Tips to keep your pooch cool during hot, hot, heat

With sizzling temperatures and a heat warning in place for Winnipeg, keeping cool is a priority.

Not only for yourself, but also for your pets.

“The biggest thing to remember is that if it’s hot for you, it’s going to be very hot for your pet as well,” Kyle Jahns, communications coordinator for the Winnipeg Humane Society said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The biggest thing to remember is that if it's hot for you, it's going to be very hot for your pet as well," Kyle Jahns, communications coordinator for the Winnipeg Humane Society said.

Jahns said dogs feel the heat as much, if not more than people do.

“Dogs have a very limited ability to sweat because they can’t sweat through their skin like us and they rely on panting.  However, that being their only way to cool themselves down, it can lead to heat stroke and a lot of other things we want to avoid in our pets.”

If you’re headed outdoors with your pooch, Jahns recommended sticking to cooler parts of the days, like mornings or evening.

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Also, don’t leave them alone outside for too long.

Jahns also recommended finding shady areas to walk your dog, but if you have to use the sidewalk, test the surface.

“A good rule of thumb is to actually use your thumb and test out that heat that’s coming from the asphalt.”

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“If it’s too hot for you and you can feel it through the soles of your feet or through your thumb, it’s going to be too hot for the paws of a dog as well.”

And just like people, Jahns said dogs need to keep hydrated as well.

“They need it just as much as us,” Jahns explained.  “Have that fresh water source on you at all times, bring some ice so you can keep them cool as well, take all the breaks you need while you are out and don’t try to over exert your pets this weekend.”

And under no circumstance should you leave your dog inside a hot car, for any length of time, Jahns explained.

“Never leave your pet inside a hot car this weekend or any weekend, the temperatures can just skyrocket once we get weather especially like the weather we’re expecting this weekend and it really puts your dogs at risk.”

And if your dog does start to show signs of heat stroke, Jahns said to get them to vet immediately.