During this extremely hot summer, I've witnessed serveral dogs with heat exhaustion, which could have easily been easily avoided. Just like humans, our pets need protection from extreme temperatures.
One of the problems you might not realize is that dogs don't sweat to help them cool off, they pant which is is an extremely inefficient way to cool off. Plus, dogs cool from the bottom up, meaning paws and belly.
The best way to avoid your pet getting heat exhaustion is to limit the amount of time they are outside and walk them during the coolest hours of the day only, early morning and late night. Plus, make sure they have plenty of cool water and a nice cool spot to lounge in all day. If you don't have air conditioning, you might want to investigate a cooling pad that they can lay on. I've seen some varieties that use water and some that just need to be put in the refrigerator to regenerate.
One more thing, please, please, please never leave your dogs in your car. Even if you crack the window, in less than five minutes your car turns into an oven and literally can cook your dog to death. Cars heat up 30 degrees more than the outside temperature. If your dog will have to stay in the car, it is a better idea to leave him at home if the temperature is above 50 degrees.
