Whether you are taking your dog to an off-leash park or to dog day care for exercise, or for their regularly scheduled visit to the vet’s office, chances are they need to get there by taking a car ride.
As much as many dogs happily jump in for a ride in the family car, it is important to teach your canine family member to ride safely and to ensure that we have secured them properly. I learned this the hard way from personal experience.
Most dogs don’t do well in the heat. Like you, they need to adjust their routines for summer, because hot weather stresses their bodies. Dogs do not sweat through their skin like we do to cool down; instead, dogs will sweat through their paw pads, and pant to regulate their body temperature. Through most of the year, panting is sufficient to keep cool, however during the heat, that can quickly change.
Every year there are a few sad stories about people who left their dogs in the car “just for a few minutes” and returned too late to save their pets. Rule number one for a dog owner is never to leave your dog alone in the car. Cars heat up very quickly in warm weather, even in the shade, and dogs are as susceptible to heat as humans. As the summer approaches, we need to protect them so they don’t get heat stroke or dehydration. Dogs can also get sunburned, so be very careful with your short, or white haired pups in the sun. Tops of noses, ears, and around the groin are especially prone to sunburn in dogs of all coat types and colours.
Dogs release excess heat by panting, and don’t be surprised to see your dog panting during the summer even when she’s not being exercised. Dogs release heat by panting and sweating, although they do not sweat through their skin like humans do; dogs sweat through their paw pads. Animals with flat faces, like pugs and bulldogs, are especially sensitive to heat, because they cannot pant effectively. Older dogs are also less effective at releasing heat. It’s best to keep most dogs in air conditioned comfort during the heat of the day.
Most dogs who live as home pets do not get enough exercise and they’re lucky if they get walked through the neighborhood a couple of times a week. Some dogs spend their entire lives in a yard.
As a result, maybe pups have a weight issue. Statistics show that more than half of the dogs in the U.S. are obese. Their pet parents buy dog food and feed their dog according to the portion sizes indicated by the dog food manufacturer. However, dog food makers are in business to sell dog food — they’re not necessarily in business to keep your dog at his ideal weight. Not to mention the fact that sedentary dogs need less food than active ones, so there’s a big difference between a dog who plays all day with friends at a dog daycare facility and one who sleeps at home all day. Pet parents should be actively monitoring weight with their veterinarian and feed more, or less, depending on the amount of activity the dog gets in their daily lives.
Obesity causes the same types of diseases in dogs that it causes in humans: diabetes, heart disease, hypothyroidism and arthritis. Dogs with these conditions often have a shorter life span than dogs who are in better physical condition. Your dog’s condition is measurable by a Body Condition Score (BCS), which is what vets use. In this score, 4/9 to 5/9 are considered normal scores, while 6/9 to 7/9 are overweight and 8/9 to 9/9 indicate obesity. Obesity is defined like it is for humans, as more than 30% over normal weight.
Have you ever gone out to dinner with friends and come home to a roll of toilet paper unrolled across the floor? Or a piece of furniture gnawed around the legs? Do you wonder why your dog does things like that and then greets you at the door wagging his tail?
