Keeping Pets Cool In Texas Heat
If you’ve lived in southeast Texas for a while, you’ll have noticed that our summers seem to be getting hotter and hotter! We aren’t the only ones that have taken notice though. Our critters, even farm animals that have spent their entire lives outside, are struggling through the hottest parts of the day. Below are some tips and ideas to help keep all of your critters cool and comfortable throughout the summer.
Never leave your pets in a hot car. Temps rise incredibly quickly inside of a vehicle so even if you are just making a quick trip inside, leave your pet at home or, at the very least, leave your AC running.
Walk your pets in the early morning or late afternoon hours. Us humans typically wear shoes when we are out and about so you might not have noticed how hot the pavement gets but your pooch certainly has! Pavement temperatures will easily reach highs daily that are capable of burning your pets paw pads in Brazoria County and surrounding areas.
Do not shave your pets! Contrary to popular belief, that undercoat serves a very important purpose in keeping your dog both cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The undercoat helps to keep cool air closer to the skin and protects from sunburn. Once shaved, double coated breeds do not grow their coat back in the same way it was before, meaning temperature regulation is more difficult. Although it may seem like a huge fur coat would cause more heat retention, it doesn’t act the same way on them as it would on us.
Make sure to keep your pets hydrated. Keep cool water available for your pet at all times. Water helps to cool the core body temperature down and prevent dehydration so it’s always important to make sure that your pet has access to it at all times.
Take special caution with brachycephalic breeds. Any dog can overheat but squishy faced dogs (pugs, bulldogs, etc) are at a much greater risk. Keep these breeds inside during the hot parts of the day and avoid exercising until it has cooled off.
Farm Critters
If possible, change out water for fresh cool water midday. Hot water doesn’t do much to help cool off a hot animal. Swap the water out for some cool water or add frozen water bottles to the existing water. Your chickens, goats, etc will thank you!
Make sure they have a place out of direct sunlight. The more shade, the better during the hottest parts of the day! Make sure to have plenty of space in shelters and, if necessary, even through up some pop up canopies for additional shade areas.
Make sure there is ventilation throughout their shelters. If you have power to your animals, plugging in a fan will help to keep the ambient temperature a little bit cooler. If you do not have power, make sure the building is built in a way to allow natural ventilation.
Grab a mister. Amazon has affordable misters that attach to the end of your water hose. Setting one of them up underneath a pop up canopy has worked great for me! Check it out here!
Freeze some light treats for chickens. Chickens do not do much when they are hot, including foraging, eating, and drinking. Cucumber and watermelon make great frozen treats to help hydrate and cool them off.
Signs of heat stroke to look out for:
Excessive panting
Vomiting
Difficulty breathing
Increased heart rate
Drooling
Weakness
Stupor
Diarrhea
Collapse
Seizures
If your pet exhibits any of the above signs:
Move the pet to a cooler area. (Tile floors work great!)
Apply cool water to paw pads, ears, and underarms.
Offer fresh, cool water to drink.
Take pet to the vet ASAP!
If your pet has a heat stroke, recovery is NOT complete after they cool off. It may take several days for the pet to return to normal and they should receive vet care as soon as possible. Act immediately if you see any of the warning signs to prevent any possible long term damages.
