in

Top Tips For Keeping Your Senior Dog Cool In Summer

Senior dog
Sonja witting / Flickr

Summer is always a great season to look forward to. You could plan to go for a sunbath to get a nice tan and find your way to the beach for some enjoyable summer sports. If you’re anything like the rest of us, you could plan to take long walks, just to get the most of the summer feel. Summertime is when you are eager to explore, and it is best enjoyed with friends around, including your faithful companion – your senior dog.

Just like you, your dog would love to enjoy the summer, but age has limited the full range of his abilities. Do you want to create the best fun experience for your senior dog? There are some necessary precautions to factor into consideration.

Care for Your Aging Dog

Dogs, like humans, are not immortal. While larger breeds tend to age quicker, all dogs age, and eventually earn the title “senior dog.” Often, most dog owners resort to giving their dogs away or leaving them on the street due to the changes in their aging dogs.

Nicholas Dodman (Head of Animal Behaviour Department at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine) says that 25% of dogs taken for shelter every year are given up because their owners complain that they are too old. These owners cannot handle the changes that come with having a senior dog and opt to get a younger one. In his opinion, however, both senior dogs and their owners can navigate through the period of old age with the right mindset.

Sharon Brownlow / Flickr

Signs of aging in dogs include joint disorders and cognitive dysfunction syndrome (which could make them look confused or even appear unstable). Aging also makes dogs prone to behavioral changes (like losing the enthusiasm to engage in activities and excessive sleeping). It puts them at risk of illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, or incontinence.

When these signs become evident, the proper response is to engage your vet to put you through on how to manage and care for your senior dog. You wouldn’t want to be abandoned when you’re old, so you shouldn’t do the same to your favorite companion.

Your Aging Dog and Summer

During summer, your senior dog might have a hard time dealing with the weather. Certainly, all dogs have a hard time due to the increase in the temperature; however, it is more difficult for older dogs to scale through that period. Below are ways to keep your senior dog in perfect shape during summer:

1. Keep Your Dog Hydrated

As dogs age, they become more sensitive to the temperature around them. When it is hot, they are likely to feel too hot; and when it is cold, they are likely to feel too cold. This is why you should keep your dog hydrated. It is advisable to drop a few ice blocks into their water to keep the water cold enough for them to stay through the hot weather.

DDA1 / Flickr

2. Keep Their Environment Cool

Summer is a period mostly associated with heat, and sometimes extreme heat. Hence, it would be best if you kept the environment of your dog as cool as possible. You could turn on the air conditioner when they are with you. You could as well position the fan in their direction to keep them cool if the air conditioner will make them too cold.

If you are outdoor, you should use a cloth to cover your dog. The cloth should be cold – you could dip it in cold water or put it in your refrigerator for a while till it gets cold. This prevents your dog from getting sunstroke.

3. Take Your Dog on a Walk

One of the things you want to do to get your senior dog active and alive is to engage and exercise them frequently. One of the ways to do that is by taking your dog on a walk regularly. It keeps their mind awake, reduces the joint frictions they might have, and also energizes their muscles.

The best time to take your old dog on a walk is either early in the morning or in the evening when the temperature is not as intense as it would be in the day. Remember that it is summer and you need to shield them from hot temperatures as much as possible. As you take walks, have a few stops along the way for rest and rehydration.

Steven Senior / Flickr

4. Swims and Shades

If you love to swim during the summer, your old friend could enjoy the moment with you as well. When you want your dog to swim, you should not allow them into the water suddenly. You should rather let them get into the water gradually so that their body can get used to the water’s coolness. If you would love your old friend to stay with you while you have fun, ensure they are under a shade to avoid sunstroke.

Conclusion

In the summer, your senior dog could suffer sunstroke and other diseases, but you can prevent and protect your dog from these vices. Your dog is your friend, and you have memories that bond you together. As they grow older, you do not need to keep them away because they are aging. With better attention paid to them and the professional services of a vet, you can manage the process successfully and keep your old friend for as long as they are alive.

31 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Thank you for another informative blog. Where else may just
    I get that kind of info written in such a perfect manner?
    I’ve a venture that I’m simply now operating on, and I
    have been on the glance out for such info.

  2. Hello there, I think your web site could be having
    internet browser compatibility problems.
    When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however,
    if opening in IE, it has some overlapping issues.
    I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Aside from
    that, great site!

  3. I enjoy, cause I found exactly what I used to be
    looking for. You’ve ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man.
    Have a nice day. Bye

  4. When I originally commented I appear to have clicked
    on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on each time a comment is added
    I receive 4 emails with the exact same comment.
    Is there a means you are able to remove me from that service?
    Thanks a lot!

  5. Hello friends, how is all, and what you desire to say on the topic of this article, in my view its in fact remarkable for me.

  6. This piece of writing is actually a fastidious
    one it helps new the web viewers, who are wishing in favor of
    blogging.

  7. Having read this I believed it was really informative. I appreciate you
    finding the time and effort to put this content together. I once again find myself personally spending
    a significant amount of time both reading and posting comments.
    But so what, it was still worthwhile!

  8. always i used to read smaller articles or reviews that also clear their
    motive, and that is also happening with this
    post which I am reading here.

  9. This design is wicked! You certainly know how to keep a reader amused.
    Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Great job.
    I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.

    Too cool!

  10. I was very happy to uncover this web site. I need to to thank you for your
    time for this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every part of it
    and i also have you bookmarked to check out new stuff in your blog.

  11. Can I simply just say what a relief to uncover someone who genuinely understands what
    they are talking about over the internet. You definitely
    realize how to bring an issue to light and make it important.
    A lot more people ought to check this out and understand this
    side of your story. I was surprised that you are not more
    popular because you surely have the gift.

  12. This web site definitely has all the information and facts I needed about this subject and didn’t know who
    to ask.

  13. I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the layout of your blog?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could
    a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
    Youve got an awful lot of text for only having
    one or two pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?

  14. I’ll right away seize your rss as I can’t to find your e-mail subscription link or
    e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly permit me recognise so that
    I could subscribe. Thanks.

  15. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I truly
    appreciate your efforts and I am waiting for your further write ups thank you once again.

  16. Hurrah! In the end I got a weblog from where I be capable of in fact
    get useful information concerning my study and knowledge.

  17. Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll
    just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your
    blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything.
    Do you have any tips for newbie blog writers?
    I’d genuinely appreciate it.

  18. Hello! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give
    a quick shout out and tell you I genuinely enjoy reading
    through your articles. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that deal
    with the same subjects? Thank you so much!

  19. Hi there i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anywhere,
    when i read this article i thought i could also make comment
    due to this brilliant piece of writing.

  20. My family always say that I am killing my time here at
    web, however I know I am getting knowledge all the time by reading such nice
    articles or reviews.

  21. This is the right site for everyone who wishes to understand this topic.

    You understand a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that
    I actually will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic that has been written about for ages.
    Wonderful stuff, just great!

  22. Good evening, this is such a good blog! I like to see such insightful
    ideas. I think this was just what I needed to see!
    This is gonna be my next bookmark and I think is so important topic to touch on! I can’t wait to see your future articles!

    Thank you for writing about Top Tips For Keeping Your Senior Dog Cool In Summer | The Dogman this was a big help!

    You seem like a very insightful person in the field.

    I started developing an interest in online couples counseling
    is a good topic too, I love my spouse and I think its beneficial to go through.

    What are your thoughts on it?

  23. Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I
    find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give
    something back and aid others like you helped me.

  24. I was recommended this website by my cousin. I’m not posiitive whether or not thyis publish is written by him
    as no one else realize such certain approximately
    my problem. You’re amazing! Thanks!
    Des sports web site Entraînement
    de culturiste

  25. Hi there, You have done an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends.

    I’m sure they will be benefited from this site.

  26. Hi, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues.
    When I look at your blog site in Firefox, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it
    has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
    Other then that, terrific blog!

  27. My brother suggested I might like this web site. He was totally right.
    This post truly made my day. You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had
    spent for this information! Thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *