CARE WHEN TAKING THE DOG FOR A WALK ON HOT DAYS.

CARE WHEN TAKING THE DOG FOR A WALK ON HOT DAYS.
Does your dog love to go for daily walks? Then you need to check out the care you need to take your dog for a walk on hot days!
Taking your dog for frequent walks increases the chance of reaching the standard minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of exercise per week, and is very good for your pet. However, care must be taken on excessively hot days.
When the temperature exceeds 22°C, your attention needs to be redoubled, avoiding sunburn, paw injuries, and thermal shock to your dog.
Therefore, for the ride to be pleasant for both, check here 5 tips to ensure a healthy and fun ride with your four-legged friend!
Prefer to take the dog for a walk in the less hot hours of the day, i.e. in the early morning or late afternoon. Thus, avoid going out between 10 AM and 3 PM.
This is because during this period the sun is strongest and so the ground gets very hot. For example, on days when the temperature is around 25 °C, the asphalt can reach 52 °C. With such a high value, burns occur in just 60 minutes.
So, to avoid burning your puppy's paws, use the 40-second technique. That is, press the palm of your hand against the ground during this time and if you can keep it there, then your pet will have no problem walking.
However, it is important to remember that puppies' paws cannot withstand temperatures as much as those of adult dogs. So, be even more attentive in this case. Prefer walks in the shade, with lots of trees and grass.
Since puppies do not have sweat glands to release heat, they sweat through saliva and thus take longer to decrease their body temperature.
There is no way, drinking water is important in any season for all kinds of living beings. But in the summer, even more so. Therefore, try to keep your dog hydrated throughout the day.
Before going out for a walk, make sure he isn't thirsty, offer him fresh water, and if it's cold, even better. If he does not want to take it, gently wet the head, neck and chest of the animal.
In addition, carry a small bottle of water during the walk. There are models suitable for dogs and portable drinking fountain models. Thus, offer it whenever you notice that your dog is very breathless, with his tongue hanging out.
It is worth remembering that your puppy may also like to drink coconut water, or other juice that has no sugar. After all, he also deserves to stop and enjoy a different drink in this heat, doesn't he?
A dog's coat protects his skin from sunburn, but it also acts as thermal insulator. Thus, too much hair can raise a puppy's temperature.
Even so, never groom all the hair, completely shaved or close to the skin. The ideal is to keep the hair short, clean and well brushed. Although it may not be aesthetically pleasing, it is the one that works best in the summer.
However, as the hair protects the animal, some breeds need hygienic grooming for the summer. Therefore, consult your veterinarian for advice on this issue.
That's right, dogs also need sunscreen. However, this measure is more recommended for animals with white coats or light mucous membranes.
In addition, the sunscreen needs to be specific for veterinary use and, therefore, just apply it on the places of the body with less hair and more exposed, such as ears, snouts and around the eyes.
It is worth pointing out that sunscreen protects your puppy from sunburn as well as from some types of dermatitis and serious diseases such as skin cancer.
On hot days, dogs need to go for walks too. But take it easy on the journey, some breeds require a longer walk to spend energy. While others are calmer and more sensitive, requiring more care.
For example, dogs of brachycephalic breeds, i.e., those that have flat snouts, such as: pug, bulldog, boxer, shih-tzu and lhasa apso, because of their anatomy, suffer more from high temperatures, presenting greater difficulties to breathe.
Therefore, avoid long walks and prefer wooded parks, with grass and plenty of shade. If you need to walk on hot streets or asphalt, take the dog on your lap during the stretch.
The excessive heat affects everyone, but especially the dog. Therefore, when taking the dog for a walk on hot days, be very aware of your pet's behavior and know the right time to stop.
This way, it is enough to observe the animal's body language to identify if he is suffering a lot with the heat. Although this form of expression varies from one dog to another.