Walking in the heat

Dogs have to go outside at all weather conditions. But walking in the heat can lead to serious paw injuries for our four-legged friends. What you should pay attention at in summer is listed here.

Summer walk

In hot weather you should postpone your walk rounds to the early morning or late evening hours and go outside just for the small business in between.

Not only that some dogs get problems with the temperature balance because of their thick and partly dark fur in the heat, they also can burn their paws on the hot ground. Our darlings cannot sweat, and have only a few sweat glands on the body. In addition, dogs only have heat receptors on their noses and therefore cannot feel the hot ground. Only when the paws are banished they feel the pain. But then it is too late and the burns have to be treated by a veterinarian. Especially puppies, sick animals and senior dogs often have to fight with the high temperatures.

You can find more tips for summer with dogs here: Summer, sun, heat and dog

What can you do?

• Test with the back of your hand how hot the ground is – if it hurts you after a few seconds, there is a danger of burning your dog’s paws
• Stay in the shadow
• Avoid the midday heat
• Avoid physical exertion
• Well-fitting dog boots can protect the paws
• Care for cooling – look for bathing places – also cooling mats or damp towels accept some dogs gladly
• Find unpaved paths (such as gravel, forest and meadow paths)
• Deal with your dog at home and pay attention to his needs – Do not force him to go for a walk in the heat
• Never leave your pet in the car

Heat development on asphalt

At an air temperature of 25° the asphalt can have about 50° in the sun. At 30° already about 60° and at 35° the ground heats up to 65°. These are of course only approximate values that depend on the soil properties (material), the exposure to light, the soil colour (the darker the faster it heats up), soil surfaces and many other factors.