Evaporative Coolers for Pets

How Do I Survive the Dog Days of Summer?

Dogs love to be active all year round. They have tremendous fun running and playing and will happily indulge in games for as long as you (or another dog) will play with them. Unfortunately, this can lead to trouble in the summer. Dogs are not well suited for being active in the summer heat. It’s up to humans to monitor them for signs of heat exhaustion and provide them proper cooling so they stay healthy.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to provide a cool environment for your dog. While dog kennel air conditioning would be an inefficient approach, an evaporative cooler makes sense for keeping your pet comfortable. Portacool portable evaporative coolers are compact, efficient, and made in the USA using the only evaporative media that’s also made in the USA. Keep your pet cool this summer with a pet evaporative cooler.

Why Dogs Have a Harder Time Keeping Cool

The human body uses many methods to regulate its internal temperature, and we benefit from having exposed skin. Dogs have an insulating fur coat which can make it hard for them to lose heat. In addition, dogs don’t have cooling sweat. They only have a small number of sweat glands on their feet, which produce sweat for traction, not cooling. Instead, they lose heat by panting, which evaporates water from their mouth, nose, and throat. This evaporation cools them off the way our sweat does.

While panting remains an effective way for a dog to regulate its body temperature, it’s limited and doesn’t let the animal shed extra heat as the temperature rises. To keep from getting too hot, dogs have to limit their activity at higher temperatures. But we’ve all had dogs that don’t know the meaning of “chill.” It’s important for humans to monitor their pet’s activity level and encourage them to rest and cool off when they get hot.

Signs of Overheating in Dogs

Dogs can’t tell us when they’re getting hot. Unfortunately, they usually will push themselves far beyond the limit of safe activity in the summer.

That’s why it’s up to you to watch your dog for signs of overheating. It’s time to start taking steps to cool your dog off if you see these signs:

• Ears start to droop
• Tail stops wagging and droops
• Dog gets less active
• Very rapid heartbeat

If you recognize these signs, stop activity for a quick drink of water and consider cooling activities (see below).

Also be aware of signs of heatstroke in dogs, which include:

• Excessive panting
• Collapsing
• Visible discomfort
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Disorientation
• Seizures

If you recognize these signs, it’s time to take action. Rub your dog with cool water, especially in areas where it can reach the skin, like the chest and armpits. Then get your dog to a cooler environment. They will their temperature more effectively when the air around them is cool.

If your dog shows signs of heatstroke, it’s a good idea to contact your vet, even if the dog seems to recover.

Activities and Techniques for Keeping Dogs Cool in the Summer

Try to incorporate cooling techniques into your dog’s everyday exercise in the summer. Here’s how you can keep your dog comfortable when the weather gets hot:

• Provide your dog with plenty of water
• Get rid of or close off dog houses that get too hot
• Exercise in the morning or evening when temperatures are typically cooler
• Play in the water

When giving your dog water, it’s important to make sure they’re not drinking too much. Too much water too fast can lead to water toxicity. When you’re being active together, give your dog four to eight ounces of water at a time, but provide it every ten to fifteen minutes.

Creating Cool Areas for a Dog

In the summer, it’s important for your dog to be able to find a cool place to relax. If your dog can get inside and relax in a cool indoor space such as on a tile floor, that’s good. If not, make sure your dog has access to the following:

• Water
• Reliable shade
• Cool surface
• Cool air

Reliable shade means something that will always give your dog shade. Sometimes in the heat of the day, your tree or porch might cast shade in places your dog can’t reach.

An Evaporative Cooler Efficiently Keeps Dogs Cool

While you might be considering dog kennel air conditioning, it’s not an efficient approach to keeping your dog comfortable. That’s because air conditioners use an excessive amount of energy. They also don’t work well if your dog’s kennel has open sides or easy airflow. This allows the cooled air escape, and air conditioners depend on cooling the air in steps.

On the other hand, a fan doesn’t help your dog much, either. Dogs don’t cool down with sweat, and since they’re panting, they are already moving hot air around.

However, an evaporative cooler can effectively keep dogs cool outside. An evaporative cooler, or swamp cooler, essentially sweats for your dog. It draws hot air over the evaporative media, similar to a giant sponge that’s saturated with water. Water evaporates from the media, taking heat from the air. Then the dramatically cooler air comes out to keep your dog cool in summer. Because the cooler is taking energy from the air, the evaporative cooler is highly efficient. Since this process drops air temperature dramatically in one step, your dog can experience greater comfort even if there are no walls holding the cool air in.

Why Choose a Portacool Evaporative Cooler

If you are looking for a portable evaporative cooler to keep dogs cool outside, Portacool is right for you.

Since 1990, Portacool has been manufacturing evaporative coolers at our Center, Texas manufacturing facility, where all our units are made. We are now recognized as one of the leaders in the industry, and we have distributors in all 50 states and around the world.

In addition to the quality of our coolers, our remarkable growth is due to our outstanding customer care team. We offer best-in-class:

• Warranties
• Technical Support
• Live Customer Service

This gives you the peace of mind to know that when you trust Portacool to keep your dogs cool, it will keep running for years.

Have the Coolest Dog in the Neighborhood

Tired of seeing your dog suffer in the heat? Now’s the time to get a cooling solution. Please visit one of our retailers to get your order started or contact us now for more information.