Beating the Summer Heat

​​So, today’s topic is about helping our Frenchie’s beat the summer heat! We all know that they can be sensitive to it, and I wanted to share some knowledge and things I do for my fur babies with you.

I would like to talk about heat stroke first, some symptoms of heat stroke are heavy painting, difficulty breathing and excessive drooling. The dog can also appear lethargic, drowsy, or uncoordinated. They can begin vomiting or collapse.

Let’s be honest these bulldogs have difficulties breathing to begin with being a brachycephalic breed. So, we must be good parents and pay close attention to when regular” I’m hot” and “I have been playing” panting changes, there is a difference when it gets to heat stroke. Now all Frenchie’s are different and I’m sure as their parents we can tell when our kids need a break or a rest from the heat or too much playing. This doesn’t mean we need to shelter them away from being outside and enjoying the summer. Just limiting time and picking times they can be out for extended periods of time. What I like to do, is give them exercise in the morning before the temps are getting to hot, taking them for a long walk or playing fetch in the yard to burn up all that energy and then they can nap the day away till the evening when it is cooling off a bit and can spend some time outside.

So excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth, now some of them drool but when it goes past the point of normal for them it’s time to take a break. When possibly this goes too far and there is a lot of foam happening and coughing, trying to catch a breath and seems like they are struggling, something you can do is squirt lemon juice in their mouth/ back of throat the acidity of the lemon juice will cut that and make it easier for them to breath and clear the airway.

Another tip to put in your back pocket is rubbing alcohol. So, we all know dogs sweat and cool themselves through their paws. When your dog is overheating and can’t cool down naturally you can soak their paws with rubbing alcohol. This will draw out the heat and dries quickly to cool them down.

Another thing we want to touch on and I’m sure we have all heard this before, but it is worth repeating! Is when the temps outside are getting warmer that means that concrete and asphalt are VERY warm! So, keep this in mind before walking is important. Something to do if you’re just not sure if it’s too hot, place the back of your hand on the road or sidewalk and hold it there for seven seconds. If you aren’t comfortable walking on it for a while, then your dog really will not be happy. Again, remember they cool themselves through the paws and that constant heat will get them overheated. Keeping in mind when the temp outside is around 75 degrees, concrete is around 100 degrees, and the asphalt is around 125 degrees. If it’s 85 degrees out, concrete is around 110 degrees, and asphalt is about 135 degrees!

A few things I LOVE using on summer days so we can spend time outside with our dogs, are always making sure there is some kind of shade for them to get out of the direct sun. A few other essentials are swimming pools, fans, cooling mats but you can also make your own (fold and wet a towel) cooling collars and shirts.

One more thing worth mentioning is if your dog is suffering from heat stroke, PLEASE never cool them too quickly, an example would be putting them in an ice-cold pool or tub! You must do it slowly, a cold rag on their belly and armpits is a much safer way to go about it.

Let's keep our fur babies safe and happy!


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