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Cooling Devices

3K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  RaiderBaider 
#1 ·
My pup loves to hike, but the poor guy gets really hot in the Florida weather, even if we get there early.
Can anyone recommend products to help keep him cool? What parts of his body are most important to keep cool?
 
#2 ·
If it's too hot for your dog, be careful. Sometimes you just need to change your plans for the weather, but.....

some things you can do.

1st. Acclimatize. Outdoor dogs adjust to the heat, but sometimes our indoor dogs don't get a chance if they are always housed in cool air-conditioned spaces. You can turn your thermostat up to be closer to the outdoor air temps for the hot months. Do it gradually, people acclimatize too, so temps that feel unbearable at the beginning of the season seem okay towards the end.

You could also have your dog wear a coat/sweater when in a cool space, even for just part of the day, to help develop a more summer friendly coat (shed more & grow a thinner summer fur).

Of course, always bring extra water. If there are safe swimming holes and he likes swimming, that helps. If not, bring a towel & wet it, and rub into the dogs fur, especially the belly & groin area.

If you like buying things, check out cleanrun.com (an agility dog sport supply sight) and they will have 'cooling coats' for sale).
 
#3 ·
Oh this pesky Florida weather, it can be the worst. I agree with what has been said, one of the biggest things is being smart about when you go hiking. Aim for morning or evening when it's not the hottest and the sun it not beating down on both you and the dog. Also bring TONS of water. Avoid letting your dog drink from any salt water supply as that can cause a whole mess of other issues. Those are great for letting them get wet and cool themselves.

I haven't personally tried any cooling coats, but I've heard good things about them. @Boxerluv has some that she uses on her dogs in that horrible Georgia heat and may have some opinion or suggestions. The only thing that I have heard that can make them less effective is when the humidity is high the coats aren't able to whisk heat away from the body fast enough. Ruffwear makes a great one called the Swamp Cooler that I have looked at on more than 1 occasion.

Biggest thing though is learn and watch for the signs of heat exhaustion. I've heard stories of dogs dying from the heat and it happens easy in Florida. If you can spot the signs early on you have more of a chance of preventing it.

Happy Hiking!
 
#4 ·
Trust me, my pup's not in danger of heat exhaustion. Maybe left to his own devices he would be.
During the summer we only do trails that can be done in 2-3 hours and we get there as early as possible. The majority of what we carry is water and we stop frequently. If he starts lagging behind we find shade and take a break, during which I often pour some water over him- should I be pouring it on his belly?
He's my first priority, and always safe. He hates stopping though; I guess I was asking for products that could keep him cooler so he could go longer. Hiking is his favorite thing.
I checked out that site, it looks great. Thank you both!
 
#5 ·
I will usually try to get water on areas that have less hair like their bellies as well as their backs. I may be wrong but I feel like that cools them quicker than soaking their coat. The Swamp Cool sounds like what you may be looking for. Good thing is you can recharge that by pouring water on it as well.
 
#6 ·
The Ruffwear Swamp Cooler Cooling Vest works by storing water and using it to exchange your dog’s heat as it evaporates.The outer layer reflects heat while the inner layer is cooled by water. As the water turns from liquid to vapor, your dog’s temperature drops, keeping him perfectly cool. As the vest runs out of water you’re able to add more to re-up the cooling effect. God bless!
 
#7 ·
My dog is quite sensitive to the heat, and I've come up with a few different things that help him tolerate our humid, hot summers. First, I try to exercise him in/near water, so he can continually cool off by taking a dip. He's pretty smart, and will dunk himself (in any body of water) when he begins to overheat, even if we aren't actively playing in the water. I keep water in the car, and have (need to replace because the pressure pump is broken) a 1g pressure sprayer so that I can wet his belly more effectively (alternatively you can soak a towel or shirt and wipe down). I got him a Ruffwear swamp cooler, and it is helpful for reducing his heat absorption (he is black, it is light gray), but not terribly effective at evaporative cooling in our humid weather (70-90% most of summer). Going to get him their newer vest style this summer, as it covers more of the dog's belly, which IME tends to be the most effective surface to cool. He has a couple cooling mats, which I keep in the house and use in the car mostly- they do stay cool for a decent period of time, but are heavy and wouldn't work on a hike or such. I also will seek out shady areas where the ground is cool and have him do a down-stay there for a few minutes if he seems to be getting hot, that puts his hairless belly in contact with the cool ground.
 
#22 ·
Well, I can attest that the Ontario heat + humidity is enough to kill dogs. If you're thoughtless enough like my husband... but I digress.

What i'm looking for is thoughts on what a vet said to me; That she felt cooling jackets cool dogs down too quickly. I'm hyper-paranoid of my high drive Australian over heating now that he's suffered sever heatstroke and subsequently ended up in the emerge vet from kidney failure. Costly, and heart-breaking as it all could of been avoided in the first place. (Please don't rag on my husband. i assure you my emotional breakdown was enough for him to get a sense of how grave the scenario was for me. I have complete faith he realizes now that dogs would legit kill themselves for you. )

So now I'm looking at the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler, however due to my Raid's build I'm wondering if the Jetstream (I think thats what the new one is called) might fit his deeper chest?

I also rock a harness with everything i do with Raider on leash, we also do mixture on-leash/off-leash hikes.... if anyone has experience of off-brand harnesses working with Ruffwear gear that would be helpful. I'm going to look at the Hurtta(brand of our harness/leash atm) cooling coat at a tack shop with him to see how the harness and coat work together.
 
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