Hot Dog! Keeping Pets Cool When The Air Conditioning Goes Out

Your pets have a standard temperature, just like your human family has a standard temperature. When external temperatures deviate and your pets overheat, they can get sick or even suffer heat stroke. If not in a temperature regulated area, your pets can die of heat exhaustion or heat stroke just like a human being. If your AC has gone out, here are some tips on keeping your four-legged family cool while you look into air conditioning repair or air conditioning installation.

Wipe downs and ice packs

After the ac breaks down, you need to immediately start looking for the signs of overheating. If the dog is walking slower than usual, is panting, or otherwise acting lethargic, they are overheating. One quick way to cool a dog down is to wipe down the puppy. Take a rag, run it under cold water, and wipe down the dog's skin. Make sure to wipe off the stomach, legs, and pads of the feet to cool the dog down. If you have ice packs, lay these on the dog's bed so that they can sit on the packs to cool and rest. If you don't have ice packs, fill ice cups in a plastic bag for the same effect.

Change water often

During the summer, especially when it is hot inside or the water bowl is nearby sunlight, the water will heat up. Hot water will not help to cool down your dog, so it is important to change it out often. Check the water every few hours, and when you change it, add a few ice cubes inside of the bowl to keep the water cool. While your animals are spending time outside, you should have several large water bowls ready for them to drink from. A cool treat, such as a frozen peanut butter pop should be offered to help keep your pup cool.

Look into AC pup rooms

Along with getting your air conditioning fixed and setting at a comfortable temperature of around 78 degrees, you can also invest in an air-conditioned dog house. This will allow the dog to spend the necessary time outside and have an area to cool down when they are getting too hot. You can create one with raw materials or purchase a pre-made dog house with AC. This will allow your pet, who has less temperature regulation than people, to remain cool even if the house air goes out for a little while. You can do this as a DIY, or you can contact a professional HVAC contractor, like those at Long Beach Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.

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