# How do you keep your dogs cool?



## Ben Colbert (Mar 9, 2010)

Summer is fast approaching and I keep two dogs in the back of a pickup truck with camper shell. What do you guys do to keep the pups cool during training? Do crate fans work? Which ones do you use?


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Ben you can by the crate fans and also these icy inserts, wont comment on which one is better because I be a dick if I did being that I dont own one. You can also by the hose for the air vents and put one of those out the window and hook it up to your crate. 

Best thing to do would be open the back wide open, if you have side vents open them wide open and park in the shade if at all possible. Make sure there well hydrated as well. I know this is common sense but some lack this LOL. 

You could also take the crates out of the back of your truck and place them in a shaded area next to your truck. This would be ideal. 

Dont know about your vehicle but you could also open your back window if possible and open the window in your camper shell. put a foam shield between the openings, close your rear hatch and pump AC into their full blast leaving your side windows slighty open for a cross ventilation. Just some food for thought bud.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

O2 Cool is the only crate fan I found that is worth a damn. They move some air and run on a internal rechargeable battery, 12 volt, or 110. I owned these for a 3 years and like them a lot.

I got mine at Walmart for 20 bucks a piece.


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

I do nothing out of the ordenary my dog spends the day in the kennel shaded of corse wile I'm at work and gets to run lose in the back yard wile we are home it's fenced and shaded.
At training I keep my dog in a Kennel Air cage in the Volvo parked in the shade.
On trial day I'll run my air or do what ever it takes to keep my dog comfortable and cool.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

We have a tub of water. The dogs jump in before we work. They get worked and then they run from the field to the tub again. Other than that we don't do anything else besides train early in the morning and park in the shade.


The tub is something like this and we put about 20 gallons of water in it along with a bag of ice.

http://www.enasco.com/product/Z42127N


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> O2 Cool is the only crate fan I found that is worth a damn. They move some air and run on a internal rechargeable battery, 12 volt, or 110. I owned these for a 3 years and like them a lot.
> 
> I got mine at Walmart for 20 bucks a piece.


That I what I have, too. There's a little version that's not very effective. The bigger ones really move some air! The batteries last quite a while too, I forgot and left one running overnight, it was still going strong in the morning.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Anna Kasho said:


> That I what I have, too. There's a little version that's not very effective. The bigger ones really move some air! The batteries last quite a while too, I forgot and left one running overnight, it was still going strong in the morning.


That is a good warning. I didn't know they made a small version. I used them here and in CR where it boils at sea level.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I have Limo tint on the windows of my SUV. I keep the sunny side windows partially down, the shady side all the way down, back wing windows open and the back doors are always open. Ther is really no shade to speak of at our field parking area but my car stay surprisingly cool with the tint job. On really hot days I take frozen 2 liter bottles of water to leave in their crates and I wet them down before and after hitting the field. The best thing you can do for them when hot, is a pool or hose them for a few minutes on the underside, groin, stomach, legs and especially feet. I use a low area that fills up with and inch or so of water for them to stand in, while I hose them off. They have to drink from the hose while I do this, so no gulping of tons of water. 5 seconds of drinking, 20 seconds or so of wetting, and back and forth, so they can breathe inbetween drinking. Ya know when they are really hot, the smart ones lay in the low area when it fills with water. At home we have stock tanks in the kennels so the dogs can lay in them all day of need be. Shade cloth is also a lifesaver.


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## Sue Miller (Jul 21, 2009)

We have portable swamp coolers & fans for the dogs--all powered with a rechargable boat battery (I think that's what it is anyway). There's also a duct system built in that outlets through the side window. We need this setup for when we travel from Las Vegas to CA through Death Valley or to Phoenix. When we cross the dam they always stop us for further inspection because of all the duct work  The dogs hate that!


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## Alan Fielding (Dec 7, 2009)

I have a large Silver "solar Blanket" which reflects the suns rays . I drape this over the whole truck ---makes shade where there is none---works good. Used it today --full sun with temps in the high 80's -- my dog was comfortable.


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## James Lechernich (Oct 20, 2009)

Make sure the dog is conditioned before summer is in full swing. For diet I up the fat intake(fish meal/oil) and drop the protein a little from what I feed during cooler months. When outdoors, plenty of water, keep crate/vehicle in a shaded spot or bring a canopy with me, canine cooling pad inside the crate, and access to fluids/ivs/blankets(for soaking) in case of emergencies.

The water trough and crate fans are also good ideas.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

James Lechernich said:


> Make sure the dog is conditioned before summer is in full swing. For diet I up the fat intake(fish meal/oil) and drop the protein a little from what I feed during cooler months. When outdoors, plenty of water, keep crate/vehicle in a shaded spot or bring a canopy with me, canine cooling pad inside the crate, and access to fluids/ivs/blankets(for soaking) in case of emergencies.
> 
> The water trough and crate fans are also good ideas.


Also:

http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/f9/heat-fatigue-855/

http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/f18/heat-7497/


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> O2 Cool is the only crate fan I found that is worth a damn. They move some air and run on a internal rechargeable battery, 12 volt, or 110.
> I got mine at Walmart for 20 bucks a piece.


Ditto..... when traveling I use the fans and a lot of the time I just find a shady spot and open all the windows and the hatch. 

For the front yard when I am out with the dogs I have a pool that I got at the Mercantile.....basically it is a stock tank but it is blue. About 7' in diameter and 2' deep, found the old pool stairs so that the dogs can get in and out easily. I also use the smaller kiddie pools in the day yards....Ajay just hangs out in those when it is hot. The other dogs play in them but don't lounge in them.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I use the O2 cools as well, Actually buy new ones at the end of the season for $5 and run them off a marine deep cycle that lives in my truck - I can actually fit 3 of them up against the window of my new crate. - The o2 cools pull 0.7amps on high speed at 12 volts. There is another Marine fan but that is $85 and for less than that you can use a plastic radiator fan if you are good with wiring and really move some air [bit they can burn 5-6 amps ]

white topper full length windoors with limo black coating on them. I am re-doing my fan system between the cab and the camper [I have a radiator fan for that but have to step it down some and put a deflector in] but in the meanwhile drive down the road with the windoors open.....

Sliders with windoors were not available when I got my camper - new truck model year, limited selection and I am not going to pay $300 a window now to swap them out. I decided full radius windoors made more sense.

In Idaho, I imagine you could get some real benefit from a swamp cooler.

We have had some working days where the trucks had to sit in the direct sun --- 93F out one day---[water search] and it was not hotter under the camper shell than ambient.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Nancy - I don't need them too often in Idaho. We get average of 20 days a year in the 90's.


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## Lacey Vessell (Nov 18, 2006)

Found a fan that works better then the 02 cool fan - it's a Ryobi Fan (from Home Depot) - not as cheap but the 8v rechargeable battery lasts about 10 hours on high and charges in an hour.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

what's a "swamp cooler"?


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## James Lechernich (Oct 20, 2009)

ann schnerre said:


> what's a "swamp cooler"?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

ann schnerre said:


> what's a "swamp cooler"?



Water cooler is a different name. It's kind of a poor mans air conditioner. The fan blows over water which evaporates and cools. Lots of humidity is created hence the nickname swamp.

Not good in humid areas.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

thanks guys--i understand now. and no, it would NOT be good in humid climates.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

The dogs ride loose in the back of my Vibe. When parked the four door windows are down enough to get muzzles out and the sun roof is open the same for the rising heat. I also made a back window grill out of a wire kennel and that opens it a ton. 
After a short session of herding today I damn near had to drag Trooper out of the plastic kiddie pool at the farm. 
He's just now starting his spring molt so the raking and combing begins. Thunder is finished.


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> He's just now starting his spring molt so the raking and combing begins. Thunder is finished.


thank heavens Grace is 98% done with HER spring molt!! i think she may have some husky/malmute in her with her coat!!

Ike, OTH, has my favorite GSD coat: hard, waterproof, undercoated, but not all the clumps of shedding hair.


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## Sarah Atlas (Dec 15, 2008)

I have a silver material used by green houses and sold on agility sites. I cover the top of my suburban with it and it reflects 70 percent of the heat. I have 2 black sable shepherds and it works very well in conjunction with fans purchased at walmart. ($7) plug into outlet in cars


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## kamphuis gerben (Jan 29, 2009)

by working dogs in very hot climate like mexico ,texas and cooping whith very hot days here sometimes 
i think that dogs who live in a very hot climate will adjust better than dogs here in holland whith some very hot days the diffrence between that is that dogs dont have time to get adjusted 
the best way to keep them from getting a heatstroke is 
working them early mornings or very late during the day 
try to work them in shorter sessions whith more rest cool them in between by take a baby swimmingpool and lay them down in it in holland well have small kanals whith water enough 
plus i give them true the water they using i add some sportdrink to drink 
that works good also


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

I use crate fans, plus I'll take a couple a couple 2-liter bottles, fill them with water, freeze them solid, and place one in each crate.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

They look goofy, but the $6 accordion style reflective windshield thingies work actually really pretty well so far. I need to get another one for the back window. I also bought a car adapter fan, but haven't used it quite yet. My plastic crates in the car have two doors and I think that helps too. I'm thinking of getting an Easy Up canopy tent because our current training field has no trees. You know, not for us handlers or anything, but so the decoy can hang out under there in between working dogs and stay cooler. :^o  Reminds me though, must plant good shade trees on both sides of the training fields in my future facility so both morning and afternoon are covered...


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## Guest (May 31, 2010)

Is this the 02 cool fan you guys use? Or the black one?
http://www.amazon.com/BATTERY-OPERATED-INDOOR-OUTDOOR-ADAPTER/dp/B001APXO5C/ref=pd_sim_k_6


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Vin Chiu said:


> Is this the 02 cool fan you guys use? Or the black one?
> http://www.amazon.com/BATTERY-OPERATED-INDOOR-OUTDOOR-ADAPTER/dp/B001APXO5C/ref=pd_sim_k_6


The one on the left. The one in the middle is the 5 inch version. The one on the right doen't seem to have a hook to attach it to the cage wire.

If you look a bit more you can find on for $19.95.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

http://www.swampy.net/index.html


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> I'm thinking of getting an Easy Up canopy tent because our current training field has no trees.


I use an ez-up for my truck. They are the right size to just set up and the back the truck underneath. With another club member to help, less then 5 minutes and I'm done. Keeps the dogs in "deep shade" and also helps prevent the sun warming the bed liner in my truck and radiating heat back up. Plus I don't have to worry about "fighting" with everyone else for the natural shade, I'll just make it wherever I park.  When I had a truck with a canopy I'd do the same on very hot days, since it kept the sun from warming up the canopy. That, some strong fans, and the dogs were usually fine under the canopy. For the really hot days, I'd do the frozen 2 liter bottle someone else mentioned.


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## Matt Grosch (Jul 4, 2009)

I had wondered about letting mine swim in the canals, a guy with labs has does it all the time with no issues, but a guy in my group with a GSD said his would get eye and ear infections from it


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

At training, I do the same as a couple of other people here - aluminet solar shade... shiney silver mesh tarp that covers my car, reflects the sun and keeps it cool and lets the air flow through. Was pricey, but worth it because there is no shade at our training field.

At home, the dogs and I all suffer equally without air conditioning in the house. I walk or train early in the morning before it really heats up. Sometimes I fill the kiddie pool if it's really hot and let them splash around in there.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

This is the fan I use down to the exact model only I split the wire from the A/C adapter and run it to a marine battery through a fuse.

http://survivalstore.com/o210inbaorac.html

My cost $5 end of season Walmart - I think they retail for around $15 at peak season.

I can run 3 fans on high for days without recharging and have had the same deep cycle battery for 4 years [a really good optima battery]


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

http://cozywinters.com/shop/pet-fan.html?source=base

This is the other fan I mentioned. Friend has one and it moves a LOT of air but cost is up there
In retrospect I wish I had one of these for between my camper and cab instead of the radiator fan. This one pulls 2.6 amps, my radiator fan draws 5.5 and moves so much air I have to crack the window in the passenger compartment as it creates a suction on my AC system [which is why I need to step it down with some resistors]


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> I use an ez-up for my truck. They are the right size to just set up and the back the truck underneath. With another club member to help, less then 5 minutes and I'm done. Keeps the dogs in "deep shade" and also helps prevent the sun warming the bed liner in my truck and radiating heat back up. Plus I don't have to worry about "fighting" with everyone else for the natural shade, I'll just make it wherever I park.  When I had a truck with a canopy I'd do the same on very hot days, since it kept the sun from warming up the canopy. That, some strong fans, and the dogs were usually fine under the canopy. For the really hot days, I'd do the frozen 2 liter bottle someone else mentioned.


Ooh, like a portable car port, I like it! That should be plenty room for my Chevy Impala and enough for the hard working decoys to have a little shade. Especially if I just put the tent part over the rear half of the car where the crates are. :smile:


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

One last item
http://www.coolvest.com/RPCM_Cooling_Vest/Dogs_Equine.aspx

I met some folks at a seminar last year that swear by these. I also know the folks who make the phase change material [we just started using it in one of our shipping boxes at work] and it is non-toxic vegetable oil based material that they can formulate to specific temp ranges.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> http://cozywinters.com/shop/pet-fan.html?source=base
> 
> This is the other fan I mentioned. Friend has one and it moves a LOT of air but cost is up there
> In retrospect I wish I had one of these for between my camper and cab instead of the radiator fan. This one pulls 2.6 amps, my radiator fan draws 5.5 and moves so much air I have to crack the window in the passenger compartment as it creates a suction on my AC system [which is why I need to step it down with some resistors]


Nancy. you appear to know a good bit about electronics. very cool


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

those vests should be bought for the decoy too, awsome...


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Nancy Jocoy said:


> One last item
> http://www.coolvest.com/RPCM_Cooling_Vest/Dogs_Equine.aspx
> 
> I met some folks at a seminar last year that swear by these. I also know the folks who make the phase change material [we just started using it in one of our shipping boxes at work] and it is non-toxic vegetable oil based material that they can formulate to specific temp ranges.


These vests last less than an hour when working in the sandbox and then the material agaisnt the dog acts as a blanket and maintains the heat........thought is good, and probably work great in other applications, however not all!


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## Sherry Spivey (Sep 7, 2009)

I bought one of those mats with the cool packs, advertised for four hours of cooling...only lasts about an hour. Then you have to recharge in a cooler large enough to lay the gel packs out flat.

I use a cooler that costs less than $30 and you just wet it. Works great. When dry you just rewet it.

http://www.cleanrun.com look for cool coat


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

I don't have any personal real world experience with phase change materials and the 50 degree vests. Just the anectodal experience of some who have - they did report they kept spares in an ice chest for recharging and that they recharged quickly.

I do know in shipping boxes they are pretty good and extended our ship time from 33 to 48 hours giving a nice safety window...but we were using a 4 degree PCM.


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## Matt Grosch (Jul 4, 2009)

reminded me about some info I found regarding dogs becoming acclimated to the heat


http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/f30/breeds-do-best-heat-11694/index5.html


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Permission to Cross Post
_
Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs

Nate Baxter DVM_

The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in first aid.

Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference, but if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiology changes will make them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it.

Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient mean of cooling.

However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so cooling does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will use ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog, so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. _When you immerse a dog in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the dog, and act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops. _If you can run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the best. Misting the dog with water will only help if you are in a dry environment or in front of a fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point, you want the water to be cool itself, or to evaporate.

For MOST situations all you will need to do is get the dog in a cooler environment, ie shade, or in the cab of the truck with the air conditioning on (driving around so the truck does not overheat and the AC is more efficient). Up to a couple of years ago, I was very concerned about my dogs getting too hot in the back of my black pickup with a black cap. New white truck fixed a lot of that problem. When I had one dog I just pulled the wire crate out of the car and put it in some shade and hopefully a breeze. But having 2 dogs and running from one stake to another, that was not feasible.

So I built a platform to put the wire crates on, this raises the dog up in the truck box where the air flow is better. Then I placed a 3 speed box fan in front blowing on the dogs with a foot of space to allow better airflow. I purchased a power inverter that connects to the battery and allows the 3 speed fan to run from the truck power. It has an automatic feature that prevents it from draining the battery. When I turned that fan on medium I would find that the dogs where asleep, breathing slowly and appeared very relaxed and comfortable in a matter of 20 minutes or less, even on very hot muggy days.

Alcohol: I do carry it for emergencies. It is very effective at cooling due to the rapid evaporation. It should be used when other methods are not working. You should be on your way to the veterinarian before you get to this point. We recommend using rubbing alcohol, which is propylene alcohol, not ethyl, for those of you not aware. So do not try to drink it. Alcohol should be used on the pads and lower feet area where there is little more than skin and blood vessels over the bones. Use a little bit and let it evaporate, you can use too much as some is absorbed through the skin. There are concerns about toxicity, but you have to get the temperature down.

I purchased those cooling pads that you soak in cold water, but found that the dogs would not lay on them. I would hold them on the back of a dog that just worked to get a quick cool, but have not used them for years. I also bought a pair of battery operated fans but found them pretty useless. Spend your money on the power inverter and get a real fan.

Watching temperature: If you feel your dog is in danger of heat injury, check its temp and write it down. Keep checking the temp every 3 minutes. I recommend to get a "rectal glass thermometer. The digital ones for the drug store I have found to be very unreliable, Don't forget to shake it down completely each time, sounds silly, but when are worried about your companion, things tend to get mixed up. This is *VERY IMPORTANT***once the temp STARTS to drop, STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS. The cooling process will continue even though you have stopped. If the temp starts at 106.5, and then next time it drops to 105.5, stop cooling the dog, dry it off, and continue monitoring. You will be amazed how it continues to go down. If you do not stop until the temp is 102, the temp will drop way too low. _I cannot emphasis this point enough._

When the dog is so heated that it is panting severely, only let it have a few laps of water. Water in the stomach does not cool the dog, you just need to keep the mouth wet so the panting is more effective.

Do not worry about hydration until the temp has started down. A dog panting heavily taking in large amounts of water is a risk of bloat.

Due to the heavy panting they will swallow air, mixed with a large amount of water they can bloat. Once the temp is going down and panting has slowed to more normal panting then allow water. The dog will rehydrate it self after temp is normal. If the dog has a serious problem and even though you have gotten the temp normal, get the dog to a vet, as it can still need IV fluids and some medication. Also, a case of heat stroke can induce a case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (not parvo), with a ton of very bloody diarrhea and a lot of fluid and electrolyte loss. These cases need aggressive treatment.

The best method of treatment is prevention. Learn to watch your dog, and see the changes in the size of the tongue, and how quickly it goes down. Learn your dogs response to the different environments, and be careful when you head south for an early season hunt test or trial. I have been to Nashville at the end of May, only 5 hours away, but the difference in temp and humidity did effect the dogs as they were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different things in training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. 

Another very important point=> Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put in put in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not take place in a tight space, and the box will turn into a sauna and you will cook your dog.

Carry a stake out chain, and let the dog cool and dry before putting it up. I demonstrated this lesson this spring with my 10 month old pup. After doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree day, she was panting pretty hard and was pretty hot. She was OK but it was time to stop. Just for the heck of it I took her temp. She was 103.6, above normal but too bad for a dog that had just finished working. In my back yard I have a 300 gallon Rubbermaid tub filled with water. I took her to it and she jumped in and out 3-4 times. She appeared totally improved, tongue was much smaller, and eyes brighter and her full spring was back into her step. So I re-took her temp and it was 104.2, so even though she looked better she was hotter. This is a perfect lesson to show not get a hot dog wet and then put them in a box. The water on her skin caused the blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow to the skin. Therefore the hot blood was shunted back to the dog's core and retained the heat. You may have felt the same thing, after exercising
but still being very warm, take a shower and get cooled off but as soon as you turn the shower off you start sweating again.

I know this is a bit long, but hopefully this is easy to understand and helps provide some useful information.

Remember: Prevention, learn your dog. It is worth the time and effort.


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## Mario Fernandez (Jun 21, 2008)

I am going to a dog event this weekend. Suppose to be 90+ this weekend. I have a truck. No camper.

I usually bring the quick shade and only raise the quick shade to the first notch so I am able to just drag the quick shade over the truck bed. If I need to I have some tarps. I will put some frozen water bottles in the dog crate along with a bucket of water. 

Will have a couple of coolers of water and ice, may bring some dry ice so I am able to freeze the water bottles and rotate them through out the day. Damn dog will play with the water bottles. I always check on the dog every hour and to see where the direction the sun shifts.


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## Denise Gatlin (Dec 28, 2009)

Connie, I had just read this excellent article on a herding list. Living in the deep south with humidity ranging in the 80% range, we have to be exceptionally careful for both K9s and ourselves. This information is so valuable for us. It also helped explain an issue that happened a few years back when a SchH training buddy lost his dog to heat. They had been training heavily and when the dog wavered, he submerged him in a kiddie pool of cool water and then put him in a crate. The dog died. 
With my GSDs, I am always cautious about the heat but do appreciate the detail Dr. Baxter went to in this article.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Yes, this article pulls together every piece of good information on the topic I had ever read or heard (and then some) into one page. 

I have it bookmarked.


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## Nancy Jocoy (Apr 19, 2006)

Everyone on our team is recommended to carry flexible tip digital thermomters and covers and the team trailer has IV fluids for quick sub-q hydration if we are out there and a dog needs them. Never have had one get that overheated though.

I never argue with a dog that is working and wants to lay down in the mud or a small creek though. They all have enough drive that if they want to lay down in the mud they need it.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Maybe time to re-post this:

Permission to Cross Post

Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs

Nate Baxter DVM

The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in first aid.

Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference, but if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiology changes will make them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it.

Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient mean of cooling.

However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so cooling does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will use ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog, so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. When you immerse a dog in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the dog, and act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops. If you can run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the best. Misting the dog with water will only help if you are in a dry environment or in front of a fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point, you want the water to be cool itself, or to evaporate.

For MOST situations all you will need to do is get the dog in a cooler environment, ie shade, or in the cab of the truck with the air conditioning on (driving around so the truck does not overheat and the AC is more efficient). Up to a couple of years ago, I was very concerned about my dogs getting too hot in the back of my black pickup with a black cap. New white truck fixed a lot of that problem. When I had one dog I just pulled the wire crate out of the car and put it in some shade and hopefully a breeze. But having 2 dogs and running from one stake to another, that was not feasible.

So I built a platform to put the wire crates on, this raises the dog up in the truck box where the air flow is better. Then I placed a 3 speed box fan in front blowing on the dogs with a foot of space to allow better airflow. I purchased a power inverter that connects to the battery and allows the 3 speed fan to run from the truck power. It has an automatic feature that prevents it from draining the battery. When I turned that fan on medium I would find that the dogs where asleep, breathing slowly and appeared very relaxed and comfortable in a matter of 20 minutes or less, even on very hot muggy days.

Alcohol: I do carry it for emergencies. It is very effective at cooling due to the rapid evaporation. It should be used when other methods are not working. You should be on your way to the veterinarian before you get to this point. We recommend using rubbing alcohol, which is propylene alcohol, not ethyl, for those of you not aware. So do not try to drink it. Alcohol should be used on the pads and lower feet area where there is little more than skin and blood vessels over the bones. Use a little bit and let it evaporate, you can use too much as some is absorbed through the skin. There are concerns about toxicity, but you have to get the temperature down.

I purchased those cooling pads that you soak in cold water, but found that the dogs would not lay on them. I would hold them on the back of a dog that just worked to get a quick cool, but have not used them for years. I also bought a pair of battery operated fans but found them pretty useless. Spend your money on the power inverter and get a real fan.

Watching temperature: If you feel your dog is in danger of heat injury, check its temp and write it down. Keep checking the temp every 3 minutes. I recommend to get a "rectal glass thermometer. The digital ones for the drug store I have found to be very unreliable, Don't forget to shake it down completely each time, sounds silly, but when are worried about your companion, things tend to get mixed up. This is VERY IMPORTANT**once the temp STARTS to drop, STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS. The cooling process will continue even though you have stopped. If the temp starts at 106.5, and then next time it drops to 105.5, stop cooling the dog, dry it off, and continue monitoring. You will be amazed how it continues to go down. If you do not stop until the temp is 102, the temp will drop way too low. I cannot emphasis this point enough.

When the dog is so heated that it is panting severely, only let it have a few laps of water. Water in the stomach does not cool the dog, you just need to keep the mouth wet so the panting is more effective.

Do not worry about hydration until the temp has started down. A dog panting heavily taking in large amounts of water is a risk of bloat.

Due to the heavy panting they will swallow air, mixed with a large amount of water they can bloat. Once the temp is going down and panting has slowed to more normal panting then allow water. The dog will rehydrate it self after temp is normal. If the dog has a serious problem and even though you have gotten the temp normal, get the dog to a vet, as it can still need IV fluids and some medication. Also, a case of heat stroke can induce a case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (not parvo), with a ton of very bloody diarrhea and a lot of fluid and electrolyte loss. These cases need aggressive treatment.

The best method of treatment is prevention. Learn to watch your dog, and see the changes in the size of the tongue, and how quickly it goes down. Learn your dogs response to the different environments, and be careful when you head south for an early season hunt test or trial. I have been to Nashville at the end of May, only 5 hours away, but the difference in temp and humidity did effect the dogs as they were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different things in training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. 

Another very important point=> Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put in put in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not take place in a tight space, and the box will turn into a sauna and you will cook your dog.

Carry a stake out chain, and let the dog cool and dry before putting it up. I demonstrated this lesson this spring with my 10 month old pup. After doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree day, she was panting pretty hard and was pretty hot. She was OK but it was time to stop. Just for the heck of it I took her temp. She was 103.6, above normal but too bad for a dog that had just finished working. In my back yard I have a 300 gallon Rubbermaid tub filled with water. I took her to it and she jumped in and out 3-4 times. She appeared totally improved, tongue was much smaller, and eyes brighter and her full spring was back into her step. So I re-took her temp and it was 104.2, so even though she looked better she was hotter. This is a perfect lesson to show not get a hot dog wet and then put them in a box. The water on her skin caused the blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow to the skin. Therefore the hot blood was shunted back to the dog's core and retained the heat. You may have felt the same thing, after exercising
but still being very warm, take a shower and get cooled off but as soon as you turn the shower off you start sweating again.

I know this is a bit long, but hopefully this is easy to understand and helps provide some useful information.

Remember: Prevention, learn your dog. It is worth the time and effort.


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## Keith Earle (Mar 27, 2006)

we set up cattle troughs as dog swimming pools ,and dogs cool of in them and we park in shade.


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## Jami Craig (Jul 5, 2010)

I bought dog sized hampster bottles and stuck them in my two dogs' crates. I originally got them because my lovely mal puppy is unable to drink like a normal dog. He gets more water anywhere-that's-not-his-mouth than actually into his body and I was sick of mopping up crates. But in hot weather both dogs have learned to poke them with their noses to make a little puddle in the crate, then with the fans and parking in the shade I have two nice cool happy dogs. They have access to water in a bowl when they get out of the car. They're now both in one crate in the car (with a divider) which has an extra deep tray so the water doesn't escape. I have dog towels in the back and plastic "used towel" bins to store wet towels in as well as a clothes line they can dry on if needed. Each crate has a fan, plus I have these little solar "heat escape" fans that clip to the windows that are useless for keeping cool on their own but move hot air out of the car quite well (and because they're solar I don't have to worry about batteries)

Plus I keep two 3 gallon "fridge fit" narrow jugs with taps on them for easy use in the back of my car mounted on my supply box so I can refill the bottles. Overall it works great, like having a mini sink back there.


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