Would leaving a window or two open & having a fan circulate air be enough in the hot summer heat ?
So, how do you keep your pets cool in the summer when you have no air conditioning ?
This was a huge concern of mine last summer, particularly for my elderly dog.
I kept the windows open (because the "trick" of letting in the "cool" air in the morning, and then shutting the windows and keeping the hot air out didn't work) all the time, and where the dogs were, I had multiple fans constantly circulating the air all the time.
Apparently the Swiss don't like fans, because they think they'll catch a cold from being in the breeze.
I also made sure I came home on particularly hot days to make sure they were getting water and that they weren't exposed to the high temperatures.
When the heat of August came, that's when I broke down and bought the portable air conditioner. I still came home to make sure they were ok and that the AC was still running though, but it worked beautifully.
open windows and plenty of water should suffice
That concerns me too !
Thanks for the tip ! Where did you get your portable AC ?
Awww, how cute
I saw this morning, what I at first thought to be the funniest thing ( but understand a bit better now ) .. there was a small size van , like you would see for childrens school run, stopped just on the side of the road in front of me and he was picking up students... err... dogs.... for doggy day care in this air conditioned van.
wish I could remember the name printed on the side.
Obi. You can also get them at Fust, and Mediamarkt, but Interdiscount didn't sell any last year.
When I still had my ferrets - who don't tolerate heat very well - I used to spray them with cold water with a vaporisator. I would also pass an icecube on their fur to cool them. And I put a few icecubes and ping pong balls in a big vat of cool water to let them play.
I do the open windows at 3 AM, close windows by 8AM thing to try to keep the house cool. Opening windows before 3am is useless here, as temps stay warm into the night. And since the windows are open, I have to stay up to make sure that my 'security system' isn't triggered by outside noises, disturbing the neighbors.
(Look on meteocentrale.ch to see the temp prognosis throughout the day to determine when the low point in your area is expected. In my area, low temp of the day is usually 5 AM, high temp 5pm.)
Keeping the house dark during the day helps - all blinds are shuttered by 8am. A bit depressing for the humans, but it really does help keep the house cool.
Walks at 5AM, back by 7:30, bring plenty of water along.
(FYI, best not to let your dog drink from a run-off stream running through a farm field; chances are that the water contains fertilizer. And beware any water recepticle where you don't know the property owner - lacing pet-friendly water buckets with anti-freeze is a favorite tactic among the dog-hating crowd. Only drink from fountains labeled 'Trinkwasser', using your own container if your dog isn't trained to drink straight from a fountain.)
I always have towels in my walking pack - should a dog show signs of fatigue, I soak a towel in water, drape the dogs, rest for a minute. (Any signs of heat exhaustion, call the emergency vet immediately!)
Sadly, dogs have been banned from the trails along the creek in our area - that was a great shaded walk, with plenty of opportunity to dip in the creek to cool off if needed.
At home:
Frozen 'tuna-cicles', ice cubes with a bit of tuna in them, are a favorite cool-down treat.
Also, I take a big tub-like bowl and fill with cold water and ice cubes, kongs, toys, chewsticks - and let the dogs play 'bob for treats'. A good cool down game. Add a clicker, and do some 'pick up the thing I name' training.
Apparently shelties melt in water , so the hose/sprinkler is a last resort.
Fans at floor level help, most of the dogs camp out around the fans - but my Belltie doesn't like drafts, and will take himself off in a huff. (He is Swiss, btw. )
But if we are in for a protracted heatwave, nothing works to cool the house down once the nights stay above 18-20 degrees. 2003 was such a year, so I broke down and bought a portable air conditioner - installed in the dogs' room of course. . This gets turned on maybe 2-3 weeks a year, some years it's not needed. But as I have rough collies and shelties - long-haired, double coated - several of whom are elderly dogs with dodgy tickers, I can't risk heat exhaustion with them.
Hope it won't be a scorcher this year...
tuna-cicles!! what a great idea.. I'm gonna try that.
( no, I don't have any pets )
So glad to read this thread as I was wondering the same thing. We have a middle-aged Old English (hence the avatar) who did fine in Florida, but we had a/c there. Will have to look into a fan for her at the very least or I'm afraid she'll be miserable this summer
Oooh, Meloncollie, so many great ideas !
I'll have to remember to pack washcloths with me if we go on long walks/hikes. Love the tuna-cubes idea too
and thanks for the warning about water fountains and such. Why are some people so evil !
we practice similar methods as meloncollie described, but beside that our girl also has a cooling vest .
This vest is always in my backpack, together with a 2l bottle of water (for drinking purposes and also for soak up the vest).
We don't walk her during the day (only early in the morning and late in the evening as she is a double coated girl), but when we go for a daily trip up in the mountains, then she wears this vest.
I brought my Labrador with me from West Oz. He has been exposed to weeks of over 40c. Access to fresh water and a place in the shade is the only thing they need. Never leave them in a car. If you have a garden let them dig a hole under a bush. If you are in an apartment then tilt the window open. A healthy dog is more resilient than its owner and a tongue hanging way out, panting and a bit of lethargy is their way of regulating their temperature.
I was worried about him in the cold weather when he first arrived (+36 to -2 in 18 hours in Dec 2007) but his fur thickened real quick and he loves to sleep outside in the snow. I am not concerned about the summer here because it doesn't really get hot.
Fresh water and shade are the essentials.
I try to keep the house cool by having the windows open during the night and closing them when it starts to warm up. Also, I close the rollladen on the sunny side of the house. Like this temperature never gets over 25 C in the house.
During a heat period I also walk the dog first thing in the morning when the kids have left for school and I chose walks through a forest or to a pond where he can swim.
That's it.
Your solution is right here.
These are all great ideas. We have a golden retriever and two week ago I had him shaved. I'll admit that he looks a bit goofy. It reminds me of when he was a puppy. We now call him Santa's Little Helper. Not only does it keep him cooler, but it's also easier to spot the ticks and keeps the house cleaner too. I'm going to get him shaved again at the end of the school year to prepare for the summer heat.
I normally keep the rollladen down during the day and take him for walks through the forest early in the morning and again in the evening. I hadn't thought about people poisoning the water. Normally my dog goes for a swim in a trough at the corner at the end of our runs/ walks.
I also like the idea of tuna pops- must try that. But have to warn the family- lemonade with tuna ice cubes doesn't sound very refreshing.
I dont have a pet and the hassle of having to look after one is the primary reason.
However if you have a kellar room that is part of you home like we do then it would be a perfect room even on a hot day with no fan or air cond required as the room below ground will alwaysw stay a pleasant temp
I am clearly not getting something. Either I am really spoiled (don't even deny it) living in thick-walled, well-built home that doesn't heat up like a cardboard box in the sun or I am missing something. This is Switzerland. It gets really hot on like seven days a year... if we're lucky and get a nice summer