7 ways to keep your pets cool this summer (2024)

We talked to veterinarians and pet sitters across the country to get the answers — and also to compile some useful tips for keeping dogs and cats safe and cool in higher temperatures.

It may sound obvious, but it does require planning ahead. If you know the day is going to be brutal, you should take your dog on her walk either early or late in the day, says Amy Sparrow, owner of Furkid Sitting and Services in Baton Rouge and president of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.

If even the mornings and evenings are hot, you should cut down on the walks altogether, she says. “They don’t need to walk walk [at those temperatures]. Let them sniff, let them mosey,” Sparrow says, noting that sniffing is mentally engaging for dogs and can tire them out just as well as exercise. You can also tucker out an active dog by playing games inside: hiding treats, for example, or hiding toys around the house.

So how hot is too hot to be walking or exercising outdoors? Like many things, the answer is, “It depends.”

You can start reaching a danger zone at “80, 85, 90 degrees depending on humidity, wind and ventilation, and sun exposure,” says Byron de la Navarre, a veterinarian with 34 years of experience who works at Animal House of Chicago. “85 in the shade is different than 85 in the sun.”

Also important to note: If you have a brachycephalic, or “smushed-face” breed like a French bulldog or a boxer, they should never be outside for long in high temperatures. These dogs have a more difficult time cooling down by panting and are at higher risk of overheating.

Seriously, don’t.

“Cars get hot very very quickly. Having a dog or a cat in a car is not an option in the summer,” says Brian Collins, a veterinarian with the Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center in New York.

The typically dark seats in a car and the lack of ventilation can create dangerous conditions for your pets even if it’s not extremely hot outside, and air conditioning doesn’t always adequately reach the back of the vehicle, where many people put their pets, notes de la Navarre.

If you have to bring your pet into the car on a very hot day for a vet appointment or something else, it’s best to cool the car down with air conditioning first, de la Navarre says. There are air conditioning extenders you can purchase to bring the airflow into the back of the car, and there are also fans you can attach to pet carriers to keep pets cool.

If you want to let your dog romp around outside on a sunny day, you can encourage him to stay cool without ruining the fun.

Foldable dog pools are great for pups who like to wade around in the water, says Tiffany Jackson, a registered veterinary technician and the owner of Ally 4 Pets, a pet sitting service in Maryland. “The other thing you can do with the pools is you can use them to give your pets frozen treats so it’s contained in something easily cleanable,” Jackson says, noting that she likes to do this on her deck or even inside her house.

Jackson also suggests creating frozen treats inside a Kong — you can find hundreds of recipes online to freeze inside the dog toy, and “it will mentally stimulate your dog for 30 minutes” or so. You can also use ice trays or any other mold to make your pet a pup-friendly ice pop.

If your dog doesn’t like being completely wet, you might try a splash pad for hot days instead of a pool. (Splash pads, which spray streams of water for your pet to run through, are like “a sprinkler for dogs,” Jackson says.)

Healthy dogs and cats in their normal environment will generally drink enough water, says Collins (so don’t worry too much about your indoor cats). But when your dog is frolicking at the beach or wrestling at the dog park you may have to watch her water intake — especially since dogs can become too excited and distracted to remember to hydrate. In these situations, it’s helpful to know how much water your pet typically drinks, so you’ll recognize if they’re not drinking enough.

To err on the safe side, encourage your pet to take breaks and bring the water straight to them. You should make sure that you’re always carrying cool water in an insulated container if you take your dog somewhere on a hot day — if the water is not cool, it won’t cool the animal down sufficiently.

Collins notes that you shouldn’t push your pet to consume more water than they seem to want, because dogs can actually drink too much and develop water toxicity.

Other than brachycephalic dogs, older dogs, younger dogs, dogs with a lot of fur and dark-colored dogs (especially black ones) are more susceptible to heat exhaustion, Collins says.

You should also know the side effects of all your pet’s medications, as some of them increase heat sensitivity. Dogs with diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease can also overheat more easily, Sparrow says.

The first sign that your dog is overheating is an excessive amount of panting, multiple vets say. You can only really determine what’s “excessive” by knowing what’s normal for your dog, Collins says.

“It’s important to know when too much panting is happening,” he says. “If people start to suspect their dog is panting more than usual, they probably are, and it’s time to determine whether you should be concerned.”

You may also notice that your dog slows or stops activity, seeks shade or seems very tired.

Cats are generally better than dogs at regulating and tolerating heat, not least because they simply tend to move around less, especially when it’s hot. But that doesn’t mean they never overheat. If you ever see a cat open-mouth panting, that’s a sign the cat is in significant distress and needs veterinary care right away, multiple vets say.

If you notice unusual behavior in your pet, you should immediately get them to settle down from activity and bring them indoors into air conditioning or in front of a fan where it’s cool, Collins says. You should give them cool water, and you can also spray them down to help cool them off (be aware that garden hoses can get very hot in the sun, so test the water before you spray it).

Collins says it’s not necessarily ideal to cover your dog in a wet towel or blanket, because sometimes that towel or blanket can actually trap heat. He also does not recommend immersing dogs in cold water, because you can accidentally make a stressed out pet hypothermic that way.

You can use an infrared thermometer on pets to take their temperature quickly, de la Navarre says. If a dog or cat’s temperature is above 103, you should be concerned and begin taking measures to cool them down.

Various online sources recommend that pet owners put alcohol on their animals’ feet — the quick evaporation of the substance cools them down because dogs and cats sweat through their paws. But de la Navarre says it’s safest to leave that trick to the vets, because they can make sure the animal doesn’t lick the alcohol off their paws.

If your dog or cat begins showing more concerning signs of heat exhaustion, like weakness, wobbliness or seizures, you should get your pet to an emergency vet immediately.

Natalie Delgadillo is a reporter and editor living in Washington.