Dogs sweat but not like the way we do. Humans very important mechanism to beat the heat is to sweat. By sweating, excess heat is released from the body when the moisture on the surface of the skin evaporates. This is not so with our furry friends. There is a misconception that dogs do not have the capability to produce sweat. It is believed that it is impossible for dogs to sweat through their furs. You may have had dogs for years but it is highly probable that you have not seen one sweating. Dogs have very few sweat glands and these sweat glands are mostly located at the pads on their feet. The notion that dogs cannot sweat is simply untrue. On a very hot day, the wet paw prints of the dog can be seen on the floor.
What do dogs do to cope with the heat? Panting like barking is a dog thing. 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. When the dog lolls the tongue, the cooling system switch will be turned on and excess body heat will be gone. A dog’s tongue is one important tool in regulating body temperature.
The few sweat glands on the dogs paws will be incapable of cooling the body especially if the feet is planted on a hot surface. Regulating body temperature can only be done efficiently through the use of the tongue. When the tongue is lolled, evaporation is facilitated on its surface. While the dog pants, a steady stream of air cools the tongue, the mouth and the blood vessels in the head. The blood made colder by panting is now circulated throughout the dog’s body the dissipating the heat and maintaining the normal body temperature.
Dog panting can have other causes. Hot weather causes dogs to pant excessively. Stress, excitement and strenuous activities would make a dog pant. The physical structures of short faced dogs requires them to pant excessively. Dogs with medical concerns would pant.
As mentioned, panting is normal in dogs but a pet parent has to be vigilant. Panting is one of the symptoms of heatstroke. Dogs find it hard to manage heat. Left inside a car, a dog would pant heavily further heating up the confined space. Heatstroke is a common killer of dogs.
