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Contrary to popular dog do sweat and have some sweat glands. “While dogs primarily use panting to cool themselves down, they also sweat — but not where you may think”, said Catherine Carrier, a veterinarian and Animal Operations Senior Manager at Covance Laboratories, a contract research facility that partners with pharmaceutical companies. It turns out dogs have sweat glands on their paw pads and noses.. which is hardly an efficient way to cool off. There is some scientific speculation that the sweat glands in paws and noises may have another purpose but we know it isn’t for cooling off body temps
“Dogs do not have the same capacity to sweat like humans, therefore they cannot evacuate heat as efficiently from the skin surface and are prone to overheating and developing hyperthermia, an elevated body temperature,” says Patrick Mahaney, DVM, and owner of Los Angeles, California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness.
No Sweat: Big Problems? How the heck do they cool down?
Dogs pant as a means of evaporative cooling: when a dog gets hot, it will open its mouth and breathe heavily. As water evaporates from the dog’s tongue, nasal passages and lungs, this helps lower its body temperature. Panting serves two main purposes in terms of cooling a dog down. Firstly, the moisture on the tongue evaporates while panting, while the heavy breathing allows moisture to evaporate from the moist lining of their lungs. Furthermore, dogs cool off via vasodilation. The blood vessels in their face and ears expand, enabling the blood to flow closer to the skin, allowing heat to be exchanged with the outside environment.
Contrary to popular dog do sweat and have some sweat glands. “While dogs primarily use panting to cool themselves down, they also sweat — but not where you may think”, said Catherine Carrier, a veterinarian and Animal Operations Senior Manager at Covance Laboratories, a contract research facility that partners with pharmaceutical companies. It turns out dogs have sweat glands on their paw pads and noses.. which is hardly an efficient way to cool off. There is some scientific speculation that the sweat glands in paws and noises may have another purpose but we know it isn’t for cooling off body temps
“Dogs do not have the same capacity to sweat like humans, therefore they cannot evacuate heat as efficiently from the skin surface and are prone to overheating and developing hyperthermia, an elevated body temperature,” says Patrick Mahaney, DVM, and owner of Los Angeles, California Pet Acupuncture and Wellness.
No Sweat: Big Problems? How the heck do they cool down?
Dogs pant as a means of evaporative cooling: when a dog gets hot, it will open its mouth and breathe heavily. As water evaporates from the dog’s tongue, nasal passages and lungs, this helps lower its body temperature. Panting serves two main purposes in terms of cooling a dog down. Firstly, the moisture on the tongue evaporates while panting, while the heavy breathing allows moisture to evaporate from the moist lining of their lungs. Furthermore, dogs cool off via vasodilation. The blood vessels in their face and ears expand, enabling the blood to flow closer to the skin, allowing heat to be exchanged with the outside environment.
Pretty cool but not very efficient.
Which is why dog can be prong to over heating and life threatening heat exhaustion. Specifically in breeds with short muzzles. Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome is the medical term related to various upper airway problems found in short-nosed, flat-faced dog breeds such as the Pekingese.
Keeping You Pup Cool.
The easiest thing is prevention and supervising your pet in the heat to assure they are not over heating, but what if it happens?
1, Move them inside or someplace cooler.
2. Make sure they have water and are hydrated.
3. A cool shower or bath. Gently spraying them down with cool hose water or letting them take a soak in the baby pool.
4. Seek veterinary care to assure that your dog cools off safely.
There are lots of ways to have fun in the sun with your pet.. just remember they are doing it all in a fur coat.