Tips for keeping a six month old spaniel cool in hot weather

[Ihatelittlefriendsusan]

Any tips for helping 6 month old black spaniel stay cool?

We have fabric cooling mats (that you damp down) cooling collars. Wet towels. Paddling pool available all day (that the little sod has chewed), we have moved the fan downstairs but the poor sodnisnstill panting like mad.

I have checked his gums and they are still a healthy colour and he is drinking gallons although understandably off hid food.

We shower ours ( not with cold water but tepid) keeps them lovely and cool.

Freeze goats milk in ice cube trays - again ours love this and goats milk is gentle on their tummies .

Watermelon. Ours love water melon so that really helps.

We’ve got a doggy paddling pool and put a ball in. He loves splashing about, trying to get the ball out. We only let him outside for a hour at most in this heat, though.

I'm following this as my 10 month old pup is really struggling but he's scared of the paddling pool and slip'n'slide 😅.

He's usually never still during the daytime but he's sleeping all day. In terms of exercise we've been walking him pre-7am walks and have noticed it's really busy with dogs at our usual haunts even though that's usually too early.

My two were taken out on walk at 8ish through the woods next to stream. They’ve just laid about all day indoors since. They don’t appear particularly hot and bothered. I’ve just made sure there’s plenty of water about. Yesterday, the old one kept choosing to lay about in the sun, so I can’t think he gets too bothered.

Spaniels have double coats which help keep them cool.

Are you fussing unnecessarily?

My ridiculous mad blue roan cocker spaniel used to go and find the hottest places to lie & pant.

I have a conservatory and on the hottest days I open the outside doors & windows and shut off the doors to the house - dog used to go outside and into the conservatory though the outside door. When I realised where he was and took him out of there he'd go and lie in the sun.

Just don’t take him out. My senior spaniel is at home with me today snoozing and watching Bergerac. Yesterday we went to the beach and he stayed home with a frozen kong full of primula. We came back and he was cool and calm.
Over in Paignton we saw loads of dogs and I winced over their paws on v hot pavements.
we walk him mostly on grass in the evening.

Love that your dog is watching Bergerac!

It's been between 33 and 35 here since sunday. He is definitely overheating but not dehydrated. The biggest issue is that he won't stay still. He has spent the whole time running about chasing shadows where as our older one is flaked out in the sofa half watching House MD reruns.

He seems a lot better this evening though, less panty so hopefully he is ok.

You can get cooling coats. Soak in cold water.

I sympathize. Big black lab here.
We have taken him swimming in a stream and accepted he won’t be walked much this week.

He loves a good detective drama. I’m walking my senior spaniel right now in cool grass he is loving life.

He would eat it unfortunately. My train towel has succumbed already 🤣🤣

Ours are being walked about 530am and then not again until after 10pm, its simply too hot!

I have had to crate him this evening just to get him to calm down and settle. We have a large tower fan running in the living room and he is asleep for the first time today I think 🤣

We have had epic thunder storms but no rain this evening ao am hopeful it is getting ready to break

You can get a multi pack of ‘human’ cooling towels off Amazon. Soak in cold water, rinse, and place around the neck or body.

Not sure if they are still available but you could also get a Velcro closure neckerchief and a body wrap for dogs.

Our boy was a little bugger for wanting to lay in the sun and pant his arse off. We eventually got air-con installed (talk about pampered porch), but it did the trick. He hated not going out for walkies at ‘the’ allotted times mind you!

A cool-coat works best with my dog, I recommend the one below.
She also has a cooling collar but it doesn't work as well on her.

www.prestigepets.co.uk/cool-coat/

Panting is normal he needs to do it to cool down the same as us sweating

You're obviously taking as many precautions as you can to keep him cool and are keeping an eye on him as you said about checking gums ect and not walking in the worst if the heat

Panting can be a danger sign for overheating but it sounds like in this situation it's just a normal reaction to the heat

Could you make him an "icecream"
You don't want him to eat too much Ice in one go as that's not safe for them but a little won't hurt
I mix Greek yogurt or goats milk with water and add in anything dog and freezer safe
I freeze it on lick mats or random bowls
Anything that they can't get a chunk out of that forces them to lick and keeps then busy for a bit

My worry was there was zero break in the panting even when he was asleep. He is still very much a baby and is an absolute dickhead and will not be told to calm down, lay down etc

Never had a puppy before (always had older rescues) so still learning ourselves and was just hoping I wasn't missing something really obvious

Ours is a Velcro dog so I sit in the downstairs north facing room as much of the day as I can and he’ll stay with mecan.

I have this for our Frenchie, he had the operation for BOAS, but still struggles a little in the heat with his breathing. I also had one for our late black Labrador, they’re brilliant.

I bought a migraine ice wrap for myself, but ended up buying a second one for our cocker after trying it on her during a heatwave last summer and discovering that she loved it. This Is the one I've got - it's meant to go round your head but she wears it round her neck and shoulders.

I bought these last week for our one year old springer Dog chill out bandana
You simply soak them in cold water, wring out, pop in the freezer for 10 minutes and then pop them around your dogs neck (velcro attachment). They've been great this week to help him keep cool. I've also made him some fruit smoothie and some goats milk ice cubes to lick.