Dog Days of Summer

It's a bit early yet, but not too early to begin thinking about summer! I don't know about where you are, but here Spring has been a bit delayed and winter seems slow to give it up! We've had a lot of cool days and quite a bit of rain.

However, I wanted to give a few suggestions for folks managing their pointers in the hot weather. Pointers in general tend to be fairly heat tolerant, but there are some things to be aware of as the weather warms up.

Anytime your pointer is left outdoors in summer he should have plenty of available shade a lots of cool water. Some pointers enjoy playing in their water, so it's a good idea to check it a few times during the day to be sure there is still plenty left in the bucket.

Once the hot weather really sets in, it's best to exercise your dog early in the morning or later in the evening when the temperatures are cooler. We have also found a couple of nearby parks that have a streams, and the dogs enjoy running thru the water with less risk of overheating. Many pointers enjoy swimming and this is a great way to get some exercise when it's too warm to do much of anything else. Be aware; however, that even in water, dogs can become overheated if they overexert themselves, particularly in the sun.

Never leave your dog in a car without plenty of water, ventilation and preferably in shade. If you are concerned about leaving your windows open too much in case the dog escapes, put him in a crate so you can leave your sunroof, windows and van or truck hatch open. There are also portable, battery powered fans available (Petedge.com and Cherrybrook.com carry them) and these are great for summer shows or spring hunting competitions. Some models even come with ice packs that can be attached to provide what amounts to air conditioning!

I always leave my vehicle unlocked so someone can remove my dog in case of an emergency. Any items I feel are too valuable to be left in the vehicle I keep on my person. It's also not a bad idea to keep your dog's lead handy near his crate (or even clipped to the door) so anyone needing to remove your dog has a lead handy to do so. (This is a good idea at any show, as a friend reminded me this past winter, when she attended a show that had a fire scare - folks were helpful about removing any and all dogs who were crated near them, but many had no leads adjacent.)

It's also a good idea to always carry a cooler full of ice with you when you travel during summer, even if you are just driving from one air conditioned location to another. You never know if your car might break down, or the air conditioner might fail; you and the dog might both be grateful for a cool drink on the side of the road.

Exercising your pointers and working in the field during hotter months present a few challenges. It's a good idea, if your dog has been a couch potato all winter, to start gradually with the exercise just as you would for yourself if you'd had a long period of sluggishness! Take water with you, even if you've found water at that location before. Many times a stream we remember seeing the year before has dried up or been redirected. If you are planning to run your dog hard (particularly for hunting when the dog is intent on his task and perhaps distracted from his own well-being) be sure to wet down the dog before and after his run to keep him cool. He might not enjoy being hosed down before and after a run, but it can go a long way to preventing him from overheating.

Heat stroke or Heat Exhaustion can occur when a dog's temperature rises so greatly that his body cannot cool down. We are not vets, but we will attempt to give some information regarding this problem so you will know what to watch for. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your vet immediately.

Signs of heat stroke can include:

• heavy panting
• hyperventilation (deep breathing)
• excessive drooling
• dry gums (as the condition progresses)
• weakness, confusion or inattention
• vomiting or diarrhea, sometimes bloody
• pale or grey gums
• difficulty or ceasing of breathing
• Seizures, coma and death (after prolonged exposure)

If you see any of these extreme signs, get your dog to a vet immediately. If time permits, attempt to cool the dog by applying cool water (wet towels work great) to the belly, neck, and groin. Ice packs and a fan applied to these areas can also help. It's important to have your dog seen by a vet even if these measures seem to help, as complications from heat stroke can cause death or permanent damage even if the dog seems to be recovering. The dog may need overnight monitoring to ensure all body systems have recovered completely.

Dogs will often figure out for themselves when temperatures are too high for their comfort. Usually they will exert themselves less, lie sprawled in the shade, take refuge indoors on tile or cement floors, dig a shallow depression to reach cooler earth, and drink plenty of water.

A good rule of thumb is that if it's too hot and uncomfortable for YOU, it's likely too hot for your dog. This is particularly true if there is no shade or your dog (obviously not your pointer!) has a heavy coat, or if your pointer is dark in color.

When showing your dog on hot days, aside from the precautions about your car and bringing ice, it's helpful to keep a bucket of water with you at ringside, a spray bottle to mist the dog's belly and groin area (mine hate this but do stay cool with regular application of water) and it can also be helpful to throw one of the new shammy cloths, wet down with cool or ice water, over the dog. Keep your dog in the shade as much as you can. If no shade is available at ringside, shade the dog with your own body. If the dog seems to be overheating, get immediate help. There have been days when I simply didn't show my dog because the heat was too great. Once I arrived on the show grounds, discovered no parking in the shade, and just went home.

We did have one person ask a question about sunbleaching for the black and liver coats in the summer. Prolonged exposure to the sun can bleach liver or black coats and cause a reddish or rusty tinge. You can apply sunscreen (the spray kind seem easiest) to the coat to help prevent this. We've also found that Chris Christensons's Black on Black shampoo (Cherrybrook.com carries this) really helps turn the coat dark again and erases a lot of the bleaching that can occur from the sun. It also darkens up the liver coats several shades. (The White on White shampoo is nice, too. )

So, now that you are forearmed, enjoy the warmer months and we hope to see some of you at shows this summer!