As the weather heats up and we experience extreme weather, GAP would like to remind greyhound owners of the importance of keeping greyhounds cool.

Below are some handy tips for making sure your greyhound is kept comfortable during extreme conditions.

• Stop all exercise;
• Move to a shaded area or into air-conditioning
• Provide plenty of cool, fresh water;
• Provide plenty of ventilation to move evaporated fluid away and to drop the humidity levels
• Gently cool the greyhound – they can lay on wet towels, be wiped down or hosed with cool water.
• If you are using ‘Cooling Coats’ make sure they are cool to tough and there there is a breeze or ventilation as these methods rely on evaporation for their cooling effects too! If they dry out or there is no ventilation they are similar to wearing a blanket or rug.
• Avoid using iced water on the greyhound’s body as this can cause the blood vessels in the skin to contract, and this then slows the cooling process down because the hot blood is no longer coming to the surface where it can lose heat. Iced water can be used on the feet though, and covered ice packs can be placed in between the dog’s thighs and in the ‘arm-pits’. Be careful not to cause cold burns though.

For complete information about greyhounds and the hot weather please carefully read this FACT SHEET