As the weather warms up, you need to think about how to prevent your French bulldog from overheating. Overweighted dogs and certain breeds such as French bulldogs and English bulldogs are more likely to suffer from a heatstroke. Since dogs can’t sweat through their fur, they need the help of their humans to deal with high temperatures during summer. Here are 10 tips to prevent heatstroke in your French bulldog.
What are the signs of heatstroke in French bulldogs?
Thanks to their brachycephalic skulls, Frenchies can’t cool the air they’ve inhaled. As you probably know, dogs can sweat through their paw pads. However, they are not enough to release all the excess heat that dogs keep in their bodies. Here are the signs you need to notice when your dog starts to deal with heat exhaustion.
- lethargy
- appetite loss
- energy loss
- drooling, panting
- dizziness, loss of coordination
- dry and dark red gums
- dry nose (in certain situations)
- loss of conscious
How to prevent heatstroke in your Frenchie?
One of the most important things when owning a dog is your 6th sense to feel certain changes in your Frenchie’s behavior. Indeed, our four-legged friends are not able to tell us what to bothers them, however, they will express that through their body language.
1- Hydration
Hydration presents one of the most important tasks of your furry friend’s life. During summer, your Frenchie needs to have free access to clean and freshwater during a day. Note that heatstroke is an emergency so you need to react quickly. I recommend you not to force your dog to drink because his airways can cause any liquid he drinks to be regurgitated. Removing your dog’s water bowl in the evening is also advisable to escape night potties.
2- Don’t go out during the hottest part of the day
The best part of the day to take your Frenchie outside is early in the morning and late in the evening. The temperatures higher than 25-27 Celsius degrees can lead to excessive panting, so you’d better escape it on time.
3- Buy your Frenchie a self-cooling pad
If you were curious to find out whether your French bulldog needs a self-cooling pad, the answer is YES! Cooling pads can help your pooch to deal with heatstroke in only a few minutes. It’s because they are filled with a sort of gel which works best when put out of sunlight. Here you can find one of the best-selling cooling pads in our Frenchie World online store!
3- Leave your Frenchie at home
In case you need to finish a few errands during the hottest part of the day, I highly advise you to leave your dog at home. These lovely batpigs indeed love to follow us around, however, taking them outside in hot temperatures can become a life-threating condition. Giving him different interactive toys to play with will keep your doggie entertained for a while, so you don’t have to worry.
In cases when a French bulldog suffers from a separation anxiety disorder, it would be great to leave him at a doggy daycare center or your friend’s house. The last option presents taking your dog with you. In that case, you can use a French bulldog backpack to save him from unnecessary fatigue.
4- Don’t leave a dog inside of the car
Do you know that the car temperature can go double on a hot summer day? Even if you leave an open window, it can’t help a lot! In some states, it’s even illegal to do such a thing.
Different studies have shown that leaving a Frenchie with a cracked window can’t help a lot since the temperature rises at almost the same rate.
5- Frequent baths
Frequent baths are more than recommended during the summer season. Your French bulldog will actually be thankful to provide him with refreshing baths. Frenchie World offers you a practical Dog Washer that can be used in a yard. Playing with water is something that every dog would enjoy.
6- Keep your Frenchie in an air-conditioned room
The best air temperature when spending the time with Frenchie inside of the house should be between 22-24 Celsius degrees. Providing him a safe and cool place during the hotter hours will literally save his life.
7-Place a cold pack on your Frenchie’s neck
Heatstroke is not a joke! That’s why you need to think on time on how to prevent it. Putting cold packs on your dog’s neck will help him deal with the loss of energy and high temperatures. Our French bulldog cooling collar is specially created for the French bulldog breed and consists of 4 gel-packs that can cool off the dog’s body in only a few minutes.
The cooling collar works best if put in a fridge for an hour. It’s easy-adjustable and available in 5 colors.
8-Feed a French bulldog with multiple meals
I advise all French bulldog owners not to feed their pooches with 1 or 2 big meals. During summer, a dog should eat multiple smaller meals so he can unburden a stomach from heavy digestion. That’s the last thing your dog needs on a hot summer day.
Feeding the dog with raw fruits and veggies will also prevent him from obesity. Instead of choosing commercial treats, I recommend giving your Frenchie fresh and cold fruits such as watermelon, bananas, cantaloupe, and blackberries. Your doggie will not only have more energy but will also improve the health of his skin.
9- Buy your Frenchie a cooling vest
One of the best options when taking a dog outside in the summer is to dress him a cooling vest. It will keep him cool for an hour which is more than enough when going for a stroll.
I recommend you to take a look at the following cooling vest that is specially designed for Frenchies. You should soak the vest into the water, shake it for a few times and twist it dry. Since it comes in a special box, you can also leave it in a fridge for a few minutes.
10- Take a life swimming vest if you go swimming
Who doesn’t like to go swimming in the pool or sea in the summer? Swimming can actually present a great training both for you and your Frenchie. However, there is one thing you need to keep in mind.
French bulldogs can’t swim, so you need to always put him a dog swimming vest before he jumps into the water. Some of you would say that your Frenchie knows to swim, right? Well, maybe it’s true, but those furry gremlins make a great effort to keep their snouts above water.
11-Choose soft ground for walking
Walking on asphalt during summer can cause serious paw issues in your Frenchie. Those tiny body part can get burned, become cracked and lead to the inability of walking. That’s why I recommend you to stroll your batpig on soft grounds.