Dogs don’t sweat as we do. They cool their bodies by panting. Oxygen enters the body through the open mouth, cooling their bodies. The evaporation of moisture on the tongue helps to reduce body temperature.
Dogs can also reduce body temperature by dilating their facial and ear blood vessels. This allows the blood vessels to rise closer to the skin surface and become cooler. Dogs can release moisture through their paw pads if they are feeling too hot and need to cool down.
A cat’s sweat glands are in the tongue and paws. A cat’s paws will secrete moisture just as a dog’s paws do. But the surface of a cat’s paw is small and not sufficient to cool them down.
If you notice your cat licking him/herself often during hot weather, the cat is coating its fur with saliva. As the saliva evaporates, body temperature is lowered.
In hot weather, both cats and dogs will search out the coolest spot. Outdoors will find them under the shade of a tree or lying on cool ground. Indoors, cats and dogs usually spread out on floors that are not covered with carpeting.
There are pet beds available that regulate temperature to keep your pet cool in summer (and warm in winter).
Always have fresh, cool water available for your pets indoors and outdoors.
