Just a few simple actions on your part can help protect your dog from heat exhaustion and heat stroke. First, never leave your dog in the car without the air conditioner running. Even a few minutes in the sun can send the interior temperature of a car (with windows open or closed) soaring to fatal temperatures. If you’re doing errands and know that you’ll be in and out of the vehicle, your safest option is to simply leave the dog at home. However, if you really must leave your dog in the car for even the shortest period of time, leave the air conditioner on.

Second, provide your dog with a shaded, well-ventilated resting area that will remain shaded at all times, regardless of the sun’s position. You may have to move the dog’s shade throughout the day in order to achieve this. Of course, during the most excruciating heat of the day, the ideal place for your dog is an air conditioned structure.

Third, make sure that your dog has unhindered access to cool, clean water. You’ll want to place the water in a shaded area so that it does not heat up as a result of direct sunlight. Change the water often, as stagnant water can harbor bacteria and insects that are harmful to a dog’s digestive system. When traveling, make sure that you have a water dish and fresh water (figure on one gallon per day) on hand at all times. If your dog spends all day outside, provide him with a small, shaded wading pool filled with water. Your dog can cool himself off throughout the day by jumping in and out of it. Make sure, however, that the pool is in the same, consistently shaded area as the drinking water.

Fourth, avoid any situation that would force your dog to stand on a sun-baked surface for any length of time. Such surfaces include truck beds, sidewalks, streets and beach sand. The heat can not only burn your dog’s skin, but can also prevent your dog from efficiently expelling heat from his body. If you must walk your dog in the heat of the day, walk him on a grassy area.

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Many people don’t realize that dogs, just like humans, can be burned by the sun. So what can you do to protect your pooch from those burning rays? Just use the same common sense and know-how that keeps you and your family from burning up in the sun. First, keep your dog in the shade during those times when the sun’s rays are most intense – approximately 10 am to 4 pm. Second, apply a little sun block to your dog’s most exposed areas – the tip of each ear and the nose. While your dog’s lip area is also vulnerable to sunburn, the chance that your dog will ingest any sunscreen applied there is too great. Instead of applying sunscreen to the lip area, just keep a close eye on it and make sure that the area doesn’t get too pink. Third, pay special attention to your dog if he has a lighter colored fur. Just like their pale human counterparts, these dogs are more vulnerable to the burning effects of the sun. If, after a day out in the sun, any portion of your dog’s skin is reddened or blistered, immediately seek a veterinarian’s opinion and care.

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It actually sounds kind of gross, but BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food. Many health conscious veterinarians are huge advocates for this diet which can completely replace commercially prepared dog food. One of the first proponents of the BARF diet was Dr. Ian Billinghurst who still recommends it today. He believes that it is the ultimate way to get our pets in to optimum health. Many people believe that the BARF diet simulates what your dog would eat in his natural environment.

Many people feel that there are a lot of health advantages to feeding a raw food diet. Many owners who have dogs with problems such as allergies, skin problems, weight problems, and anal gland problems have found that the bones and raw food diet has helped to significantly remedy these issues.

Some of the advantages to feeding a biologically appropriate raw food diet include no consumption of preservatives found in most commercially prepared kibble diets, it usually tastes better to your dog than regular dog food, and in general, muscle mass and body condition improve on a raw food diet. One also often finds that dogs produce fewer stools, eat more slowly, and have fewer health problems. Many advocates of the raw food diet also claim that it is less expensive than commercially manufactured dog food. One of the biggest disadvantages to this diet is that it takes longer to prepare.

If you decide that you would like to try the BARF diet with your dog, you must first do the research. There are many websites and books available to guide you through the process. Talk to your veterinarian, though many veterinarians are unfamiliar with the BARF diet. Find people in your area that feed the raw food diet to their animals. Make sure it is right for you and your dog before you try it.

The next step is to transition your dog from his commercial dog food to his new bones and raw food diet. You may want to do this gradually as oftentimes dogs develop digestive problems when switching to new diets. Some advocates of the BARF diet recommend switching your dog to the new diet cold turkey, however.

When feeding a raw food diet, you will generally want to feed your dog twice per day. The first meal of the day will usually consist of raw meat and bones like turkey or chicken legs, thighs, wings, or necks, pork riblets, lamb chops, and the like. The second meal will consist of a mush made with raw meat, fresh vegetables, and Offal (the organs parts of the meat you are feeding). Usually you will want to supplement this with cottage cheese, eggs with the shells, yogurt, fruit, fish, and recreational bones (which are the harder to chew kinds of bones). This can vary, so do your homework. You will want to avoid grains. Advocates of the biologically appropriate raw food diet agree that dogs do not have the proper digestive systems to deal with whole grains and that most food allergies are grain related.

Most advocates of the raw food diet do not recommend supplements. If you aren’t sure what to do, speak with your veterinarian.

Many people are hesitant to feed their dog a raw diet because they are concerned about their dogs choking on bones. While these incidents occur, proponents of raw food diets say they are rare, and that generally, dogs choke on cooked bones, not raw ones.

There are commercially prepared raw food diets on the market. While this is always an option for you if you choose to feed raw food, many advocates of the BARF diet recommend against it. They argue that these foods have different regulations that human grade foods, oftentimes contain unnecessary supplements, are ground foods (and the whole basis of the BARF diet is raw, meaty bones), and are much more expensive than visiting your local butcher.

If you decide that the bones and raw food diet is something that you’d like to try, first talk to your veterinarian about your decision. Then, do as much research into the diet as possible. Talk to others who feed the diet. You may find that by feeding the BARF diet you are improving the health of your dog.

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