Even More Tips for Keeping Your Dog Hydrated During the Summer

The summer can be hard on pets and humans alike. While the sunshine means more fun and games outdoors, it can also mean heat exhaustion and dehydration. Protect your pet, your dog, from this during the summer by doing the following things to ensure proper hydration:

1. Keep an eye on your dog. Your dog should be staying properly hydrated if you are providing them with the fluids to do so, but sometimes, just like humans, just because something is available to them, doesn't mean they are taking advantage of it. So, make certain your dog is actually getting the fluids they need. If your dog is panting too much without exerting through physical exercise, or seems to be sweating too much, or is sluggish, these can be early signs of dehydration. So, stick their snout in the water so that they remember it is there, and to get a good drink.

2. Keep their water dish full. Provide them with plenty of water, and they should be able to avoid dehydration this summer. This is often easier said than done. A dog may knock over a water dish in their excitement, or require more water than fills the dish at one time. Some of the ways to avoid these problems in order to ensure your dog is getting plenty of water is first, buy a sturdy water bowl that is difficult to knock over. Shallower, wider, dishes are better for stability, but may need to be filled more often.

3. Give them protection from the sun. One of the reasons dogs may not stay hydrated all summer is that they are exposed to the sun during some of the harshest sun hours of the day. If you want to help your dog stay hydrated during the summer, do your best to keep them indoors or in the shade during the hottest parts of the day. If you can't put them in your house, consider a well ventilated garage, or a car port, or somewhere that they will get plenty of shade, and not be sitting in direct sunlight, sweating, and losing all of their body fluids.

4. Give your dog a hair cut. A thick fur coat is going to make them hot, which may make them sweat more. So, help your dog retain less heat by trimming their hair to a shorter length for the hot summer months. This way they will cool off more quickly, and lose less fluids through sweating. Of course, you want to be careful that in shaving them you do not expose sensitive skin to the sun, and allow it to be sunburned.

5. Do not leave them in cars, or for long periods of time unattended. If you are going on a summer vacation, or something, don't just stick them in the backyard with plenty of water and food. What if they nock their water over? Put them in a kennel, or have a neighbor watch them. Leaving them unattended can lead to dehydration and death. The same holds true of leaving them in a car. It can grow very hot, and lead to dehydration.

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