As summer is almost here and the days become warmer and warmer, it is important to protect your dogs from too much sun. To help keep your furbabies safe during the summer here are two easy tips to follow.

Under no circumstances should you leave your pet unattended in a locked car, even if you roll the windows down. The temperature inside a car is usually 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. Dogs do not sweat the same way humans do. They cool themselves off through panting, which becomes that much harder with hot air. On an 85 degree day, it can take ten minutes for the inside temperature of the car to reach 102 degrees! Within that same time frame, a dog can easily develop heat stroke and suffocate in the car.

If you are like me, you love to take a walk with your dog on a nice sunny day but we must all be mindful of how hot the asphalt and pavement can get as the day gets warmer. A good rule of thumb for checking to see if the surface your pet will be walking on is too hot is to place the back of your hand on the surface. If it is too hot for the back of your hand then it is too hot for your pet’s paw pads. During the summer keep your pet’s walks shorter and during the early morning or late evening.

Grooming Tip of the Week

In the summer, your double-coated dog will shed his undercoat (bottom layer) and leave the guard hairs (top layer), which naturally cools off your dog. When you shave the double coat, you cause the undercoat to regrow at a pace that is faster than the guard hairs. With the undercoat becoming the outer layer, it not only damages and changes your dog’s coat appearance, but more importantly it stops the air from getting to his/her skin and prevents the natural cooling process. The texture of the undercoat also absorbs the sun’s rays and contributes to overheating.