As the first post of the "Pet Life Fun" blog category, I thought I would start things off with some tips for dealing with summer heat! Summer is in full swing now and the temperatures are rising! For people the heat can be exhausting, but it is even more so for our fury friends. To help you out, here are five fun summer ideas that can help keep your dogs cool this summer!
Cooling Pads
This first one is a bit boring for us humans, but your dogs will love it!! Cooling Pads are offered by various pet companies and are a great investment, especially if you have a dog who doesn’t like heat. Cooling Pads are often filled with a gel substance that holds cool temperatures longer than other beds. Just keep it in a cool place when your dog is not using it, then pull it out when the heat gets to be a bit much. These are better when temperatures are not over the roof hot, but in a pinch, they are a great option, especially in car rides!
Note: Though there are cooling pads with gel that are made specifically for dogs, ingesting the gel can be harmful to dogs. To protect your dog, please do not use gel filled cooling beds if your dog is known to tear up beds and make sure you keep an eye on you dog while it is using the cooling pad.
Ice Bath
Anyone who has a husky will know of this fun way to cool down your dog! Go to your local store and grab a plastic kitty pool along with bags of ice (make sure to get easily crushed ice as this will help protect your dog’s teeth from damage when chewing on ice. For more information on how ice can damage your dog’s teeth, please refer to the whole dog journal article link in the next section). Once you get home, set up in the backyard by filling the pool with ice and letting your dog enjoy their little patch of winter! Make sure to keep an eye on your dog to make sure it doesn’t get too cold, especially if it is a small breed. You can add some water to the mix if you would like, but bigger dogs, with a lot of fur (especially huskies), might find that simply a kitty pool filled with ice is great!
Popsicles
Frozen snacks are another great option. There are many recipes on the internet for fruit popsicles and ice cubes with whole fruit in them. Just make sure you limit how much sugar your dog gets as too much fruit can be bad for dogs. But a nice popsicle every once in a while can be a fun summer treat! The Whole Dog Journal just released an article with some great popsicle ideas! Check it out! (The article below also contains some information on ice cubes and teeth health.)
Frozen Toys
This idea is simple, but more common with human babies who are teething. Take your dog's favorite toy and stick it in the freezer. You can get it damp, but don’t get it too wet before freezing it or it will turn to solid ice (which can damage your dog’s teeth). Once it is cold enough, give it to your dog. Your dog can chew it and get cooled off at the same time!
Outdoor Bath
This one is probably the most fun out of all these ideas! Think of this like a summer carwash but you are washing your dog instead of your car! Get out the house, some fun dog toys, and dog safe soap. Put on your swimsuit and have fun playing and cleaning your dog! However, it is important to stay safe! Please be aware of the safety risks of playing around soap. Here are a few safety tips to help you and your dog enjoy this fun summer bath and stay safe:
Use dog safe soap and do not let your dog ingest any soap.
Be aware that soap is slippery. Do not do this on hard ground or near anything on which you, or your dog, can injure yourself on. Be aware of the safety risks of slipping on soap and protect yourself. In addition to that, be careful of the hose and make sure you do not trip. Have someone around to keep an eye on you and the dog as an added precaution in case you need help.
Make sure you do this the way your dog enjoys it. For example, if your dog is afraid of the hose, find a different way to introduce water. Also, do this with no more than two people. Having multiple people doing it with you can make some dogs nervous.
Make sure you keep things relatively calm and very fun for your dog. You can turn bath time into a game, but if things get too rowdy, your dog may end up dirtier than when you started! (You can use an outdoor bath like a plastic kitty pool if this helps. But sometimes, especially if your dog doesn’t like baths, having the freedom to be outside of a bathtub, or pool, can make things more relaxing for the dog).
Make sure you rinse out all the shampoo. This is easy to miss when you are having fun outside, but it is important to get all the soap out of your dog’s fur or it will cause skin irritation and itching. Also, dry your dog off as best you can before it comes inside. Even though it is hot outside, wet fur in an air-conditioned home can make your dog cold. So make sure to dry your dog off before bringing it back inside, then give it the option of laying down in a warm location (adding a blanket to their bed is usually enough during the summer).
Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors! For backyard fun, make sure your dog cannot escape. Also, if you have multiple dogs, make sure you have multiple places they can each access these fun summer options for cooling off. Stay save and have fun! If you have any ideas of fun things you do with your dog to keep cool during the summer, I would love to hear about them! Please like and comment to let me know what you and your dog do to keep cool during the summer!
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