Dog Swimming Pools - Keep Your Senior Dog Cool on a Budget
Our pets feel the heat just as we do, and if you live in a climate of intense heat, you need to find ways to keep your dog cool and happy especially if they are into their senior years.
Walks Early Morning or Late Evening - If you normally take your dog for a routine walk in the morning, make sure it is extra early before the heat gets started. If you are feeling the early day sun and heat then your dog is too.
My dog Sasha, was much better with just a quick out the back for her morning "business" then stay in the cool house until the late evening, and then I took her for a longer walk. It doesn't take much for any pet to feel the heat, but exercise is still good, so you just have to get creative. I love the evening walks because the sun was not beating down and temps were comfortable.
Dog Swimming Pools - You can get these pools in different sizes and are dedicated to your pets as they don' t tear with their nails. My Sasha simply wanted water to lay in. She didn't need to swim, so I wasn't using tons of water, just enough to let her lay down in the cool waters.
This can also double as a dog bath. No blowing up, no patching, just an easy to fold and unfold pool below.
Try to keep the water fresh daily if you can during a hot spell, you don't need to fill super deep, just enough for her to enjoy some coolness while you are outside sipping your cool drink and in the shade if you can. Have dog towels on hand, but if it is a hot day, they will shake and dry very quickly. Keeping the water fresh will stop your dog's fur from smelling.
The dogs pool, shown above, is collapsible, and easy to store, just make sure it has dried out first. But if you have a super large dog or you want something a bit firmer, you can get hard plastic dog pools such as the one below.
This is a larger version of the first pool. If you have a large dog or dogs, you can get these collapsible and robust pools. These fold away for storage and could also travel with you. You can sit these on the deck or under the shade of a tree, but be careful under trees as leaves and sap can foul the water quickly. If you can provide a shade canopy the deck or patio would be a great place to use it.
The one above is more of an investment, but perfect for larger dogs. This one is made from truck bed liner so it is pretty tough. If you have a large dog, you may find getting something more robust like this one will help it last. This dog looks quite happy in here!
Keep a Senior Dog Cool - Heat stroke and exhaustion can take hold quickly with an older dog. Always have plenty of cool water on hand for them to drink, and be prepared for some extra "pee breaks" from extra water. My dog simply drinks the water she is laying in!
Most dogs love water so you usually don't have to coax them into the shallow water, and you don't have to worry about their nails and damage if you get a dedicated dog pool just for them.
Grooming - This is the time of year for a short haircut! This will help to keep the heat out, but still be careful in the sun as they can burn. Cooling Mat - If a dedicated dog swimming pool is not practical right now, then consider a cooling mat, these draw the heat from your dogs body. KEEPING DOGS COOL