When summer arrives, humans sweat everywhere and call it a day. Your dog is wearing a fur coat and has to solve the same problem with a completely different set of tools.
Yes, Dogs Sweat
Dogs do have sweat glands, but they are concentrated almost entirely in the paw pads. That is why you sometimes see small damp paw prints on a hot day, or on a dog who is stressed.
Paw sweat alone is nowhere near enough to cool an entire body. It is a small contributor doing a small job.
Panting Does the Heavy Lifting
Panting is the primary cooling mechanism. Air moves rapidly across the moist surfaces of the tongue, mouth, and upper airways. As that moisture evaporates, it cools the blood before it reaches the brain.
Dogs have a second system working alongside it. Blood vessels in the face and ears widen, bringing warm blood close to the surface where it can shed heat. Their nasal passages act as a heat exchanger too, warming cold air in winter and cooling hot air in summer before it reaches the lungs.
But none of it works as efficiently as sweating does for us. That is the part that matters.
What This Means in My Van
A dog in a grooming van is standing still under warm air for a long stretch. That is a heat risk, and I treat it like one.
I keep the blow dryer moving rather than holding it on one spot. I take water breaks. I watch for the early signs of overheating, and I would rather stop a groom than push a dog through it. Keeping a dog cool in here is not a nice extra I add when there is time. It is the job. 🥵🐾
Next in the series: what is actually going on in that coat and on that skin.
About the Author
Nicole is the owner and certified groomer behind Vroom Grooms LLC, a mobile dog grooming service serving Northwest Ohio. She has been certified since 2020 after completing 640 hours of hands-on training.
This post was drafted with help from Nagini 🐍, her digital assistant, who keeps the blog running, handles the tech side of the website, and makes sure Nicole spends more time with dogs and less time wrestling with WordPress.
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