cocker spaniels affected by the heat

[Skully1]

Hi does anyone else have a spaniel thats affected by the heat? I have 2 spaniels, 1,11 month and 1, 14 weeks and both of them get diarhoea as soon as the weather turns hot, then as the evening comes and it gets cooler they are back to normal so I know its not their food as they are ok usually. They have plenty of water, not allowed to run around in the heat, they are kept in the shade as much as possible and walked 1st thing in the morning and in the evening when cooler but still they get diarhoea usually late afternoon. Any suggestions gratefully received please.

[JaspersMum]

My black was certainly affected by the heat last night and had a real dodgy tummy too.  I am definately going to have to get him a coat of some sort to keep him cool.  There was a thread about coats that you soak with water  on here recently. 

[Sarah1985]

Someone once told me that groomed/short haired dogs dont cope as well as long haired dogs as the sun is more likely to reach and therefore have affects on their skin. Anyone know how true this is? Im still pondering whether to get my working cocker groomed and this put me off doing it abit. Neither my two are particularly bothered at  the min and I tend to walk them at 4pm - ish so I dont even have to wait till things have cooled down.

[Sarah.H]

Someone once told me that groomed/short haired dogs dont cope as well as long haired dogs as the sun is more likely to reach and therefore have affects on their skin. Anyone know how true this is? Im still pondering whether to get my working cocker groomed and this put me off doing it abit. Neither my two are particularly bothered at  the min and I tend to walk them at 4pm - ish so I dont even have to wait till things have cooled down.

Millie definitely gets hotter when she's due clipping but her coat is really thick. There are coats that you can keep wet (think they're called cool coats?), someone I work with has one for her dog and said it works really well. 

[Mrs B]

Hi there. 
I am SO glad that someone has posted something like this on here.  We have got a nearly 8 month jet black short haired Cocker bitch called Cinders who absolutely loves to lie in the sun (24/7 if she can).  I have noticed over the past few days (well while the weather has been really really hot) that her number 2 deposits haven't been as firm as usual (quite the opposite!).  At first I thought she had eaten something that hadn't agreed with her, so I put her on diet of boiled rice and tuna which seemed to work (weather cooled down abit also).  Now very hot weather is back and she is worse than ever (especially this morning).  But other than dodgy tummy she is her normal adorable, hyper, playful self with no loss of appetite whatsoever!  Hubby and I have been racking our brains trying to work out what it could be - so I have put her back on diet of tuna and rice until things firm up abit.  I had wondered if I was guilty of giving her fresh water that was too cold and giving her a chill on her stomach (something I suffered from when I was alot younger), or if her treat box had been kept too close to the boiler in the utility room and so treats were sweating in the box (I have moved these this morning just in case) .... hubby says we are now grasping at straws and that as she is not showing any other signs of being off it is the weather that is affecting her.  She gets left for just a few hours a day in her crate - since the warm weather we have taken to moving this into the living room as this is the coolest room in the house (especially in the afternoon).  I have even left curtains closed in there today too for her.

Any suggestions on how to keep her cool would be gratefully received (she has got her own paddling pool which we fill with fresh water for her to play in when we are not working).

Thanks!

Mrs B & Cinders xxx

[fifer]

It's their internal temperature (ie not surface temperature) that's the problem (like dogs overheating in cars) so plenty of cold water/ice/frozen Kongs/cool shade (even keeping them indoors if necessary) is the order of the day. 

Cut back on food and exercise when it's hot, walk only in the cooler parts of the day ie before 7am and after 7pm, likewise feeding times.

I've even been known to put 6 inches of cold water in the bath for them if no other source is available! 

[Saffaroo]

We walk our two early morning before sun up and around 7 ish in the evening; that is their summer routine.  They get frozen yogurt kongs and I make food a bit wetter than usual.  We never exercise our dogs in the sun - anyhow, they'd not be up for it; in the real heat we soak towels and have them lie on those and cut the exercise right back.  Otherwise they are happy to plod around inside during the day seeking the coolest areas.  My black is a locally bred spaniel (Malta) and she handles the heat better than my english bred blue roan, who does get a bit restless.  I don't clip their bodies very close in the summer, but I do try to ensure their coats are thinned out and paws/underarms/ears/face are nice and short.  Agree with fifer, we also cut back quite a bit on food they are happier with an extra treat or chew (till they get tired that is   if necessary I would keep them inside or at least in the shade..

[Sheryl]

Mine live on ice cubes and frozen yoghurt lollies.

[leisl]

wouldn't be with out them!

http://www.keepcool.org.uk/Home.htm

[supergirl]

Have read on another thread (or forum) that as the dogs are drinking more water it will have an effect on their poos.  Think it also depends on the dogs as well - Misha and Lexi, no change still like bullets, yet Roly and Ellie have been a little softer. 

wouldn't be with out them!

http://www.keepcool.org.uk/Home.htm

Am planning on investing in some of these, noticed a few dogs at agility using them and it really made a difference.

[Jeanette]

wouldn't be with out them!

http://www.keepcool.org.uk/Home.htm

What a brilliant item to have - what size did you get for a cocker spaniel?   

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Someone once told me that groomed/short haired dogs dont cope as well as long haired dogs as the sun is more likely to reach and therefore have affects on their skin. Anyone know how true this is? Im still pondering whether to get my working cocker groomed and this put me off doing it abit. Neither my two are particularly bothered at  the min and I tend to walk them at 4pm - ish so I dont even have to wait till things have cooled down.

In my experience, no. My Weim (very short hair obviously!) fairs much better in hot weather than Dave (dark blue show type cocker) he is better when he's clipped without doubt so I don't think what you're been told is true. The Weim's coat colour reflects the heat too - whereas poor Dave just sucks heat up like a sponge... but that's a different issue

[JeffandAnnie]

Someone once told me that groomed/short haired dogs dont cope as well as long haired dogs as the sun is more likely to reach and therefore have affects on their skin.

There is a nugget of truth here. We used to have rough collies, and they have a double coat which apparently acts to trap cooler air in summer and warmer air in winter, so they are actually much better off being left natural in Summer than clipped. However, cockers don't have a double coat so presumably this won't apply.

[JaspersMum]

Just bought 2 of the Countrymum towel coats for Charlie and Heidi when at shows.  Only light weight.  Will test them at the weekend if still hot.
http://www.countrymun.com/the-wet-wrap-dog-coat.html

[Sarah1985]

There is a nugget of truth here. We used to have rough collies, and they have a double coat which apparently acts to trap cooler air in summer and warmer air in winter, so they are actually much better off being left natural in Summer than clipped. However, cockers don't have a double coat so presumably this won't apply.

Yep that was the description I was given for why. We were talking about it in relation to getting a cocker chipped for the summer.

Im no groomer or cocker expert but my cocker has a definate variation between his top coat and his under coat. The top coat is thicker and quite waterproof, while the undercoart is much fluffyer. Isnt this a double coat? Or is it more of a difference in rough collies?

My oldest dog is black and much harier than my youngest but deals much better with the heat, espeically since his adult coat came through.