Walking your dog in hot weather We recommend walking your dog in the morning or evening when it's cooler to reduce the risk of heatstroke and burning their paws on the pavement.
Generally, at temperatures above 89° Fahrenheit, most dogs are at risk of heat stroke and you should avoid walking your dog when it's 90°F or hotter. For many dogs, outdoor activity at temperatures above 82°F can be dangerous, and for some dogs even temperatures in the 70°-77° range can be too hot.
As a general rule, walking your dog at any temperature below 20C is ideal. 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.
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.
If it is over 25 degrees, it is a good idea to do a sidewalk 'test. ' Before heading for a walk, try and hold the palm of your hand on the pavement for five seconds. If it is too hot for you, it is too hot for your dog's paws to walk on.
Walking your dog in hot weather
Dogs need exercise, even when it's hot. We recommend walking your dog in the morning or evening when it's cooler to reduce the risk of heatstroke and burning their paws on the pavement.
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.
Most healthy medium or large dogs with thick coats can take a 30-minute walk when temperatures are above 20°F. Small dogs or dogs with thin coats start to become uncomfortable in temperatures below 45°F. Consider limiting walks to 15 minutes for these dogs when temps fall below freezing.
Most healthy medium or large dogs can walk for 30-minutes if the temperature is above 20 degrees F. Smaller dogs should limit the walk to 15 or 20 minutes if temps are between 20 to 32 degrees F. If it's below 0 degrees, no dog should be out for a walk.
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.
They say that between 16 and 19 degrees is generally safe for dogs, while between 20 and 23 degree is a six out of ten risk rating. When the temperature hits 24 and 27 degrees, this risk level goes up to nine out of ten, and then to ten out of ten when the weather reaches 32 degrees and above.
And at 20°F or colder, your dog—regardless of its breed, age, or overall health—should not be outside for more than a few minutes at a time because the risk of hypothermia or frostbite is too high.
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.
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.
Cats and dogs have sensitive paw pads that become vulnerable in the heat. Surfaces such as pavement, asphalt and artificial grass can become searingly hot causing blisters or burns on their paw pads.
Avoid walking on hot days.
Temperatures below 25 degrees are optimum. Also, beware of the hot pavement so you don't burn their paws.
"Under 30 degrees, factoring in the wind chill, it's not going to be safe for any dog to be outside for an extended period of time," Smyth says." You can buy yourself a little bit of time with warm weather clothing," such as dog sweaters and booties to cover their paws.
Most dogs can tolerate a daily 20–30-minute walk if they have a relatively good body condition. Dogs in great physical health can tolerate walks for up to two hours or go hiking for hours at a time.
In non-wet conditions, if it's between 20 and 30 degrees, most small and medium breed dogs can safely spend about 20 minutes outside at a time, while larger breeds can go for 30 minutes, says Barnes.
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.
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.
Heatstroke in dogs. When a dog gets too hot and is unable to reduce its body temperature by panting, it will develop heatstroke - which can kill.
Sand gets incredibly hot too and burnt paws are very unpleasant. Heatstroke is a very real threat to dogs, even out if the open, so it's doubly important to keep them cool and hydrated on hot days.
“To find out if the ground is too hot for your dog to walk on, place your hand comfortably on the pavement for ten seconds. If it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for your dog's paws,” says Klein. Your bare foot serves as another good barometer.