It’s crazy to think we are only one month away from summer solstice but as the days are still getting longer and warmer it is so good to know, the best is yet to come.
Most of us are looking forward to slapping on the sun cream and spending days baking on the beach in the sun, especially when on holiday with your dog in Cornwall but our canine friends aren’t quite as keen for spending the whole day in the blazing sun as we might be.
I know that my little scruffy terrier mix-breed suffers badly in the heat which lead me to do a bit of research and was fascinated to find out that dogs body cooling mechanisms isn’t as sophisticated as ours. So we, as dog owners, have to take extra care and responsibility to ensure we help regulate our dogs body temperature on the long hot summer days.
Here are some simple tips from us to make sure you as a dog owner are well prepared for the summer.
All the Gear: Get Your Dog Beach Body Ready
Long summer days on the beach building sand castles and eating ice cream is fun for all the family but if you find yourself spending the whole day on one of Cornwall’s dog friendly beaches with your dog, make sure they are properly catered for.
Dehydration is the biggest challenge for your dog in the summer heat so pack plenty of water for your dog and have it always within in reach. Bring shelter such as a small tent, or a large umbrella so your dog has access to shade at all times and cool your dog off by getting him in the sea with you for regular swims.
With temperatures during last years’ heat wave reaching a whopping 35 degrees, as inconvenient as it might be for us as dog owners, long beach days just simply aren’t fun for our dogs, so even better, we leave them indoors for short periods of time when we can or choose a more dog friendly activity on the hot hot days. Check out our list of the best products to keep your dog cool this summer!
Keeping Your Dog Safe On Hot Summer Walks
An easy place to start is making sure you pack a compactable water bowl and allow your dog to drink at regular intervals during the walk and plenty of fresh water after.
If you are on holiday with your dog in coastal destinations like Norfolk or Devon, swimming is an excellent way to exercise your dog whilst also ensuring they don’t over heat.
We must also be mindful to not walk our dogs on tarmac for long periods of time. According to animal health website ‘Vets Now’. “Dogs can suffer burns to their paws on days most people wouldn’t consider searingly hot”. They add “If the outside temperature is 25C, there’s little wind and humidity is low, tarmac can still reach a staggering 52C”.
Ouch!
So to avoid painful paws for our furry friends, avoid tarmac – it’s just not worth the risk.
Cool Your Dog From the Inside Out
Another simple way we can help to lower our dogs body temperature is from the inside out. Lots of cafes including one of my favourite dog friendly cafes Sea Spray on Fistral beach in Newquay (also a dog friendly beach all year round) offers a range of dog friendly ice creams. Or you can simply put ice cubes in their water bowl.
Offering our dogs the option of lazing on a wet towel on a cool floor or even a wet towel over them as a blanket can help keep them cool and calm. Some locations across the UK can still be quite cool during the summer, read our recommendations on where to go to stay cool this summer!
Doggie skin care
Taking your dog for a hair cut or getting the clippers out yourself is a great place to start in getting your dog ready for the summer heat. Be mindful to ensure you don’t go too short as a decent layer of coat is essential to protect their skin from sunburn.
My little dog also suffers with sun damage on the inside of his ears which like to turn themselves inside out and some dogs are even susceptible to sunburn on their nose too – using a child friendly high factor sun cream or block is one to remember for longer walks or beach days.
Fleas and ticks
Fleas and ticks LOVE the heat so if we walk our dogs in long grassy areas this summer the chances are opportunist fleas and ticks will cease the chance of hopping onto your dog to bed in as its host so it’s essential in the summer months to keep on top of flea and tick prevention treatments.
If you are trying to care for your dog chemical free, there are also a growing selection of natural flea and tick treatments on offer, such as a product called DeNeem.
