Guest Column Inside How to Help Your Dog Beat the Heat

By LiLLy LeJeune

Alabama is hot in the summer, and it’s only getting hotter. With temperatures on the rise, it’s important to take care of your furry friends to make sure they don’t get overheated. Here are some tips and tricks for keeping your pups safe in the summer heat!

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A Fresh Summer Coat

If your dog is especially fluffy, they can get a summer cut to survive the heat. Shaving off all that warm, winter fur can keep a dog cool in summer. If they’re the double-coated type, brushing them out to get rid of extra fur can be helpful. Making sure your dog is properly prepared for the season is the first step to keeping a happy pup during the summer months.

Pay Attention to the Paws

heat. Try to walk your dog during the morning and evenings, when you don’t have to face the scorching sun. If you still want to walk during the hottest parts of the day, maybe cut that walk short so that everyone stays happy and safe.

Hydration

Dogs need water just as humans do. Make sure their water bowl is always full, but when outside in the sun, it can also be helpful to have a portable water source for your dog when they get thirsty. It’s easy to find and order a water bottle that your dog can drink out of, and it can make all the difference to your pet.

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When humans go out for a walk on sidewalks, they wear shoes to protect their feet, but dogs often don’t have shoes, or they don’t want to wear them.

Concrete and asphalt can absorb heat and often be hotter than the actual temperature that day. When dogs walk on surfaces that are too hot, they can burn their paws.

Before you take your dog out for a walk, place the back of your hand on the sidewalk or asphalt. If you can’t stand to have your hand on the surface for 5 seconds, neither can your dog. It would be best to wait for a cooler time to take that walk. If you’re halfway through a walk and your dog starts prancing and picking up its paws, it is worth performing the test again to make sure that the surface hasn’t warmed up too much.

Take Shorter Walks During Hotter Days

Every dog loves a long walk, but on days when the weather is too warm, longer walks can cause dogs to over-

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After a walk, it’s important to make sure your dog cools down properly. Applying damp towels to the pup’s paws and stomach can help them cool off. If your dog won’t accept you rubbing a towel on their paws, just lay the damp towel out on the floor and let them lay on it to cool off. Make sure the pup has plenty of water, and occasionally, on very hot days, you might give them a piece of ice or another soft frozen treat to chew on.

Lilly LeJeune is a summer intern at Hand in Paw. Founded in 1996, Birmingham-based Hand in Paw’s professionally trained volunteer handlers and animal Therapy Teams help improve people’s day-to-day lives in several medical centers, schools and human service organizations throughout North Central Alabama and Tuscaloosa. Hand in Paw volunteer teams make thousands of visits through community events and participating facilities each year, helping countless children with special needs, at-risk youth, struggling students, and people with chronic and terminal illnesses. Hand in Paw does not charge for its services.