Crazy Dog Videos

Dogs do not sweat the way we humans do. To deal with the heat, humans make use of a very important method – sweating. By sweating, excess heat is released from the body when the moisture on the surface of the skin evaporates. Our furry friends cannot manage excess body heat this way. It is widely believed that dogs don’t sweat. There is an assumption that because of the fur it would not be possible for the dog to sweat. It is highly possible that even people that have had dogs for years have not seen one sweating. Dogs have sweat glands but they are very few and mostly found on the paw pads. Contrary to the belief, dogs do sweat. During hot days the floor will be marked by the dog’s paws dampened with sweat.

What methods does a dog have to combat the heat? Dogs bark and dogs pant. Panting is a dog’s effective technique of coping with the heat and ensuring that cooler blood will be circulated to all parts of the body and to prevent the brain, the most heat sensitive part from being affected by excessive heat. Not much energy is needed by a dog to pant. The dog would simply hang out the tongue and the excess body heat will be chased away. A dog’s tongue is one important tool in regulating body temperature.

Because of the location of the very few sweat glands, a dog cannot cool the body if it is running on hot pavement. In this case, regulating body temperature will be achieved by the tongue. The evaporation of moisture on the surface of the tongue is enhanced when the dog lolls the tongue. Air that cools the mouth and the blood vessels on the head is created when the dog pants. Once blood is cooled by the dog’s panting the normal level of body temperature will be attained.

Dog panting can have other causes. Dogs commonly pant when the weather is hot. Stress, excitement and strenuous activities would make a dog pant. The physical structures of short faced dogs requires them to pant excessively. Seizures, heart and lung diseases are other reasons why a dog would pant.

As mentioned, panting is normal in dogs but a pet parent has to be vigilant. Heavy panting can be a manifestation of heatstroke. Dogs find it hard to manage heat. Cars and other confined spaces will be dangerous to a dog especially on hot weather. Heatstroke is a common killer of dogs.