Can Golden Retriever live in Hot Weather?
If you live in a locality, where the weather is quite hot, then you might know the problems one may suffer due to hot weather and the challenges associated with it. In this case, if you are thinking to have a Golden Retriever as your pet, then you should be probably thinking about whether your little friend could bear the hot weather or not?
So, the question might be, “Can Golden Retrievers live in hot weather?” The answer to this question is, Yes, Golden Retrievers can live in hot temperatures, but they are vulnerable to it. The ideal surrounding temperature for a Golden Retrievers lies in between 60˚F to 80˚F. The temperature between 90˚F to 100˚F or above can put your Golden Retriever at risk of sunburns, overheating, and dehydration.
However, it does not entirely means that Golden Retrievers can’t live in hot weather. They can, but for that purpose, you need to follow a few things to make it easier for your dog to tolerate the high temperatures in its surroundings. Some of them are mentioned as below:
Helpful tips for Golden Retrievers to cope with hot weather
The tips are being discussed in this article to keep your Golden Retriever ready to cope with the intensity of hot weather.
1. Choosing Walk Times Smartly
It is never a good idea to walk your Golden Retriever at noon or early afternoon. It could cause overheating and dehydration in them. The best times for taking your little friend to walk are as follows:
- Early in the morning (Between 5 AM to 9 AM)
- Late Afternoon (5 PM to 7 PM)
- At night
However, the intensity of the weather never remains the same. If you feel that it is too hot for Golden Retriever to go on a walk, then you may skip that day. If you do not skip the hot days of the summer, then you may have to face consequences that are not beneficial for the health of your dog.
2. Be Careful about the place your Golden Retriever walks on
It is better to find shades and pay attention to the type of surface your Golden Retriever walks on. It should be kept in mind that their paws are not protected by any kind of shoes.
It is recommended to never let your Golden Retriever expose their paws to the hot asphalt on the sideways or even pavements. It is because of the fact that a dog’s paws are very sensitive. They can get easily get hurt, or even burnt and cracked due to the high temperature of the pavement.
However, to assess whether the surface is very hot for your Golden Retriever to walk on or not, try to touch the surface under consideration with your bare feet, if it is too hot for you, then that surface is dangerous for your dog as well.
However, areas with grass and shade trees are much cooler than exposed pavements. So, these types of surfaces can prove to be very gentle for your dog.
3. Switch to Lighter Food
The amount of food for your dog should be decreased in hot weather and should be light. This will let the body of your dog remain at moderate temperature, and cope with the adverse effects of hot weather. The reasons for lighter food are as below:
- They do not need to burn food for a warm body
- The heavier the food is, the harder it is to process
- The need for exercise decreases
Keep the water within the approaching zones of your dog so that they are well hydrated to beat the heat.
4. Take Cold Water Bottle for your Golden Retriever
While going out with your Golden Retriever, it is recommended to take a cold water bottle for your dog with you, like you take a water bottle for yourself. It is because, at home, your dog has access to freshwater. But once you are out of your home with your dog, it becomes difficult to keep him hydrated. Therefore, a cold water bottle would do the work in this case.
5. Give your Dog Frozen Treats
Frozen treats for your dog can help in lowering the body temperature of your Golden Retriever on a hot sunny day. There are several frozen treats that can be found on the internet that can prove to be beneficial in scorching heat.
There are few homemade recipes of frozen treats
6. Keep your Golden Retriever on Flea Med
Fleas, ticks, and other harmful insects live and grow in warm weather. They are found to be on the skin of dogs. They can cause many problems and can impact your dog’s overall health adversely.
Therefore, it is recommended to keep using the flea meds so that these organisms do not grow and cause any harm to your dog’s overall health.
7. Regular Grooming and Baths
In order to help your Golden Retriever to adapt to the hot weather, regular grooming can prove to be beneficial. Grooming is of great importance because a dog’s coat helps them in maintaining their overall body temperature.
Regular baths and brushing can help your dog to stay cool and calm, and thus preventing them from overheating.
8. Provide shelter to your Dog
A shelter can prove to be a spot where your dog can escape the heat and maintain his heat. Therefore, a dog house can prove to be a protective spot for your dog to keep himself calm. A cooling pad in the dog house can help your dog to maintain his body temperature quickly.
9. Take your Dog to Swimming Pool
Taking your dog to a pool for swimming is a great way to cool him down on a hot summer day. Any place like a doggy pool, a lake, or an ocean with cool water can prove to be more than enough for your Golden Retriever. This helps your dog in improving his overall mood.
Things to take note for your golden retriever when hot weather
1. Never leave your Golden Retriever alone in Car
Do not leave your Golden Retriever in the car unattended on a hot summer day. Even though the car AC is working, just do not leave your dog in the car alone. Within 20 minutes, the car gets hot, due to which your dog may suffer from heatstroke which will cause permanent damage to him or will even kill him.
2. Never shave your Golden Retriever’s coat
It is a myth that shaving your dog’s coat off can help him in tolerating the hot weather efficiently. However, this myth is not true at all. The coat of your Golden Retriever acts as an insulation to cold weather as well as hot weather.
Unlike humans, dogs normalize their body temperature by panting instead of sweating. They do sweat, but only through paws. However, most of the temperature circulation occurs through their body coat.
3. Regularly inspect for Hot Spots and Ear Infections
During the summer months, it is more likely that dogs may suffer from hot spots, ear infections, and skin problems. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly check your dog’s skin under their coat. If you observe itching, scratching, or irregular behavior then it may be due to some kind of infection. Therefore, it is better to pay a visit to your vet.
Hyperthermia and Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers and other double-coated dog breeds are at risk of heat strokes and hypothermia in extremely hot weather.
Hyperthermia is a situation in which there is an increase in a dog’s body temperature above the normal range. However, the normal temperature range of each breed differs from the other. So, the temperature above 103˚F has been marked as abnormal.
On the other hand, heatstroke is a condition of non-fever hyperthermia that occurs when the dog’s heat-dissipating system fails. It is associated with a temperature above 106˚F without any sign of inflammation. A heat stroke is kind of dangerous and can lead to multiple organ dysfunction and can cause death.
Risk Factors for Hyperthermia and Heat Strokes
Some of the factors that can cause hyperthermia and heat strokes are as follow:
- Dehydration or insufficient water intake
- Poor Lung or Hear Condition
- Obesity and Overweight
- Increase in the level of thyroid hormone
- Aged Dog
The Signs of Hyperthermia
There are many signs of hypothermia as well as heat strokes. However, the major ones are listed below:
- Unusual drooling
- Excessive panting
- Increase in body temperature above 103˚F
- Dehydration
- Decrease in urine
- Shock
- Rapid beating of the heart
- Blood in Vomit
- Sudden Breathing distress
- Frequent seizures
- Muscle tremors
- Wobbly movement
- Reddened gums
- Moist tissues of the dog’s body
Steps for Treating Hyperthermia
The to-do steps for the treatment of hyperthermia are listed below:
- If they are out in the sun, bring them into the house
- Bring them a cool area
- Spray your Golden Retriever will cool mist, but not with cold water
- Wrap him in cool and wet towels
- Offer him cool drinking water
However, you should stop the cooling procedures once the temperature of the dog is below 103˚F.
Steps for preventing Hyperthermia
If your dog had suffered a series of hyperthermia before, then there is a strong probability that it will experience again. For coping with this situation, you should be having adequate knowledge of clinical signs of heat strokes so that you notice them on time and respond in an emergency.
The steps mentioned in this article should be followed so that your Golden Retriever may get through the harsh sunny days without suffering any sort of loss.
However, if your dog is too old or too young, then you should keep them inside as much as possible.
Conclusion
As it is evident that Golden Retrievers do have the tendency to get through the hot weather, but this comes with a number of steps that should be followed to keep him cool and calm. Any kind of negligence may cause harm to the overall health of your Golden Retriever.
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