Dog Days of Summer
I was reading the other day and came across the term “dog days of summer” and while I have heard the term used, I didn’t know where it came from. I looked it up and it originated from ancient Greeks and Romans associating the hottest days with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. It was believed that Sirius added to the sun's heat, causing oppressive weather. In ancient Rome, this period was considered ill-omened, linked to droughts and other calamities. Today, the term refers to the hottest part of summer which is from July 3 through August 11th.
I love random facts!
The first day of Summer was June 20 th and it wasted no time heating up. We just had a mini heat wave and it looks like it is going to be a hot Summer! Hot temperatures were never really a concern with the dogs, I knew to limit time outside and ensure that concrete/asphalt weren’t too hot for their paws. After Lucy was diagnosed with diabetes I did have to monitor the length of time she laid out in the sun since she tended to overhead and BG can be affected. I currently have my girl Hannah who loves the sun but not for too long, she does a good job of self-regulating time in the sun. I also have my grand dog, Mable and she is still a puppy with a ton of energy. Mable is a large dog and overheats a bit so I have to limit play time outside, we play ball either early in the morning or after 7:30 pm when it has cooled off. She also LOVES ice cubes and thinks they are a fantastic treat!
I want to quickly go over some tips on how to help keep your dog cool.
There a non-toxic cooling mats that work well, they work by cooling when pressure is applied. I had one for Lucy and she liked it.
Exercise when it is cool, either early morning or early evening. Exercise time may need to be decreased. And don’t forget the 7 Second Rule…if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them!
Make sure extra water is available: HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!
Offer cooling treats like frozen broth or plain Greek yogurt on a lick pad, I am a huge fan of pupsicles.
We are also a week away from the 4th of July here in the USA, so prepare ahead of time in case your dog is fearful of the fireworks. I have used Dramamine, Bach’s Rescue Remedy, Thunder Shirts and the wrap. Hannah is extremely fearful of them so I did get a prescription for trazadone for her. I will give it to her a couple of nights before the 4 th to see how she does while on them.
I hope you all have a wonderful summer and for those of you in the USA, a safe 4 th of July!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please start a conversation below.
For a printable version of this blog click here.
Until next week stay comfy, don’t stress and you got this!
Michelle Miller-Matlock
AAHA Certified Diabetes Educator
Founder/Administrator of DDO: Diabetic Dog Owners University
Administrator of Diabetic Dog Owners on Facebook
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