K9 Nosework so unless we go out early in the morning for exterior searches, we do all our searches in the A/C. I also take them once or twice a week to a large man-made lake and while the dogs swim, I water walk. Most mornings there is a breeze which makes it quite pleasant. I also take them dock diving once a week and they each work for 15 minutes with a break somewhere in there. I take overheating very seriously and keep my a/c on in the car if I stop for a quick (5 minute) trip into the grocery store. No hiking even in the early morning due to ticks and copperheads.
Molly says
I wish I’d had this article last week! And once I tell my story, please don’t call Dog Protective Services on me.
We have a 5 yo Aussie female, b&w. She is an absolute sun worshipper. We have had to make her come in out of the sun. Then we have our 8 mo Cardigan Corgi male, b&w. He hates the sun. He likes it cold & wet. Both are very slim, exercise a lot & eat raw.
So last week, I was out gardening (Nor Cal, Bay area, probably in the 80’s). We start gardening after our morning walk, so it was about 9/9:30 am. The dogs hadn’t eaten yet other than freeze dried raw treats on their walk. They had water, plenty of shade & a wet lawn. But I got a little exuberant in my gardening & we were out there a good couple hours.
We came in & after about 15 min, our Corgi pup starts vomiting. And vomiting. And vomiting. Eventually all that is coming up is bile. At that point, I am thinking it’s a combination of being too hungry & over heated. However, I typically fast a dog with digestive upset. Then I realize he’s losing fluids but if he’s overheated- not good. So first I try bone broth popsicles. But he won’t touch them & he loves them usually. Finally, I decide to go against what I thought I knew & start to feed him. My go-to is cooked lean turkey & some pumpkin. He won’t touch it. Eventually I put a tiny bit of his raw goat kefir on it. He eats that, then vomits. Finally, I decide to give him a tsp of kefir. He laps that up & keeps it down. So I repeat that ten minutes later. He keeps it down. So then every 15 minutes I give him a spoonful of his raw food mixture (boneless) & a kefir drizzle.
After an hour of that, I increased the amount & also increased the length btw feedings. By the end of the day, we had our incorrigible corg back. But I had learned my lesson about being out in the heat with him. I’m not sure what I chose to do was best, but now I have more info in my medical kit for an overheated dog.
Thank you!
Melinda Grosch says
Thanks for the timely article. One of my students with a Border Collie was asking about this and I told her to make sure she had a tank or pool for her pup to get in after working. I will send her a link to this article.
Here in CA where it is hot! and usually dry (very, very dry right now) I have found wetting the legs, underside and heads of my Labs to work well as the water evaporates quickly thus having a good cooling effect. When doing field work if they swim they usually get cooled down. Depends on the amount of swimming, which is strenuous exercise and the temperature of the water (still water is usually warmer than running water and all water in lower elevations here tends to warm as summer progresses). The thing to watch out for is after they are soaking wet that you don’t put them in an enclosed space like a VariKennel unless you have a good breeze blowing thru or a fan on them. They can “steam” in that environment if there isn’t adequate air flow. Someone ran some studies (not formal) on this years ago taking the dog’s temperature and the temperature inside the crate every 10 minutes or so and it was quiet stunning how high the temps got very quickly. Unfortunately I didn’t save that but it could probably be repeated easily. So don’t rely on a wet dog to be cool.
Suzanne Clothier says
Many years ago I had an interesting chat with one of the Iditarod vets. When they began taking internal temps at check points, the vets had been shocked to see dogs with 106F and higher in front of them, without any signs of distress. Years later, research shows that the internal temps on working dogs may be much higher than we first suspected. Details on how a working dog’s internal temp rise does not result in the same effects as that same rise if the dog is not working can be found here: https://workingdoghq.com/how-to-recognize-and-treat-heatstroke-in-k9s/
FWIW, I asked the vet who did the corn oil study why that was used — some specific balance of EFAs that were important? The answer was simply that corn oil was readily available and cheap. And the dogs in question were being deployed in Iraq and similar climates, so figuring out how to help them be more resilient to thermal stress was key.
https://drdavidmarlin.com/how-do-dogs-regulate-their-body-temperature-and-is-sweating-important/ Really fascinating!
Such a tricky balance you need find for your good boy Skip. Like your area, we’ve had abnormally hot & humid weather already, and it’s worrisome for all of our animals. Our Scottish Highland cattle and two donkeys are a far cry from being shed out already. The German Shepherds? Almost down to their summer coats.
Bruce says
In the muggy mid-Atlantic, summer heat is definitely a consideration with our dogs. Red Dog has a very short, reddish-brown coat with no undercoat, so she has little to block solar heat gain. Unless shade is readily available she gets uncomfortably warm when we are out and about on hot, sunny days.
In contrast, our old Sammy mix suffered less in the sun because her thick, off-white fur provided excellent solar insulation (she was still much happier in the cold).
When we are out on a hot sunny day, at some point Red Dog will simply trot from shady spot to shady spot, flopping down and panting at each. On a few occasions we have cut outings short if she seemed more uncomfortable than usual.
If there is a stream or pond available I will give her the opportunity to splash around. If no natural water is available and she seems uncomfortable, I will douse her with drinking water (which she hates). Plenty of water breaks, of course, for dogs and humans.
Oddly, at home Red Dog loves basking in the sun on 90°F days.
Our other dog is an ancient Pug (a good bit thinner than the one pictured, fortunately), so we are very careful with her limitations in the heat.
Trisha says
Suzanne C: Fascinating!!! Thanks bunches for the link to the working dog internal temps, great resource. Love this!
Trisha says
Melinda: Great point about not letting your dog “steam” in a crate. Thanks for that addition, very valuable.
Trisha says
Molly, so glad your dog is okay. I’d love to hear what your vet said about your protocol; totally not my skill set (but learning…).
Janet Noble says
I will never forget a Border Collie I saw at herding about 24 years ago here in Western Washington. Its owner had worked it for some time on a warm day and it was obviously in serious distress as she sat on a bench and paid it no mind.
I said something to her, directing her attention to her dog and she rudely brushed off my concerns. Not being one to leave a dog at risk, I said something to the trainer/facility owner. He looked then when and spoke to her. She just up and left, not attending to her dog at all; hopeful side says maybe she was on her way to the vet???
Ever since, I think about that dog…
The one time it was hot in Europe during the IFR (Rottie) Schutzhund World Championships, one of the team’s dogs overheated during our practice time. Being also an AKC show person, I whipped out water, cool pads and battery operated fans and we had him out of distress in about 10 minutes. He was fine and able to compete.
Trisha says
Kathy: I’d say not over cautious at all! And Maggie staggered the first time I worked her–I can relate to the horror!
Trisha says
Melissa: Good idea I think. Any vets have a comment?
Trisha says
Cathy: So true about anecdotal information! So much to learn. Interesting, your point about hosing off the groin area before exercise. I’m not sure (about to ask my vet!) but could that then shrink the size of the blood vessels and then make it harder for the dog to disperse heat from that area? Totally spit balling here, just remembering physio and anatomy classes in college–a million years ago. I’ve heard different takes on whether to hose off a dog before exercise… have you found it anecdotally to work well for you?
Nannette Morgan says
To answer Irene Stoller’s question: At least Northern Breeds (Siberians, Malmutes, Samoyeds) should never be shaved at all except for a surgical area. The double-coated fur does not grow back correctly plus they lose their heat/cold insulation. My Siberian loves to lay in the sun even on warm days for a brief period (here in the SF Bay Area, CA) and then comes in and lays on the cold floor. All mine have done that. I think it’s a contrast thing that pleases them 😉
Christine Johnson says
We run agility all year round outside here in Northern CA. I’ve learned a few tricks to keep the Corgis cool…I keep a spray bottle with water and spray the pads, belly, groin and mouth frequently during the day. Most trials have a kiddie pool that we use to dunk the lower portions in (they hate it but love it afterwards!) The biggest boost I’ve found is coconut water for hydration. The dogs love it and even those who never drink usually will lap it up.
Kate O’Brien says
Thanks for sharing this important information and for being so comprehensive. Two things I really like that you wrote were 1) mentioning how long it took for your dog to recover before mentioning duration of work, and 2) combining heat and humidity when talking about the environment.
A core temperature of 106 may not be a concern as a peak reached during work…as long as the environment is such that recovery is rapid once the exercise heat production ends. Recovery duration may be a simpler way to assess environmental heat stress than by looking at how fast the dog gets hot.
And understanding that hot, dry (favorable for evaporative heat loss by panting) and cool, humid (favorable for convective heat transfer through the skin) environments may pose little risk, but hot, humid could blunt both of those otherwise effective routes of heat loss and create greater risk provides an understanding of how to evaluate environmental heat stress. It’s also helpful to know how hard the dog works, i.e., how fast core temperature rises due to exercise heat production, so measuring rectal temperature of working dogs is wise.
As an aside, while humans lose electrolytes in sweat, panting only involves water loss, so replenishing electrolytes is not necessary, although improving palatability of fluid may encourage drinking.
Cathy says
One aspect of overheating folks might want to be aware of is that some medical conditions can contribute to excessive panting and overheating. Laryngeal Paralysis/GOLPP (Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy) is one example. In addition to not being able to breathe properly due to the larynx not opening properly, the hind legs are also affected and become weak to the point of being nonfunctional. Labs seem to be the most commonly affected breed, but other breeds are too, especially larger breeds including BCs. Heat seems to be the worst trigger of breathing issues and crises for them.
BARB STANEK says
I’m seriously thinking of having cards made up to leave under the windshield wipers of those who leave dogs in hot locked cars. Makes me crazy.
Lucky you with the orchid! I had some buckthorn removed and found Jack-in-the-Pulpits! Love them! Also love this 60 degree weather. Heaven.
Megan says
Thank-you for posting about this very serious problem. Of course you weren’t saying that your car’s moonroof is a substitute for preventing overheating, but I bet it helps keep your dogs cool on the road. My minivan has an RV-type roof vent fan wired into the electrical system so I can run it all day for my dogs at sheep trials. Or I’ve seen nice big box fans you can plug into your vehicle & run all day without draining much power.
Laura Elersich says
I have cooling mats all over my house , my Cavachon does not so well in the heat. When she comes inside from the heat she goes right for her mat I even have one in the car
I sent a few to her doggie daycare as well
Sue Kocher says
My little sport-bred border collie-Papillion cross, Sagan, suffers from Exercise induced collapse EIC) syndrome.
Or so I had diagnosed him after looking at videos on the Internet. There is no genetic test for it. Apparently it’s somewhat common in border collies, but also seen in other breeds. Same with Border Collie Collapse syndrome, for which there is a test, but he came up negative for that. 8Like you, quit playing ball with him when I see him starting to slow down a little bit bringing the ball back, Or when he sits there mouthing it for a while before he lets me have it. That means he’s tired, And he’s panting by then.
So no Agility for us, or even 30 min walks up the mountain on hot days. I try and stop when I see the early signs (in as little as five minutes on a hot day), because the one time he did start wobbling, it scared the hell out of me. Fortunately my best friend and neighbor is a veterinarian and she helped me ice him down right away, and he was fine. She also gotten researching order color collapse and drone, and then exercise induced collapse.
Sheridan Davis says
Tricia thank you for this invaluable article. Does anyone have experience with the metal mesh blankets I’ve seen used at some dog events to keep cars cool? Do they work?
Caroline says
We live in Vermont and compete in agility….mostly in the north. My dogs often do not seem to want to drink at a trial. I have discovered that if I save the liquid that comes off of cooking stew beef for treats, all I have to do is add a little of that to the water bowl to get them to drink.
Chris from Boise says
Such good info in your post and in the comments (I love this community!).
It made me pay attention while out hiking a couple of days ago in 80 degree temps. I watched a pointer running behind a mountain biker going uphill. Tongue was lolling out a mile, tip curled up – even more than Maggie in the photo above. The biker was gone before I could shout – I sure hope he stopped soon after! Meanwhile there were several other people hiking with dogs who were panting but didn’t seem near distress. Our dogs were at home.
Obi, at 12 years old and like Skip with a heart murmur, can’t take the heat any more. We hike him early and in higher elevations near creeks, where he dunks himself at every opportunity. He’s fit and can still go long (a 20 mile hike last week, uphill part done by 9 am, mid-section in snow, and downhill at a slower pace) but the conditions have to be right. The deeper we get into summer the shorter and earlier his hikes will be.
Lavinia says
It always worries me when temperature increases. Thank you for this post.
Kayla Fratt says
Have you seen the really great Heat Stress webinar from the Veterinary Tactical Group? It’s a must-watch that I’ve gone over almost every year before hitting the fields for conservation detection dog work! Best of all, it’s free! https://veterinary-tactical-group.square.site/product/2020-rethinking-heat-injury-in-working-dogs/335?cs=true&cst=custom
Trisha says
Kayla, thank you so much!!!
Kerstin says
Love the article. I have one – now a bit older – dog that is not a natural drinker. So I had to come up with ways to increase his drinking. Yes, chicken broth works fine, but his ultimate drink is water with a big spoon full of natural yogurt diluted in the water or a little bit of fermented goat milk diluted in water. Just be careful if you try this not to make your dog drink too much since they might want to empty the bowl. So at a work-out or trial I will give this to him but in small amounts since we do not want to end up with bloat!