Keeping Your Poodle Safe From Hot Weather
Living in the South with all the hot summer weather can be an extremely dangerous time for your Poodle. Dogs don’t handle heat as well as humans. We can be outside for a long time enjoying the heat and sunbathing. Our way of cooling off is sweating. Dogs cool off by panting, which is often inappropriate and can put them in a life-threatening situation if they overheat.
Dogs can develop heat stroke quite quickly. Just going for your normal walk or letting your dog play in the yard is enough for your Poodle to overheat. The best time to walk your Poodle or to play in hot weather is early in the morning or late at night.
Never leave your poodle in the car unattended during hot weather. It doesn’t take long to turn into an oven, even if you leave the windows open a bit. If my husband and I are in the car with the dogs and we have to go to the store, one of us stays in the car with the air conditioning on with the dogs.
If your poodle’s hair is long, he is more likely to overheat. If your dog is overweight, has heart disease, is old, or is a young puppy, he too can get heat stroke more easily. If you’re not showing your Poodle, having him restrained in a nice short summer clip will make him more comfortable during warm weather.
Try to stay off hot pavement during hot weather. It can burn your dog’s feet and raise his body temperature faster. Check the pavement temperature by hand. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your Poodle! Try to walk in the shade or on the grass.
If your poodle is kept outside during the day, make sure it gets plenty of shade. Our kennel has a roof and shade cloth around it. It is also situated under shady trees.
Make sure your Poodle gets plenty of clean drinking water. Our kennel has an automatic water dish. If you are traveling with your dog, bring plenty of water.
Some poodles like to play in the water. You might want to get one of those plastic kiddie pools for him to play in. My Poodle Bob likes to chew on the water that comes out of the sprinklers! Make sure they are supervised before doing any of these activities.
Recognize heat stroke
Be alert to your poodle’s body temperature during hot weather. A normal dog temperature is around 101 degrees, much higher than that can cause problems and is an emergency! If it gets up to 108 degrees internal organs start to break down and can cause long term permanent damage or death!
If your dog begins to breathe rapidly, has a rapid heartbeat, dry mouth, nose, and gums that turn gray or red, these are signs of heat stroke. You need to cool your poodle down immediately, by placing him in a tub of cold water or cooling him down with the hose, then get to the vet fast! Your poodle may still be in danger, even if he looks good on the outside.
By following the tips above, you and your Poodles can have a fun and safe summer season!