Tips for keeping your pet cool in the summer

During hot weather, it is essential for both cats and dogs to drink plenty of water, limit physical exertion, and stay in the shade. Here’s how you can cool down your pets. We have several handy tips to help prevent overheating, sunburn, or dehydration in your pets during hot summer days.

These are three essentials your pets cannot do without during hot weather:

1. Water

Ensure that your pets always have access to fresh drinking water. Cats and dogs can be poor drinkers. To prevent them from becoming dehydrated during hot weather, it’s extra important to pay close attention to their water intake in summer. If your pet is a poor drinker, read our tips here on how to encourage your pet to drink more.

2. Shade

Provide a cool spot both indoors and outdoors where your pets can lie down if they want to. For example, create a nice shady area by stretching out a sheet or setting up a parasol.

3. Rest

Allow your pets to rest and sleep. Playtime can wait for a cooler moment! Let your pets do their own thing in the heat.

What to do in case of overheating?

When temperatures soar, there is a risk of overheating, especially in vulnerable groups. Vulnerable groups include puppies, kittens, elderly pets, and certain breeds. Overweight pets are also particularly susceptible during hot days.

Symptoms of overheating:

• Increased heart rate
• Restless or lethargic behavior
• Drooling (more common in dogs)
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Body temperature above 40 degrees Celsius
• Not eating, responding to stimuli, or moving slowly (shock)

Cooling down your pets: What to do in case of overheating?

First, take your pet's temperature. If it is above 40 degrees Celsius, contact your veterinarian immediately. If the temperature exceeds 41 degrees, you need to cool your pet down right away. Place them in the shade and cool their belly and neck with wet towels, ensuring they are not ice-cold. Do not pour water over your pets! Allow them to drink small sips of water to hydrate and consult a veterinarian. Cooling down your pets is thus a simple task.

Tip! Change your pets water more frequently when it's hot, as fresh water encourages drinking. If your pet drinks poorly, you can mix some extra water into their food or place water bowls in multiple locations. The more often pets encounter a water bowl, the more often they will drink!

A cool spot for your pets

Pets often find a cool spot themselves when they get too warm. Ensure your pets have enough shade and can seek a cool place indoors. For example, keep windows and doors closed to keep the heat outside. Think about what you would (not) do yourself. As a person, it’s not a good idea to lie in the blazing sun in the middle of the day. Make sure your pets don’t get into direct sunlight between 12 and 3 PM.

Help your cat stay hydrated

Cats are originally desert dwellers and naturally do not drink much. For their health, it is important that they get enough water, especially if they eat dry food which contains little moisture. 

Protect your pets from sunburn

The sun is shining and there’s a gentle breeze—the perfect conditions for sunburn. Just like humans, UV radiation can also cause damage to pets. In the wild, animals are better protected against UV radiation. Due to small genetic changes, pets today are more sensitive to the sun. The less hairy parts of the skin are particularly vulnerable, such as the head, especially the ear edges, the delicate skin on the nose bridge, the belly, and the groin. Sunburn can result in redness, inflammation, or scabs. Fortunately, you can protect your pets well against UV radiation and sunburn with special sunblock for animals.

Application tips:

To prevent sunblock from being licked off immediately, apply the product before feeding your pets. This provides a distraction and a positive association for them.

Even a pet with sunblock should not be exposed to the sun all afternoon. The time spent in the sun should be limited. It’s advised not to be in the sun between 12 and 3 PM when it’s at its peak.

Never leave your pet alone in the car!

Do you have any idea how quickly your car can heat up with your pet inside? Many people underestimate this danger; do not leave your pets in the car, not even for a short while!

More tips for hot summer days

• On very hot days, it’s better to take it easy. Don’t play wildly with your pets; let them relax and sleep.
• Indoor pets? Ensure plenty of shady spots inside by partially closing the curtains.
• Outdoor pets? If necessary, spray the grass in your garden. The evaporating water provides extra cooling for pets. You can also set up a small parasol for your pets to lounge under.
• Does your pet enjoy lying in the sun? That’s fine, but make sure there is always an escape route from the warm spot to a cooler area.
• Is your pet a sun worshipper who’s hard to keep out of the heat? Place a cardboard box in a cooler spot. Cardboard boxes are often irresistible to pets!
• Fans can provide cooling, but place them so that your pet’s resting area is not in the airflow. Pets don’t like drafts!
• It's nice to open a window for some fresh air. But be careful with tilt-and-turn windows! Pets can get stuck in them, and such entrapment is often fatal. There are special safety grilles for tilt-and-turn windows.
• You can offer your pets some cooling by stroking them with your wet hands or a damp washcloth if they like it.
• Pets are also susceptible to sunburn! White pets with pink skin, especially their ears and nose, are particularly sensitive. You can apply special anti-sunburn cream for pets to sensitive areas—always check the instructions first!
• Cats are poor drinkers. Especially in warm weather, it’s important that they get enough fluids. You can encourage them to drink more by putting an ice cube in their water and refreshing the water bowls several times a day.
• You can indirectly provide extra moisture to your pets through wet food. 
• Do you have a long-haired pet? Ensure their coat is free of tangles, as these can cause nasty hot spots.
• Make sure to keep the litter boxes and yards fresh during hot weather! Scooping out clumps and cleaning up waste after each visit prevents flies and unpleasant odors.
• Overweight pets suffer more from the heat! This is another reason to help your pets lose weight responsibly. Prins offers special diet foods, either dry kibble or canned meat meals. The nutrition experts from our CareTeam are happy to offer free guidance on this!