Coping with the heat: MEGATHREAD!

angelfire9

Mod note: Hi all, we're going to merge all threads posted of late about helping our pets cope with the heat. There are some great ideas scattered amongst the threads, but as they're being merged, be aware that there may be some posts appearing in places they weren't intended to be! We're starting out with angelfire's "Cats in the heat" thread, which kinda kick started the rest of them:)
At the time of writing, the forecast is for the weather to improve as the week goes on, with next weekend (19th-21st July) reaching very high temperatures.
Please feel free to add to this megathread as we go along.
Thanks,
DBB


Cats in the heat

Anyone else got a kitty that is voluntarily getting wet in the hot weather?
Went out yesterday afternoon to clean out the paddling pool following complaints from the girls that there were bugs in it, to find the two cats lying in it (less than an inch of water)
Kicking myself that I didn't get a pic :mad:

Anyone else got weird cats like mine?

Nody

Had two kittens who liked to jump into our bathtub with water left in it (even in the middle of winter); they even started to sit and wait for us to stop shower on the edge so they could jump in...

angelfire9

Nody wrote: »

Had two kittens who liked to jump into our bathtub with water left in it (even in the middle of winter); they even started to sit and wait for us to stop shower on the edge so they could jump in...

Wow my two like watching me in the bath
But no way would they hop in

Teyla Emmagan

Look up Turkish Vans - amazing swimming cats.

My eejit has developed an unhealthy fascination with cars. A woman came up to visit a neighbour tonight, opened the door and the cat jumped in onto her lap. He's going to get himself kidnapped/a good slap. Last week I reversed the car, turned it around and drove about five feet before eventually giving up, getting out and taking the cat off the roof. No smart cat goes near cars.

Pumpkinseeds

Cats and cars are an awful combination.

Allyall

I'm writing this on behalf of a friend of mine. She is a bit worried about her Dog.
She has a Black Labrador which is very overweight. Roughly 10 years old.
She had a litter of Puppies a few years ago, after which she was neutered and started putting on weight.

Anyway, now she is overweight and struggling with the heat. There are quite a few areas in the shade which she is going to, and both the front and back door of the house are wide open to allow her to move as freely as she wishes.
My Friend has put pots of water out the back and front of her house and in her kitchen.

The dog seems grand to me, maybe a bit uncomfortable with the heat, but she wanders off to a cooler spot and lies there for a while, then back for some water and moves to a different spot.

Is there anything else she could do? Or any advice i can pass on to her to help put her mind slightly more at ease?

Thanks.

DBB

Your friend is right to be concerned, dogs can go down with heatstroke fast.
She could put damp towels down for the dog to lie on, and a spritz water mist from a spray bottle over the dog.
Ice cubes in the drinking water, and several bowls of water dotted around the place.
Make fish flavoured ice lollies.
Buy an electric fan, they're not dear and make a big difference to room temp, and help the water mist evaporate, thus cooling the dog.
Longer term, for all sorts if reasons, that weight must come off. Dogs are really poor at losing heat, and having a big layer of insulation is not good. Plus all the known health problems associated with obesity.
It's not spaying that causes weight gain, it's food... Too much food for the dog's requirements. Your friend would be well advised to get that weight down, with the help of her vet for advice.

Allyall

Thanks DBB, Some brilliant advice there.
She knows she needs to get the weight down, and she has intended to.

I'll pass on that information to her, and i think i have a fan she can have.

Fish flavoured ice lollies? :eek: That's a new one. I will definitely pass that on to her. Thanks a million.

DBB

Allyall wrote: »

Fish flavoured ice lollies? :eek: That's a new one. I will definitely pass that on to her. Thanks a million.

They are a bit of an acquired taste, but most dogs love some frozen tuna or salmon, and better still, it's low fat and very good for ageing dogs!

Allyall

Well, i am pretty confident her dog will eat anything..

She had to ask neighbours would they mind not feeding her. She lives in a very small "estate" and they all look after the Dog.
Maybe too much.
I have already passed on your advice, she has a mist spray on the Dog now, and said she is about to get some towels and old blankets and give them a soaking.

Would the Fish lollies just be put in a blender with Ice?

I won't be able to call to her until tomorrow, and i'll give her the fan then.

Philip82

Hi we keep greyhounds here and a good trick to cool a dog down is to get a bucket of cold water and lift the dogs 2 front legs into it. A dogs main artery is located down near its wrists so this will cool down the dogs blood travelling around its body.You could keep her in the bucket for ten minutes if you can, she will get used to it after a while. Do this whenever she is extremely overheating and it will help a lot. You can also buy electrolytes replacement for dogs to help prevent dehydration due to excessive panting and loss of fluids.
Inside is prob the coolest place for the dog in this heat and she will only lounge around and not use up energy outside.
Like DBB says though the weight is the culprit and will have to be addressed. One tip, cabbage is your best friend when it comes to losing weight!!! Best of luck hope this helps.

Allyall

Philip82 wrote: »

Hi we keep greyhounds here and a good trick to cool a dog down is to get a bucket of cold water and lift the dogs 2 front legs into it.

I'll say that to her.

Philip82 wrote: »

You can also buy electrolytes replacement for dogs to help prevent dehydration due to excessive panting and loss of fluids.

What are they?

Some great advice here, She's already asked me to pass back tons of thanks..
She'll probably create a Boards account in work tomorrow and thank you herself.

Never would have known or thought of any of these..

wexie

Allyall wrote: »

Fish flavoured ice lollies? :eek: That's a new one. I will definitely pass that on to her. Thanks a million.

Could be anything really, frozen chicken stock, soups etc. just anything that the dog likes and helps them keep cool.

You could even freeze treats or toys in them as well, although maybe look for a low fat alternative

fatmammycat

Is there a stream or river nearby? I've been taking my own lad for a swim three times a day this last week, well, I say swim, but the stream is so low now it's more a dunk, but it really cools him down. I've also filled the watering can twice a day and given him a 'shower' which he absolutely loves.
Love the idea of fish/chicken lollies, can't imagine a lab turning her nose up at that
Re-exercising, I know the dog is over weight, but I'd be careful in this weather about exercising. I'm taking the pup just after dawn, and there up to a 10 degree difference in temperature. But the other day it was almsot 18 degrees at 9am and of course that puts strain on them, so just to be aware of it. Our poor old animals are not used to heat, so we need to really mind them in it.
Best of luck!

Philip82

Allyall wrote: »

I'll say that to her.


What are they?

Some great advice here, She's already asked me to pass back tons of thanks..
She'll probably create a Boards account in work tomorrow and thank you herself.

Never would have known or thought of any of these..

Electrolytes comes as an additive for the dogs water. Just a small drink of it is all they need and it will also encourage them to drink a little more water aswell. Its basically Lucozade sport for dogs.
It might not be needed in your case but if a dog is deyhdrated its extremely helpful.

DBB

Great suggestions all, keep them coming! I'm sure all of our pets can benefit from this!
Fish flavoured lollies, just empty a tin of tuna or whatever fish into a freezer-proof mould, kong toy, even a plastic freezer bag with a little water, stick them in the freezer, and use as needed.
But I'm also liking the frozen chicken stock idea! Also frozen yoghurt... Low fat!
Not so sure about that cabbage diet though, I can imagine the "fragrance" in my sitting room after the dogs had a feed of that! :-D

mymo

We make freezy pops for dogs with any old plastic container, picnic beakers, takeaway containers, plastic food storage boxes etc.
My two love broccoli, peas, sardines or mackerel in tomato sauce, dry dog food, any left over veg, pretty much anything dropped in the containers with water.
Just freeze, then leave out for a minute and tip onto grass in the shade and dog with chomp and lick at it for ages. Cools them down nicely too.
Just remember to cut down dinner by amount added to pops.

Allyall

wexie wrote: »

Could be anything really, frozen chicken stock, soups etc. just anything that the dog likes and helps them keep cool.

The Frozen Lollies sounds great. Especially as she could make them with stock and low fat yoghurt etc..

fatmammycat wrote: »

Is there a stream or river nearby?

Yeah, there is a lake/estuary/inlet. She says the dog STINKS after that. But it keeps her cool. She does bring her there and then hose her down, but it's only for a short while.

Philip82 wrote: »

Electrolytes comes as an additive for the dogs water.

They sound great, can she buy them in a store? Pet shop maybe?

DBB wrote: »

Great suggestions all, keep them coming! I'm sure all of our pets can benefit from this!

+1

DBB wrote: »

Fish flavoured lollies, just empty a tin of tuna or whatever fish into a freezer-proof mould, kong toy, even a plastic freezer bag with a little water, stick them in the freezer, and use as needed.

I have her making them now over the phone

DBB wrote: »

Not so sure about that cabbage diet though, I can imagine the "fragrance" in my sitting room after the dogs had a feed of that! :-D

Never thought of that. Ha ha.. Tempted to not point that out to her... :P

mymo wrote: »

We make freezy pops for dogs with any old plastic container, picnic beakers, takeaway containers, plastic food storage boxes etc.
My two love broccoli, peas, sardines or mackerel in tomato sauce, dry dog food, any left over veg, pretty much anything dropped in the containers with water.
Just freeze, then leave out for a minute and tip onto grass in the shade and dog with chomp and lick at it for ages. Cools them down nicely too.
Just remember to cut down dinner by amount added to pops.

I've said it already, but then read more and get other ideas/flavours.. That Freezer pop idea is great. I would never have imagined doing something like that in my wildest dreams..


Some brilliant ideas.
She has her in the house now, and said she's not panting as much, so that's great.
She is still trying to find somewhere comfortable to lie, she lay on the wet towel for a few minutes, but it got warm after a while she said. It is probably because she was so hot and so overweight.

Appparently she drank three of the pots of water today, and loads out of the others.
She is buying a water feature in the back garden that willl be always on for her. Not for decorative purposes.

Thanks for all the ideas. Her kids will love making the Lollies, they loved wetting the towels and putting them down for the bed. They've gotten really into it apparently.

borderlinemeath

I have a paddling pool for the dogs. They can paddle or dip their bellies in and cool down. There's some dogs that might'nt even dip their paw in but a lab should love it. Put a ball or a toy in to retrieve if she's reluctant to go in.

I have buckets EVERYWHERE, front, back, kennels, two in the kitchen. I've given up with small bowls, it's basins and buckets all the way.

anniehoo

DBB wrote: »

Great suggestions all, keep them coming! I'm sure all of our pets can benefit from this!

Excellent thread, have learned lots already. :pac:

angeldaisy

My collie is suffering with the heat as well, especially with his ears.

Problem is he's 11 now and still thinks he's a pup, so runs around, chasing balls etc... we're doing our best to curtail this in the heat, but he's panting like mad.

He hates water, would have a heart attack if I attempted to wet him, tried him with frozen treats, loves the yoghurt ones but not interested in the water ones.

Going to try and trim his coat a bit today, but any other suggestions?

marknine

My dog is a Boxer and as you may know, dogs with short snouts can not cool themselves very well. To resolve this issue for my Boxer, I bought a childs paddling pool for €6, and put it in the garden. For some reason, boxers do not like getting wet, but when it gets really hot, he will either stand or sometimes lie down in the pool. I really think it was the best and cheapest thing I ever bought for the dog. I hope this is some help to you

natnifnolnacs

marknine wrote: »

My dog is a Boxer and as you may know, dogs with short snouts can not cool themselves very well. To resolve this issue for my Boxer, I bought a childs paddling pool for €6, and put it in the garden. For some reason, boxers do not like getting wet, but when it gets really hot, he will either stand or sometimes lie down in the pool. I really think it was the best and cheapest thing I ever bought for the dog. I hope this is some help to you

I tried to do that yesterday.. I went into the pound shop and picked up a pool but I never checked the size....This is the result



One indignant dog and a ridiculous sized pool big enough for his front paws. He likes to eat the inflatable ones anyway so I'll look into one of the plastic ones I think.

westies4ever

i bought a paddling pool for my two in the pound shop - it lasted 5 mins and they had it burst. i've been keeping them in as much as possible and they generally lie on the tiles in the downstairs loo - no window in there so its cool. just loads of water and and ive been taking it easy on the walks - not heading out until 8pm or so and sticking to shadey woods and keeping the walks short. really want to get them this

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_toys_dog_training/floating_dog_toys/129773

westies4ever

the plastic ones not much better - my fella had a hole in the bottom in 5 mins.

natnifnolnacs wrote: »

I tried to do that yesterday.. I went into the pound shop and picked up a pool but I never checked the size....This is the result



One indignant dog and a ridiculous sized pool big enough for his front paws. He likes to eat the inflatable ones anyway so I'll look into one of the plastic ones I think.

wexie

She's not with us anymore unfortunately but one of our dogs had worked out how to work both the water dispenser and the icecube maker on the fridge

Took us quite a while to figure out where the puddles in the kitchen were coming from untill one day we caught her in the act!!

wexie

I was just about to start a thread on this when I saw this one.

Am wondering if cats are affected the same way as dogs are. Our dogs don't seem to be enjoying the heat at all but the cats don't seem to be bothered in the least. They're both black and white and I can feel that the black bits of their coats are absolutely roasting but other than that the heat doesn't seem to affect them at all.

Anybody know why this is? Are cats just more heat resistant?

littlebug

Great tips. My dog really is really struggling with the heat too and where I am I've no choice but to have her out and about in the car with me while ferrying kids here and there I was worried yesterday when she didnt eat (or drink!) til about 9pm. Today she's had mackeral in water for lunch and I';ve made up some nice yogurty mackeral ice lollies for later

Pumpkinseeds

My cats are struggling with the heat. One is a thick coated tuxedo cat the other a thin coated tabby and we've another recently arrived tuxedo cat too. Felix, our thick coated chap just roams the house and gardens looking for cooler spots, Jazzy stays out of it and Toby lies on the kitchen door mat enjoying the breeze between the back and front doors.

I froze a 2 litre bottle of water let it mostly defrost then filled the water bowl with it. I filled the bottle again and the remaining ice in the bottle chills the water faster in the fridge. I'm also putting ice cubes and a little rescue remedy in the water bowl and water in their wet food, which is being kept in the fridge during the hot spell.

I've got a parasol up in the garden and shady spots for them, I'm wiping them down with a cold wet flannel and just trying to keep the house cooler. They're sleeping most of the day and staying outdoors most of the night and up until about 8am as it's cooler.

thegreatiam

Cats are descended from dessert animals, they work slightly better in the heat. In fact they run at a slightly higher temp than we do most of the time. It's why they like fireplaces and window sills. So they handle it better than dogs.
They can usually regulate their heat pretty well. As long as they have access to plenty of water and can get somewhere to shade they usually do alright.

Put some damp towels down for them to walk on, as their feet can get burned on hot concrete.

maybe let them chase a few ice cubes around for play time. and brush them daily to keep the molted fur off them. Our flat inst that hot, but Ive been letting our Sharpy go nuts with an icecube in the day. Keeps him busy and will cool him down.

If they are light coloured or white cats (cats with white ears especially), best keep them out of the direct sun, only let them out in the evening or they could burn.

If the cat does get very warm then let it lay in a cool bathroom/bathtub or sink.
I read on another forum about freezing a fish lollypop for dogs. never tried it for a cat but might work. Cats generally don't like food too cold or hot tho. I assume its a tin of tuna in springwater opened and frozen.

SillyMangoX

I gave Peach a good brush down this morning, the amount of shedding they are doing is unreal! Poor cream hates us at the moment with the amount of sun cream we have to put on him but it's for the best!