Dog Cooling Coats & Mats
Dogs reduce their body temperature by panting, they are unable to sweat humans do. Some breeds do have difficulty with panting because of their extreme shape, for example, bulldogs, pugs etc. Also, overweight dogs can also have compromised panting ability. These individuals are at increased risk of overheating, and something to help them stay cool could be useful.
Double coated Breeds, such as Alaskan malamutes, and Siberian huskies although their coat during the winter keeps them warm, and throughout the summer’s warmer months it acts as a cooling system, by the coat trapping the air close to the body which is the same temperature as their body. When a dog is hot, it not only pants to regulate its body temperature (since dogs don't sweat through their skin like humans) but their coat traps the air closest to the skin and keeps it the same temperature as their ideal body temperature.
Be aware though that dark colour coats on all dogs absorb the heat, so they are more susceptible to heatstroke.
Cooling coats work on the same principle of evaporation as panting or sweating. You wet the material of the coat, then put it on the dog and as it dries, it keeps them cool.
Cool mats are also available. These work on a different principle of a gel which actively absorbs heat from the dog’s body when he lies on it.
Both these methods could be helpful. It’s worth reminding everyone that the temperature inside a car can raise very rapidly if it’s in the sun. You should NEVER leave a dog alone in the car. Even in winter, a period of sunshine could raise the temperature unpleasantly, and in summer, dogs can be killed in a very short time. A cool coat or cool mat would not protect against this sort of threat.
Dogs reduce their body temperature by panting, they are unable to sweat humans do. Some breeds do have difficulty with panting because of their extreme shape, for example, bulldogs, pugs etc. Also, overweight dogs can also have compromised panting ability. These individuals are at increased risk of overheating, and something to help them stay cool could be useful.
Double coated Breeds, such as Alaskan malamutes, and Siberian huskies although their coat during the winter keeps them warm, and throughout the summer’s warmer months it acts as a cooling system, by the coat trapping the air close to the body which is the same temperature as their body. When a dog is hot, it not only pants to regulate its body temperature (since dogs don't sweat through their skin like humans) but their coat traps the air closest to the skin and keeps it the same temperature as their ideal body temperature.
Be aware though that dark colour coats on all dogs absorb the heat, so they are more susceptible to heatstroke.
Cooling coats work on the same principle of evaporation as panting or sweating. You wet the material of the coat, then put it on the dog and as it dries, it keeps them cool.
Cool mats are also available. These work on a different principle of a gel which actively absorbs heat from the dog’s body when he lies on it.
Both these methods could be helpful. It’s worth reminding everyone that the temperature inside a car can raise very rapidly if it’s in the sun. You should NEVER leave a dog alone in the car. Even in winter, a period of sunshine could raise the temperature unpleasantly, and in summer, dogs can be killed in a very short time. A cool coat or cool mat would not protect against this sort of threat.
