[hlamonica87]

Our 1 year old fella takes FOREVER to cool down after a good round of exercising. He is pretty mellow during the day, happy to relax around the house or play with us or his toys. We take him for a long walk or to the dog park in the evenings, and he lets all his energy out, often times running around really fast, playing with other dogs, or chasing tennis balls. However, when we get home, it seems like it takes him forever to cool down. We give him plenty of fresh, cool water, and we have some tile flooring he will lay on. He does have a very long, thick coat, so not sure if thats part of the reason he takes so long to cool down? Like about an hour to get back to normal breathing. We tried putting a towel in the freezer for him to lay on, but he still preferred the tile. We are going to the vet for a routine check-up in a couple weeks and plan to bring it up, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to help him cool down faster? Or is this normal for it to take that long?

 

[Artdog]

Is it very hot right now?
Is he a mostly indoor dog?
Is your house kept cool with air-conditioning?

Not exactly an answer, but if the answer is yes to all three, he could just not be making natural adjustments. Blood thins, and winter coats shed in summer, so keeping cool all day can limit those adjustments.

What's "forever"?

And it's yes to all three for me and mine to. Panting flat dogs is okay to a point. Sometimes it's hot . It's a good question to ask a vet. Can you just phone them? My vet is good about that, with multiple pets, we are great customers.

 

[Laco]

Dogs have a very inefficient cooling system, unfortunately for them. They can only cool from their tongue, and some cooling from the pads on their feet, which can sweat. Having said that, I really have no way of knowing whether what cooling mechanisms your dog does have are working correctly or not, but if you have any question, you should consult with your Vet. I can tell you, when its hot or even warm outside, our dog, Samantha, gets very warm quickly and when we get home, our house is air conditioned, it takes her quite awhile to cool down if she gets hot.