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As a husky owner, you know that keeping your furry friend cool and comfortable during the hot summer months is essential. With their thick, fluffy coats and high energy levels, huskies are at risk of overheating and becoming uncomfortable in the summer heat.
But don’t worry – with the right strategies and tools, you can help your husky in hot weather beat the heat and enjoy the summer season to the fullest.
Here we’ll share 9 practical and effective tips for keeping your husky cool and comfortable during the summer heat.
We understand that huskies are unique and require special care, so we’ve created this one-stop shop to help you find the must-have items for your furry friend.
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1. Exercise in the early morning or after sunset
With their ancestors being from cold regions of the world, Huskies do far better in cooler weather than in the heat. They can easily become uncomfortable and even overheat if they are exercised in the hot sun.
To tire out your husky without overheating them, exercise them in the early morning or after sunset. This will help keep them cool and comfortable.
In addition, exercising a husky at these times of the day can help them avoid peak hours of heat and sunlight and reduce the risk of sunburn or other heat-related problems.
2. Offer plenty of water
Huskies can easily become dehydrated if they do not have access to plenty of fresh, clean water. Providing huskies with plenty of water can help them stay hydrated, maintain their body temperature, and prevent overheating.
In addition, providing huskies with water can help them replenish lost fluids and support their overall health and well-being.
To keep their water fresh, we recommend this dog drinking fountain.
3. Provide shade
Making sure your husky can easily access a shaded area when outside is incredibly important. With their thick coats, they can easily overheat when the sun is beating down on them in the hot summer months.
Providing access to shade is one of the easiest ways to reduce the risk of serious heat-related concerns like sunburn and heat stroke.
With that being said, Huskies love laying in the sun from time to time. However, these Huskies know that they have a shaded cool area once they have finished sun baking!
4. Set up an ice bath
This tip is definitely a favorite of just about every husky out there! What husky doesn’t love an ice bath?! Set up a kiddie pool in a shaded area of the backyard and fill it up with a couple of bags of ice. Your husky will definitely thank you for it!
This way, your husky can sprawl out on the cold ice and cool down and enjoy a crunchy icy treat at the same time! Moreover, a kiddie pool can be used without ice, too! Many huskies would enjoy simply splashing around in the water, even without the ice!
5. Use cooling mats
Cooling mats are another great option that your husky can use both outdoors and while inside, too. There are different styles to choose from.
Some contain a chemical gel of sorts that helps to keep the mat cool. In comparison, others allow you to fill up the mat with cold water before giving it to your dog to lie on.
For both of these, supervision will be important. If a dog is a chewer, it could be dangerous for the pup to chew on the gel cooling mat. And it could be a wet mess if a dog put a hole in the water-filled cooling mat!
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6. Give your husky booties
Booties, or basically shoes for your dog rather, are a great option for when you have to take your pup for a walk on hot pavement or sidewalk.
Do you remember as a kid how hot the road and sidewalk could get when you were walking around barefoot? That heat hurts our husky’s paws too!
Booties aren’t just for rain and snow, as they can help protect our huskies’ feet from burning or getting hurt on the hot pavement.
We recommend these durable dog boots for your Husky.
7. Never shave a husky
Huskies have a double-layer coat that is designed to insulate them and keep them warm in cold weather. But it also helps keep heat out! Shaving a husky’s coat causes far more harm than good, and according to the ASPCA it prevents them from being able to properly regulate their body temperature.
Doing so will damage the hair follicles and cause the coat to grow back unevenly, coarse to the touch, or not at all.
Furthermore, shaving a husky’s coat can strip it of natural oils, which can lead to dry, itchy skin and other health problems. Shaving also leaves huskies more susceptible to sunburn.
Don’t worry though, huskies will shed some of their coat as the weather gets warmer, which will help keep them cooler in summer!
8. Use your a/c
Fans and air conditioning are a gift that should never be taken for granted! Sometimes the heat can just become too much to handle both for huskies and us humans.
Sometimes the best thing to is to settle down and relax inside after setting up a few fans and the air conditioning unit.
9. Get your Husky a backyard sprinkler
Huskies absolutely love backyard sprinklers! To cool down, they prefer having the end set to spray. For fun, they like having it set to more of a stream so they can bite it! 😂
Signs and symptoms of dehydration and heat stroke
Dehydration and heat stroke are two common heat-related health problems that can affect dogs in the hot summer months. Dehydration occurs when a dog loses too much water as well as electrolytes.
Dehydration can cause a range of symptoms including:
- Panting excessively
- Lethargy
- Dry mouth and nose
- Sunken eyes
- Decreased skin elasticity
Heat stroke occurs when a dog’s body temperature becomes too high, and it can cause symptoms such as:
- Rapid breathing
- Panting
- Drooling
- Confusion
- Weakness
- Collapse
If left untreated, dehydration and heat stroke can be dangerous and even life-threatening for dogs.
Both heat stroke and even some more severe cases of dehydration will, without a doubt, require an immediate visit to a veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian. From there, a veterinarian can help diagnose and treat any heat-related illness.
Further reading:
Final takeaways about how to keep a Husky cool in summer
It is important to take certain measures to help keep your husky cool during the summer months. This can include providing plenty of shade and water, avoiding strenuous exercise during the hottest times of the day, and ensuring that your husky has access to a cool and comfortable place to rest.
It may also be helpful to invest in products such as cooling mats to help regulate your husky’s body temperature. Or, most huskies’ favorite, you can give them a kiddie pool filled with ice!
By taking these steps, you can help your husky stay healthy and comfortable during the summer months.
How are you planning on keeping your Husky cool in summer?
Share your plans below.
