How to keep your Frenchie cool.
With their cute faces and adorable personalities, Frenchies are just irresistible.
However, these wonderful dogs are also prone to overheating, especially during hot seasons.
So, how do you keep your pup cool?
Come with us as we tell you how to keep your Frenchie cool in the hot summer weather.
Let’s get started.
Are dogs okay in hot weather?
Dogs are prone to overheating quickly in hot weather, putting them at risk of developing heatstroke. This condition can turn fatal in as few as 15 minutes. It’s thus critical to take steps to keep your dog at all times.
Why French Bulldogs Are Prone to Overheating
Frenchies are prone to overheating due to their facial structure. French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic dog breed. Shortened skulls mark brachycephalic dogs and snouts that give their faces and noses a flat, pushed-in appearance. This flat face structure results in narrow and constricted nasal passages making the dogs prone to brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome (BOAS).
This unique head structure makes brachycephalic dogs like Frenchies unable to regulate their body temperatures during hot and humid weather. This means they struggle to pant enough to cool off and easily overheat.
This genetic setup makes Frenchies have a hard time keeping cool during hot weather, putting them at risk of overheating. This results from their smaller-than-average airways becoming swollen and causing breathing difficulties.
Further reading: Fascinating Things You NEED To Know BEFORE Owning A French Bulldog
Signs of Heatstroke
When a dog gets too hot and cannot regulate its body temperature by panting, it may develop heatstroke. This is a fatal condition that can kill your Frenchie in no time. Heatstroke, or hyperthermia, is defined as a body temperature above or equal to 104F.
The following are some of the signs that can indicate heatstroke in dogs:
- Excessive panting and difficulty breathing
- Lack of coordination, drowsiness, and lethargy
- Loss of consciousness
- Vomiting or bloody diarrhea
- Seizures
- Collapsing
- Excessive drooling
- Rapid heart rate
- Confusion
- Bright red or pale gums
- Glazed eyes
- Fever
- Vomiting
10 Ways to Cool Down Your Frenchie to Stop Overheating
Avoid walking or exercising in hot temperatures:
The first and most basic way to cool your Frenchie and avoid overheating is by avoiding the heat in the first place. Reschedule your dog’s walks and playtime to early morning or late evening when it’s cool. This will protect your Frenchie’s paws and make walking more comfortable. Stay indoors as much as possible during the hottest hours of the day to avoid the heat. While walking your dog, opt for routes with lots of shade.
Provide plenty of drinking water:
It’s very easy for your dog to get dehydrated during hot seasons. Thus you should encourage your Frenchie to drink lots of water to remain hydrated. Ensure you have plenty of fresh and clean drinking water at home, in the garden, yard, or on walks.
Consider investing in a travel water bowl or portable water bottle to ensure your dog has something to drink while you are out and about with it.
Provide lots of shade for your dog:
Dogs will always look for a shady area to rest. Always ensure your Frenchie has access to shade, whether you are in the garden or on a beach holiday. If your dog loves playing in the garden or yard, ensure it has enough shaded areas to relax away from the hot sun. If available, you can use the natural shade from trees or create your own using portable sunshades, pop-up canopies, or patio umbrellas. Cooling or shaded dog beds are also great options for creating shade for your dog.
Never leave your Frenchie in a parked car:
Temperatures inside a car can rise to dangerously high levels in summer and cooler days. This can be fatal for your Frenchie as it can quickly lead to heatstroke. Even a car parked under a shade with windows can lead to anxiety and even possible death. Ensure you avoid leaving your dog unattended in a parked car or enclosed location.
Avoid traveling with your dog in a car on hot days if possible. However, if you must travel, cover the windows with shade cloths to prevent direct sunlight from shining through them while traveling. You should also turn on the air conditioning and allow your car to cool before boarding your dog.
Circulate cool air:
Keep your home cool by keeping the windows open, turning on a box fan, or using air conditioning. This will give your Frenchie a refreshing place to relax during warm days. Keep the curtains or blinds drawn to minimize the heat from the windows. Keep indoor doors open to allow airflow more easily.
Prevent sunburn:
Just like humans, dogs are susceptible to sunburn if not properly protected. This is particularly serious for dogs with short or white hair, pink ears, and noses. Exposing your Frenchie to hot weather can lead to painful blisters, sores, or even skin cancer.
To prevent sunburn, keep your Frenchie out of the sun during the hottest part of the day and apply dog-friendly sun cream to sensitive areas.
Use a cooling mat or damp towels:
Dogs are known to cool themselves down from the bottom. When there is too much heat, providing damp towels on the floor for your dog to lie on is a good way to keep it cool in the heat. This will ensure that its paws and stomach don’t get too hot.
You can make a portable cooling mat anywhere in your home or garden by running a towel under a cold water faucet and squeezing off the extra water.
Avoid hot surfaces:
Surfaces that heat up in the sun can hurt your dog’s paws. Dog foot pads are sensitive to heat and can get easily burned, resulting in excruciating pain for your dog. It’s thus crucial to avoid walking on very hot surfaces such as sand, tarmac, concrete, or other high-temperature surfaces.
To check if the surface is too hot, you can place your hand or leg on it. If it feels too hot for you, your dog will not be able to tolerate it either. Opt for grassy or shaded areas and get summer shoes for your dog.
Brush your dog’s hair regularly:
It’s important to groom your dog in the summer regularly. Regular brushing will help your Frenchie to regulate its temperature and keep its coat clean. It will also help to remove loose hairs and keep them free from matting and knots, thus allowing for proper airflow through its skin.
However, do not shave your dog’s fur, as it can make it susceptible to sunburns. If you don’t brush your dog’s hair often, it may matt or form knots that trap a lot of heat.
Get your Frenchie wet:
Letting your dog play in the water is a fun way of keeping them cool during summer. You can create a sprinkler or a little paddling pool and let your Frenchie dip its paws to refresh it while playing. Never allow your dog to swim alone; watch it while playing in the water.
Bonus: Invest in cooling gear
Consider getting cooling gear such as cooling vests, shirts, or bandanas. These are filled with a special cooling gel designed to keep your dog’s body cool for some time. Cooling gears must be doused in cold water before being worn by your dog. This helps lower its body temperature and produce a cooling effect. To make it extra cold, you can also freeze the gears. Cooling vests are an excellent option when walking your Frenchie in summer.
Products that Can Cool Down a French Bulldog
The following are some products that you can buy and use to cool down your French Bulldog:
- Cooling gel mat: If you don’t have a cold-tiled floor in your home, a cooling mat provides an excellent way of cooling your Frenchie. The mat is made of a material with some gel inside. Some cooling gel mats contain a pressure-activated substance that absorbs heat from the dog’s body, keeping it cool. The gel is designed to recharge and chill when the dog leaves the pad.
- French Bulldog cool coat: A cooling dog coat is a fantastic way to relieve your Frenchie from the summer heat. The coat is a soft, thick material designed to hold water without wetting your dog. All you need to do is drench the coat in water, squeeze the excess water, and fit it into your dog. The fiber will absorb the heat from your Frenchie’s body, thus reducing its body temperature and helping it to cool down.
- French Bulldog cooling collars: Cooling collars work on the principle of evaporation as sweating or panting. They include a special layer of fabric that holds water and allows it to evaporate slowly. As the water evaporates, it takes your Frenchie’s body heat, thus cooling the dog from the inside out. Remember to always supervise your dog while on a collar. These products are also not for continuous use but only to help your dog cool down occasionally.
How to Prevent French Bulldog Overheating
Overheating is a serious condition for dogs and especially brachycephalic breeds like Frenchies. Taking all necessary precautions to keep your dog from overheating is important. This is how to prevent Frenchies from overheating:
Avoid leaving your Frenchie alone in parked vehicles.
Leaving your French Bulldog in a parked vehicle is very dangerous, even in temperatures that don’t seem high. This is because the temperature inside a car rises to very high levels quickly, putting your dog at risk of heat stroke. To be on the safe side, never leave your Frenchie inside a vehicle, even if it’s packed under a shade with windows open, as this can become distressing or even fatal for your dog.
Avoid going on car journeys with your dog during hot weather.
It’s best to avoid traveling with your Frenchie in a car on summer days to avoid putting it at risk of overheating, which can lead to heatstroke. When it’s hot, the windows will raise the temperature inside the car much higher than the outside temperature. Even if you keep all the windows open while driving, your dog will still pant and breathe heavily in summer.
Exercise your dog only in cool temperatures.
During hot days, ensure you exercise your Frenchie early or late evening when it’s cooler to avoid overheating. Consider limiting your dog’s exercise when it’s hot and remain indoors during the sunny hours of the day.
Avoid walking your dog on hot pavement.
If the pavement feels too hot or uncomfortable for your barefoot, be sure your dog will not be able to tolerate it either. Letting your dog walk on pavements on a hot day will lead to burning its paws. Since the Frenchie is close to the ground, the heat from the concrete or pavement can quickly overheat it. Ensure your dog does not sit, walk, stand, or rest on hot surfaces.
How do you take care of a French bulldog in the summer?
Ensure you keep your dog out of the heat by staying indoors during the hottest part of the day, exercising early morning or late evening, and providing a shaded place to rest. You should also keep your dog hydrated by always providing fresh drinking water.
How can I reduce my dog’s heat in summer?
In summer, you can use cooling gear like vests, collars, coats, or cooling mats to reduce your dog’s heat. Additionally, you can provide a damp towel for your dog to lie on or let it play with water to cool off.
How to keep your Frenchie cool in summer without AC?
You can keep your dog cool in summer without air conditioning by turning all your window binds down, turning on your fans, using cooling mats, or sprinkling cold water on your dog’s body.
What is the fastest way to cool down a dog?
To quickly cool down an overheated dog, you can give it ice cubes, cold treats, or electrolytes such as bicarbonate of soda and glucose. You can also place soaked towels over its body and encourage it to drink lots of water.
How do dogs naturally cool down?
Dogs naturally cool down by panting. Since they sweat through their paw pads and not through the skin, panting allows dogs to circulate the necessary air through their bodies to cool off.
Can dogs overheat in a house without AC?
Yes, dogs can overheat in a house without AC when the weather is extremely hot. However, you can avoid this by allowing cool air to circulate in the house and keep your dog cool.
How to keep your Frenchie cool in a hot house?
You can turn on the air conditioning, keep the windows, curtains, and binds open to allow air to circulate in the house and cool your dog. Turning on the fans and providing a cooling mat can keep your dog cool in a hot house.
How do you know if your dog is hot?
You can tell if your dog is hot by observing its behavior. Look out for signs like heavy panting and difficulty breathing, exhaustion, if it sticks its tongue out, or looks for the nearest paddle to lie down in.
What can I use to cool down my dog?
You can cool your dog with a cooling vest, coat, or mat. You can also spread a wet towel on your dog’s body to lower its temperature.
Do French Bulldogs overheat easily?
Yes, French Bulldogs overheat easily due to their flat facial structure and constrained nostrils, making them unable to regulate their body temperatures. Exposing a Frenchie to heat can cause it to overheat easily, which can be fatal.
Final Thoughts
The summer heat is no fun both to you and your dog. Extreme heat can be particularly fatal to a French Bulldog as it’s unable to regulate its body temperature. This means that it can quickly overheat and develop heat stroke. As such, it’s crucial to keep your pup cool in hot weather if you want to avoid problems and continue enjoying its company.
Fortunately, there are countless ways you can use to keep your Frenchie cool and still enjoy summer. This guide has given you some tips on how to keep your Frenchie cool and safe. Remember to watch out for any signs of overheating and take the necessary action.