Beverly Hills Veterinary Associates’
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In the middle of the dog days of summer, when the hot, humid temperatures linger, it feels hot no matter where you go. It can even be hard to maintain the cool inside the home, particularly when the humidity rises or when the air conditioning isn’t working properly (or in an outage). Your pet may feel the misery, too, without some preventive measures to keep them from becoming hot.

Beverly Hills Veterinary Associates knows the struggle of the hot, hot summer, so we want to provide some tips on keeping your pet cool indoors. Let’s take a closer look!

We all know that wearing sunscreen protects us from sunburn, skin cancer, sunspots, and more. But because our pets are covered in fur, many of us assume that they do not need sun protection. In fact, they do!

This time of year heralds plenty of outdoor fun, which includes spending time in the backyard, poolside, hiking, and other outdoor spots. The team at Beverly Hills Veterinary Associates is here to answer the question, “Does my dog need sunscreen?” 

Why Does a Dog Need Sunscreen?

Most pets require protection from the sun. Even heavy coated breeds need to be shaded from the UV and hot times of day.

Most of us probably don’t think about our pets sweating. After all, how would we know with all that fur? Pets don’t have any of the tell tale signs of sweat, and they don’t have a body odor. But how do our pets keep cool? Do pets sweat? 

Keep reading to find out how our pets’ bodies are designed to keep cool in hot weather.

Do Pets Sweat?

The human skin is covered with sweat glands that allow our bodies to perspire and release heat from the body. Pet skin is covered with fur, and animals don’t have nearly as many sweat glands as we do. They do have some, however, which are mainly located on the surface of their paw pads. You may notice sweaty footprints on your patio in hot weather – evidence that pets do sweat.