Looking for quick tips to keep dogs cool

hermann muenster · Member Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 304

We are having a heat wave this weekend in the midwest.
Unfortunately, Sunday afternoon I have to take our black, double coated dog to an outdoor show. Sad

I need some practical quick tips to help keep her cool.

I was thinking about giving her a bath in the morning, towel drying her and taking her damp to the show. I thought that by leaving the undercoat damp she will feel cooler. Am I correct with this assumption?

I have also started making ice in 9x13 baking pans. I hope to have enough blocks to wrap in plastic bags and cover with terry towels to line the crate. She can lie on the cool ice blocks. Is this a good idea? Or will the ice be too cold.

I have a spray bottle to bring and a bucket to dip her paws in cool water.

Help - I need more ideas. I am worried about all of the dogs showing this weekend. I am passing along cooling tips to everyone I know that will be showing this weekend.

I have never taken a dog to show in such heat.
Help!

honeybears · Super Senior Member Plus Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 3631

akk, I just typed a bunch of stuff and lot it. I would bring her damp that really helps, hopefully if its too hot, they will cancel.

and these looke cool! can you find them at your pet store and they are cheap too.

http://www.activek9.com/kj-00670.html

I thin the ice is a good idea. but you dont want them too cold, I read somewhere that makes thing worse in a heatstroke condition. what you might think of doing is having a cooler of ice water, dip towels in it let them warm up a bit and lay over the dogs again you dont want cold but cool. and a spray bottle too.

hermann muenster · Member Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 304

honeybear -
thanks for the thoughts. I saw those bandanas at one of the big box pet stores. They weren't too expensive ($8.00). I didn't buy one because I wasn't sure how effective they are. I've been asking about them and I haven't found anyone who has used them.

I read somewhere too about not putting ice on a dog that is overheated.
I can't find the article anymore.

This is the county 4-H show --- they never cancel them.
I am worried about some of the older dogs and the all of the kids too!
Most of the 4-H dogs are house dogs - used to air-contioning. The heat will be very hard for many of them.

The show is outside in a covered livestock pavillion. There will be shade.
There aren't any air-contioned buildings on the fair grounds.

Hopefully there will be a breeze tomorrow - that will help.

tuttifrutti · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject:

I would think that perhaps instead of having ice blocks for your dog to lay on, maybe having them available for her to lick? I have a snow cone stand near my house, and they have a big ice block for dogs to lick. My dogs LOVE it when I walk them up there and they can lick the giant chunk of ice. Another idea, though I don't know how feasible it is, would be to have a small wading pool of water for your dog, perhaps, but that may be quite hard, since this isn't your backyard. My dogs are outside, and I just provide them with fresh water all of the time, and occasionally put ice cubes in it, that they love chase. However, they are both short hair and are outside all of the time, so they are used to it. I'm really sorry that I couldn't be of more help, but since this isn't your backyard, I don't really know of anything that's "portable."

Shineillusion · Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:08 am Post subject:

One thing that works well in show situations is to place large blocks of ice on top of your crate and cover with an insulated blanket. Cold air sinks, hot air rises. The cooled air from the ice will make the inside of the crate much cooler than the outside air. Placing ceramic tiles in the bottom of the crate also makes them cooler when you have ice on the top of the crate.

Simply putting down damp towels for your dog to lay on will also help.