A heat wave is coming! Help!

[yorkiebebe]

So I heard today that a heat wave will be coming soon. I have never experienced this but I heard a lot of pets die during a heat wave.
Have any of you experienced this? What should I do for my Chewie to make him feel cool at all times during these super hot days? I can't afford to have the A/C on 24/7. My bf suggested we shave off Chewie's hair to keep him cool. Is he right? I need some tips on what to do during the heat wave.

Thanks guys!

[chandracz]

Lots of fresh water and a nice cool dark place for him to go to...

[ShylahTaffy]

It surely doesn't get nearly as hot here as I'm sure it does where you are, but I used to fill a bowl with water and ice cubes so there was always cold water available to keep hydrated

[brendah]

Plenty of water, I like to put ice in it. I would make sure that he is in the A/C as much as possible. Keep a close eye on him and just make sure he is eating and drinking plenty. If he starts to pant I would cool him off. Good luck with the heat wave.

[Zeus08]

If you can't keep the A/C on all the time you need to invest in fans. The heat is no joke and you will want to make sure you provide fresh cool water at all times. Freeze a washcloth and let him chew on it. I have even put some of Zeus' toys in the freezer during our summer heat.

[yorkiebebe]

Water and ice cubes- check.
Cool place- check.

Thanks for your advices! It will be 104 degrees by next week. Woha! Hot hot hot!

[ArmaniMan]

As others have said COLD, fresh water at all times... adding ice cubes to the water is a good trick.

The dog needs a place out of the direct heat to relax.

Use fans to keep the room he is in cool.

As much as you can have the AC on, have it on and make sure the pup is in the room with the AC.

If the pup appears to be getting hot, do not dunk their whole body in cold water, you can shock their body... get a cold washcloth and apply it to their stomach area.

Keep nutrical on hand in case the pup appears to dehydrate, he may feel too hot to eat.

[RoxyLuv]

Originally Posted by ArmaniMan

As others have said COLD, fresh water at all times... adding ice cubes to the water is a good trick.

The dog needs a place out of the direct heat to relax.

Use fans to keep the room he is in cool.

As much as you can have the AC on, have it on and make sure the pup is in the room with the AC.

If the pup appears to be getting hot, do not dunk their whole body in cold water, you can shock their body... get a cold washcloth and apply it to their stomach area.

Keep nutrical on hand in case the pup appears to dehydrate, he may feel too hot to eat.

Agree w/above. Heat stress is nothing to mess around with and can be fatal. Fans are cheaper to run than AC when it's a little cooler than 104. You can use Pedialyte for drinking water for electrolytes. If you do wet your dog down, don't use cold water, use lukewarm. If dog is showing puzzling symptoms, contact your vet. Even if you pull you dog through a heat stress spell, there can be big complications later as the result of it. Play it safe.