keeping cool

[SS Cressa]

Wasnt sure where this would belong...

 

I am looking for suggestions or products to help my border collies keep cool while at an outdoor trials and camping. Its normally around 80°F(according to the weather report the average is 82°, last year it was in the 90's) last summer was awful with how hot and humid it was.

 

Will have portable fans... but any other ideas or suggestions? We normally stick to the shady areas. Both of my furkids will also have their own kennels since i have an escape artist.

There are kiddie pools and a little creek near by.

[Jeri Jessee]

I bought a cool pad for Maggie's crate...I'm not sure yet how much difference it makes...will be interested to see what everybody else says...Also got a solar cloth to go over the truck...

[KrisK]

I have used frozen water bottles to keep cool when travelling. The bonus is they have nice cold water when they do melt. I have heard of the cooling pads but never tried one.

[ShoresDog]

Today it was on the way to getting pretty hot, and the gal I was working dogs with had cooling collars for her dogs. They are kind of like a bandana thingy, but filled with these polymer gel beads that absorb a huge amount of water. You put the collar in cold water, it bulks up, and then you have the dog wear it. Beth's had velcro fasteners, but these ones I found on Etsy have standard buckles:

 

cooling collars

 

They make them for people too, and she let me try hers. It really works! I think the neck -- human or canine -- is a good place for heat transfer, since there are big blood vessels in there not that far from the surface.

 

We're going out again tomorrow morning, and I'll ask my friend where she got hers.

[terrecar]

I did a lot of traveling to events with a black/tan smooth standard Dachshund (black coats seem to heat up quick) and kept her cool using black mesh sunscreen fabric (similar to Midwest kennel tops) that supposedly block 75 to 80 percent of the sun's rays; a spritzer bottle of cold water kept in an ice cooler with plenty of ice; and a cool towel kept in the cooler until needed for her to lay on if it got really hot. The spritzer bottle was great to mist/wet/cool her coat down and she learned to take water from it at the side of her mouth as well.

 

 

 

ETA: I've also used a solar cloth of the heat reflective sort (the silver shiny fabric) but prefer the black mesh. I must have done a good job of keeping my dog cool, because a judge noted at an August event how cool my dog's coat was in the heat of the day.

[BCjetta]

I have a cooling jacket for Hannah. Its similar to those cooling collars but it covers her back and also her belly. You wet it and it keeps them cool from being damp. I was amazed how long it stayed cool for.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

 

Chain 'em up in shade. If there's no trees chain 'em under your vehicle. I'm not sure how wise it is for a sheepdog to move from A/C & ice to the stress of a trial.

[Rave]

Cool coats and shaved bellies (if they're not smooth-coated dogs already) are what I use in addition to fans, but the best thing is acclimation. Only use a wet cool coat (with or w/o a fan) to bring a dog's temp back down after running - check on them often. Take it off once they've stopped panting. Use a dry cool coat to reflect the sun off a dark-colored dog.

 

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=918&ParentCat=152

 

Also, get shade panels for your vehicle and/or canopy/tent.

 

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=564&ParentCat=254 (<< this isn't the best place to buy them, just a pic for reference. Find an online greenhouse store and you can get much bigger and better ones for cheaper. The higher shade factors are better, but the bigger ones can be doubled up to increase shade factor too.)

[terrecar]

Dear Doggers,

 

Chain 'em up in shade. If there's no trees chain 'em under your vehicle. I'm not sure how wise it is for a sheepdog to move from A/C & ice to the stress of a trial.

 

Didn't think of that, but since your dogs actually work in the heat, it makes perfect sense, particularly with the recent discussion regarding acclimating working dogs to heat. I'm glad you pointed it out, for the sake of our dogs, and for the leisurely among us

[Liz P]

Agreed. The worst thing you can do for a dog that competes outside in the summer is keep it in AC and cool it too much. They need to adjust to the heat. Not saying you should leave your dogs in the sun or a hot car, but don't expect them to safely go from 65F climate controlled house to running in the sun when it's over 70F. Provide shade, plenty of water (to drink and lay in) and fans if needed to move air. Shaving down the undersides of rough coated dogs and dunking them in a water tank before their run can also help.

[Maralynn]

Last week it was in the mid to upper 90's here (that is hot for MI...)

 

At SAR training I parked in the shade and worked the dogs for shorter periods and watched them closely. They had water and there was a breeze going through the open car. When Kipp got done working I splashed tepid water on his belly and kept him out of his crate for a few minutes to cool off in the shade. They did just fine.

[SS Cressa]

while i do spoil my dogs they have to deal with the heat most of the time. Generally speaking they are in ac comfort at night and even then its only set for 75°.

 

While i dont think this year will be as bad as last i was thinking the dogs would probably enjoy being able to cool off. Last year it felt as if they were totally dry within 10 min of them getting wet. And they were constantly hot (or at least i was and having trouble breathing from the heat). Sidenote last year we never had the ac running so by all account they should have been acclimate to the heat...

 

Will be getting their belly shaved and will most likely be getting those cool coats from clean run.(thanks for sharing the link!)

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions and ideas!

[terrecar]

I also wanted to mention that, once a dog is overheated, cooling it off with ice or ice water would be too much of a shock to its system. I'm not a vet, but I wanted to throw that out for folks to consider and perhaps research. Not that cooling and water isn't vital, it is, but just a caveat regarding the danger of rapid extremes.

[Rave]

I also wanted to mention that, once a dog is overheated, cooling it off with ice or ice water would be too much of a shock to its system. I'm not a vet, but I wanted to throw that out for folks to consider and perhaps research. Not that cooling and water isn't vital, it is, but just a caveat regarding the danger of rapid extremes.

 

Very good point. When one of my dogs was overheating really bad, I called my vet friend and she said the most important thing was to get her wet and not to use cold or cool water, but room temperature/tepid water. She also said on the way to the ER vet to have the windows down and not the A/C on. Not a problem since it was only 70 degrees out.

[ShoresDog]

Here is a link to a cooling bandanna that attaches with velcro.

 

Outward Hound Cooling Bandanna

 

I completely agree that it is best for the dog to get acclimated to the temperatures it will be working in. But there are times, e.g., camping vacations, when the heat is outside of the normal ranges, and something out of the ordinary might be required.

[SecretBC]

I have used frozen water bottles to keep cool when traveling. The bonus is they have nice cold water when they do melt.

 

Great in theory, but I learned the hard way that this creates a giant mess if you have a dog that likes to chew on plastic. Of course this was discovered after most of the ice had melted and my entire crating area was flooded.

 

I have both a ChillyBuddy for Kaiser and a Cool Coat for Luke (Secret wasn't around yet when I bought them and I haven't gotten one for her yet because I don't trial outdoors much anymore). Hands down I feel the ChillyBuddy is a superior product, but they are expensive in the larger sizes and because of that I feel the Cool Coat does just fine. I would say that Kaiser tends to feel cooler than Luke, though, and that the ChillyBuddy retains its evaporative cooling effect longer.

 

Most outdoor trials in this area have pools and/or hoses available to cool your dog off throughout the day. I used to go to one trial that was located next to the river and that was wonderful! Until the whole town flooded one year and we no longer have trials there.

 

Now I am poor and choose to spend my limited trialing funds in the comfort of climate controlled facilities.

[SS Cressa]

How bulky are those cooling bandanna?

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

Tomorrow my dogs and I return to the Virginia of no power/a/c/well water/internet so I thought I'd get this writ. I don't agree with the vet who advised room temp (90 degree?) water. You want to cool a heat stroke dog as fast as practicible and I've poured cold handler's water and ice into the tub to cool one. Those dogs are HOT and you haven't many means available to drop their temp. Don't dawdle.

 

Second: I once asked a Texas Big Hat how their dogs survived running in extreme heat. He told me: "Never put them away (into dog boxes) hot.

 

Donald

[Rave]

It's a common mistake to use cold or cool water, but this is actually counterproductive to cooling the dog. Cold causes constriction of the blood vessels, which slows blood flow thereby slowing the cooling process. This is why you always ice an acute injury with swelling.

 

Bottom line - Listen to your vet and not people on the internet. Next time you're talking with your vet, ask them this question. I know every vet I've ever talked to about overheating (and it's been many since one of my dogs has a very low tolerance because of other issues) has recommended what I've stated above. But don't take my word for it, ask for yourself!!

[Gideon's girl]

When I used to work for a vet, we would have at least 3 cases of heat stroke every summer. Room temp water is considered to be between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooling rapidly is only done safely with an IV and a rectal thermometer. You don't want to over cool and you need to worry a lot more about brain and organs being overheated than skin and muscles. Down here in Florida it is rare for a heat stroke dog to make it because they aren't usually even found in time.

[Jexa]

Agreed with Rave...please don't dunk an overheated dog in ice water. The shock WILL kill him. It doesn't take much. I've seen a slightly overheated horse drop within two minutes because his owner gave him cold water to drink. Rapid heating or cooling will send any living body into shock, and shock can and does kill. I have taken many field medic courses due to my work, and they constantly stress that the most important thing to treat for is shock. In many cases the actual injuries aren't what kills a person...it's their body shutting down due to shock. I was dragged unconscious out of an ice bath as a teenager...it was a hot day and I thought I had cooled down enough after cross country practice (think 30 minute cooldown) to get my ice bath over with, but my core temp was still elevated enough despite no outward symptoms that I passed out within 30 seconds. My teammate that had gotten in at the same time also passed out. The ice baths were actually a few degrees warmer than usual as well, thank goodness.

 

I know this probably seems a bit overdramatic, but it's something I have personal experience with (from multiple occasions) and it's such a common but dangerous misconception to think that you need to go to the opposite temperature extreme and cool down as fast as possible. Obviously it's best to keep yourself and your dog from overheating in the first place through acclimation and careful oversight if at all possible, but if it happens please be careful about how you treat it. Involve a doctor or vet if you're at all unsure, and remember heat exhaustion/heat stroke can happen VERY quickly and sometimes with little warning so don't hesitate to involve the pros. Move to a shady place, get a breeze going, loosen tight clothing/collars, offer sips of tepid water, but DON'T use cold/ice water, either on the body or as drinking water.

 

Ok, putting the soapbox away now...

[TEC]

A dog's normal body temp is about 100-102 F. Reading on internet discloses that caution is needed in the cooling process. Done properly, body temp thermometer is used to monitor reduction of temperature. Once temp begins to lessen, approaching 103 from above, care is required to not create a hypothermic situation which introduces whole host of new problems. Evidently cooling, once reduction in temperature begins, takes on a kind of momentum of its own which requires time to stop/slow, so strong cooling should be reduced as dog's temp gets to about 103 F. Prevention is critical.

 

Dogs travel in serpentine fashion as handlers generally follow road or path, therefore canine friends travel substantially more distance. In hot weather my suggestion is to frequently require dog to rest in shade, even if it means temporarily using a leash to get the break. Try to have water available for dog at each rest period, and keep dog hydrated via frequent drinks.

 

My recommendation is that owners in hot climates and/or those with heat-stroke prone dogs obtain their vets' suggestions for emergency situations. My understanding is that caring for a heat-stroked dog takes special skill and knowledge. -- Best Wishes, TEC

[DeltaBluez Tess]

I have my dogs grommed for the summer, stomach area clipped and excess hair removed. I condition them so they are physically fit and when at trials, they are tied in shade, have access to water and I give them Energy Edge after their runs. Also after they run, I have them lay in the stock tank, until the next run is over so they are in the tub for at least 7 minutes. I also have 3-4 of them loose when I am at the trailer and tney have access to the trailer inside but they all prefer to be under the trailer.

 

Never had a issue but I keep an eagle eye on them.

 

In the trailer in the dog section at night, I had a fan that is running all the time.

[terrecar]

I'll preface this with an: I am not merely trying to be diplomatic here. However, I do not want Mr. McCaig's very important point to be lost in the secondary (and equally important) discussion re: the dangers of ice or ice cold water. "Don't dawdle" is spot on.

 

We had a St. Bernard suffering from heat stroke when I was an administrator at a shelter, no animal control vehicles handy, but only my own dog show van in which to transport him (probably the only time it was actually put to good use). Dog weighed more than I did, but a few of the shelter employees hiked him up in my van and we took him to the nearest vet, who happend to be on the board. He would likely have died had the kennel folks not acted quickly.

 

I don't feel comfortable giving advice that should be given by a veterinarian, so I'll include a quote and post the link to a real face and DVM title. Please scroll down to "treatment".

 

The goal of emergency treatment is to safely lower core body temperature as soon as heat stroke is suspected. This includes instructing owners to begin the cooling process before the patient arrives at the hospital. This can be accomplished by tepid water baths/hosing and fans. The use of ice baths is discouraged because it can cause peripheral vasoconstriction, which will impair heat dissipation. Additionally, leaving a cool towel on a patient will impair radiative, conductive and convective cooling once the initial conductive cooling has occurred. http://veterinarynew...l.jsp?id=533209 [/Quote]http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=533209

[Blue Dog]

My 7 month old, smooth coated 85% black BC is totally shot after a 30 minute, one-mile stroll in the 85F 70%RH lovely Mississippi morning weather. Is this normal? This is my first BC. I have not experienced this degree of heat sensitivity in other breeds I have owned.