Every summer heat claims the lives of beloved animal companions simply because their owners don’t know the signs of a dangerously overheated dog. To understand these signs, one must understand a dog’s cooling system. Think of a dog’s tongue, mouth, and nose as built-in air conditioning. Dogs cannot cool themselves with sweat like we do. Instead, they utilize the cooling power of evaporation by running air over the damp areas in their mouth and nose. Put bluntly, they simply don’t have an efficient way to cool themselves down. Dogs with short snouts (Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Boxers, etc.) have an even harder time cooling off and can become dangerously overheated in just minutes. But no matter what kind of dog you have, make sure to watch out for these signs of overheating. Watch your dogs for these signs on hot days and NEVER leave them in a parked car during warm weather. If you suspect your dog might be too hot, seek shade or air conditioning, provide plenty of cool water (not ice), and call your veterinarian immediately.
· Mouth Wide - The wider the mouth, the higher your dog’s cooling system is “turned up.” If his mouth is wide open, there likely will be wrinkling at the back corners of his mouth. If you see this, your dog is hot!
· Tongue Long - The further your dog’s tongue is hanging out, the more surface area there is for air to pass over it and cool her down. When your dog’s tongue starts hanging down well past her teeth, chances are she is too hot.
· Tongue Wide - As your dog heats up, his tongue will widen and thin. Just like a long tongue, a wide tongue creates more surface area for air to pass over in order to cool your dog.
· Tongue Dark - The hotter your dog is, the more blood will be sent to her tongue in an attempt to cool off. This increased blood flow will cause the tongue to appear darker.
· Fast Panting - If your dog is panting quickly, he is trying hard to cool off by drawing as much air as possible over the wet surfaces in his nose and mouth.
· Mouth Wide - The wider the mouth, the higher your dog’s cooling system is “turned up.” If his mouth is wide open, there likely will be wrinkling at the back corners of his mouth. If you see this, your dog is hot!
· Tongue Long - The further your dog’s tongue is hanging out, the more surface area there is for air to pass over it and cool her down. When your dog’s tongue starts hanging down well past her teeth, chances are she is too hot.
· Tongue Wide - As your dog heats up, his tongue will widen and thin. Just like a long tongue, a wide tongue creates more surface area for air to pass over in order to cool your dog.
· Tongue Dark - The hotter your dog is, the more blood will be sent to her tongue in an attempt to cool off. This increased blood flow will cause the tongue to appear darker.
· Fast Panting - If your dog is panting quickly, he is trying hard to cool off by drawing as much air as possible over the wet surfaces in his nose and mouth.
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