Frantic panting, extreme salivation, bright-red membranes, and labored breathing are clear warning signs that your dog is overheated and may quickly progress to a metabolic meltdown as his temperature rises to over 106 degrees Fahrenheit and he can no longer cool themself.
Best House Temperatures for Dogs
Indoor temperatures in the summer should be what you're probably used to — between 75 degrees F and 78 F. When you leave the house never set the thermostat higher than 82 degrees, and always provide lots of fresh water for your dog.
Overheated dogs can suffer heat exhaustion, heat stroke or sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias. Panting, followed by disorientation and fast, noisy breathing could signal overheating. Other possible signs: Collapsing or convulsing, bright red or blue gums, vomiting and diarrhea.
Put them on top of a cool wet towel, cooling mat or place them in the breeze of a fan. Allow the dog to drink small amounts of cool water. Pour cool water over the dog's feet, ears and head. Never use ice or very cold water as this can cause shock.
Our four-legged friends don't handle the heat like we do. Unlike us, dogs don't sweat out excess body heat. Though dogs typically release heat by panting, this may not always be enough to cool down. As a result, your beloved pooch can quickly become overheated, if not acclimated.
Anything above 20C can cause your dog to become dehydrated and very hot very quickly. The hotter the temperature, the higher the risk to your dog. As the temperature increases, even by just 1C, the risk to your dog increases too. Any temperature over 25C is a definite NO when it comes to walking!
An ideal temperature doesn't exist for all dogs, since their normal body temperature will vary according to size. Most dogs begin to show signs of overheating when the air temperature is between 81 and 85 degrees F.
Planning on walking dogs in hot weather? It's generally safe in temperatures of up to 19°C (68°F) but be careful when the mercury rises above this. Even at temperatures as low as 20°C (70°F) dogs are at risk of heat stroke. Heat stroke in dogs is essentially a high temperature not caused by a fever.
Wetting your dog's coat can help to lower their body temperature. This is especially useful for dogs suffering from heatstroke. To keep them cool, drench a towel in tepid water and drape it over your dog.
Fans cool humans by evaporating the sweat on our skin. But because dogs don't sweat, the air flow from a fan isn't going to make much of a difference for them in the summer. So, leave the fan off to save money and energy.
In many cases, dogs die within 24 hours of experiencing heatstroke. Dr. Grimmett notes that many dogs who survive heatstroke don't have any long-term effects. However, if your dog's body temperature was too high for a long period of time, they may live with permanent brain, kidney, or other organ damage.
Your pet may seek shade, become restless, whine or become vocal, or appear to have trouble breathing. A rectal temperature of 104-106 degrees indicates heat stress. A temperature of 106 or over is consistent with heat stroke.
Most dogs are unlikely to develop heatstroke during the night, but on very hot muggy evenings your dog can feel just as uncomfortable as you, so why not try: Letting your dog sleep in an air conditioned room.
It is not unheard of for some dogs in heat to sometimes have stomach issues related to hormone changes possibly causing cramping and stress, but there are always chances it can be due to other factors. If she seems in pain, it may therefore be best to give the vet a call and see what is going on.
The optimum temperature for the well-being of pets is between 21 and 26 degrees Celsius, both in winter and summer.
In general, you should set the thermostat between 75 and 78 degrees F when you're at home in the summer. If you have a large, long-haired dog, such as a Husky or Samoyed, set the temperature around 75 for the dog's comfort.
50-60 degrees and higher are safe temperatures for your dog. 85+ degree temperatures are a different beast in itself, but we're just talking about cool to cold temperatures here. 45 degrees or so are generally acceptable, but you'll still want to keep an eye on how your dog is handling itself in these temperatures.
If you can't hold the back of your hand to the pavement outside for more than a few seconds, it's too hot for your pet. On hot, humid days, you should bring your pet inside if the indoor environment is cooler (for example, if you have air conditioning).
As a general rule of thumb: at 45°F (7°C) and below, most dogs will dogs will start to become uncomfortable. at 32°F (0°C) and below, small, thin-coated, young, old and sick dogs should not be left outside for long. at 20°F (-7°C) and below, dogs become vulnerable to hypothermia and frostbite.
While small pups can spend a few hours outdoors in temperatures between 60ºF and 90ºF, keep outings in temperatures below 32ºF and above 90ºF to short spans of no more than 10 to 15 minutes, recommends Dr. Wooten.
While you or I would hate to sport multiple layers in 100-degree weather, your pets' fur coats are actually providing them with heat relief. Acting like insulation, a dog's coat keeps him from getting too cold in the winter, but also keeps him from overheating in the summer.