Does My Dog Sweat? Many people ask themselves this question, especially during summer days when we humans tend to sweat more than usual.
However, while for us sweating is about liquids, it works a little differently for pets.
Let’s find out if dogs sweat, how they release sweat, and some simple tips to help them cope with the summer heat and protect them from the extremely dangerous heat stroke.
Love at first smell!
Do dogs sweat?
Sometimes in the summer, after a nice walk, you might come home and notice a particular smell, similar to sweat. But is it possible that dogs sweat?
The answer is yes. Dogs do sweat, but not in the same way as humans.
This happens because dogs do not have sweat glands distributed all over their bodies like we do. Instead, they mainly release heat through their mouths, sticking out their tongues.
Additionally, dogs use their paw pads and vasodilation in certain areas, like their ears, to cool down and regulate their body temperature.
This explains why our furry friends are particularly susceptible to heat stroke, an acute condition that can occur when temperature exceeds 41°C.
Heat stroke causes thermal damage to body tissues, including the heart, and is similar to a high fever, often exceeding 40°C due to environmental conditions.
Soon, we will explore how to help our furry friends stay cool and comfortable during summer. But first, let’s examine the difference between how humans sweat and how dogs sweat.
How do humans sweat?
Humans have approximately 3 million sweat glands distributed across the entire skin surface.
Some areas of the body have a higher concentration of these glands, such as the soles of the feet, armpits, palms, face, and private parts.
Humans have an extraordinary sweating capacity, as each gland can produce more sweat than its own weight.
In extreme heat conditions, a well-acclimated body can release up to 4-6 liters of sweat per hour.
Men tend to sweat more due to a more active metabolism and the increased need to release body heat.
enza, una maggiore necessità di disperdere il calore prodotto dal corpo.
SOS sweltering heat: looking for cooling down!
How do dogs sweat?
Humans have a baseline temperature (the body temperature upon waking without engaging in any kind of activity) that ranges from 35.2°C to 36.9°C
When temperature rises to 37°C or more, it is commonly considered a fever.
Dogs, however, have a higher baseline temperature, between 38°C and 39°C, and regulate their temperature using sweat glands that release a watery liquid containing minerals and waste substances.
A dog’s sweat glands are primarily located on their paws. That’s why, on hot days, you might notice that your dog leaves damp paw prints on the ground.
Dogs also have other sweat glands in their bodies that primarily release pheromones, which they use to mark territory and communicate with other dogs.
So, do dogs sweat a lot or a little?
Compared to humans, dogs sweat very little. So, how does our furry friend lower his body temperature? Does he use only the paw sweat?
The answer is no, because dogs have two essential mechanisms for temperature regulation:
The first one is the vasodilation: when body temperature rises, the superficial capillaries expand, allowing the blood to cool faster in areas where the skin is thinner, helping to release heat.
Another way is panting, that is to say breathing with an open mouth. This is why, on very hot days, you will notice that your dog pants a lot and keeps his mouth open with his tongue out.
Another behavior dogs display on hot days is lying down in cooler areas with their bellies touching the floor.
Does it help him cool down? It’s actually true, our four-legged hearts try to keep as much skin as possible cool to lower their body temperature.
Additionally, some dogs try to lick their fur to cool down, which leads us to the tips to help them stay comfortable in hot weather.
Tips to Keep Your Dog Cool in Summer
THINGS NOT TO DO
DO NOT shave your dog
Contrary to popular belief, shaving your dog does not help him cool down. Dogs do not have widespread sweat glands so shaving offers no benefit. It can even expose their skin to sunburn and overheating since the shaving leaves the skin exposed and unprotected, especially if the skin is not adequately protected with sunscreen. A dog’s hair is an essential tool that helps regulate body temperature.
DO NOT use ice-cold water for bath time
A refreshing bath in a pool, stream, sea, or lake is great for cooling down your fur-riend, but it is extremely important to avoid freezing water, as the sudden temperature difference between body and water could put your pet into shock.
DO NOT walk during the hottest hours
Avoid walking your dog during the hottest hours, especially in cities where asphalt and pavement can reach extremely high temperatures and burn our pets’ paws. The same applies to hot sand at the beach and sun-exposed mountain trails (let’s remember that at higher altitudes the sun beats down).
A shady spot to chill on hot days.
THINGS TO DO to refresh our four-legged hearts during summer
Brush your dog regularly
Dogs with abundant undercoat should be brushed regularly to help shed excess fur, allowing better airflow and keeping their coat softer.
That’s one of the first measures to adopt during the summer season to help dogs who sweat.
Provide a shady, ventilated spot
Always ensure your dog has a shaded, well-ventilated place. A damp cooling mat for the dog to lie on can also be helpful.
Ensure fresh water is always available!
Make sure your dog always has access to fresh, clean water, either brought from home in a bottle or from a water fountain along the way.
Spray with fresh water
If your dog is overheating, occasionally spraying him with clean, cool water can help.
Bathing in a pool, lake, sea or river is also great but, as we mentioned, the water MUST NEVER be freezing.
End-of-day cooling bath
To relieve the heat and help our furry friend to feel better after a sunny day we recommend a nice and refreshing end-of-the-day bath with the After Sun shampoo that contains hydrating Aloe Vera, soothing Apricot Milk, and cooling and moisturizing Hamamelis and Melon waters. Let’s gently pamper our pet by refreshing his skin and fur!
Today, we explored how dogs sweat, the way they release sweat, and the mechanisms they use to regulate body temperature.
We also provided simple tips to help our furry loves stay cool, protect them from heat, and enjoy the summer safely.
Remember, we can do a lot to safeguard our dog’s well-being and health, especially in the summer!
