Do Dogs Sweat?

While you probably haven’t seen your pup drenched in sweat after a long walk like you can be, you may have still asked yourself the question: Do dogs sweat?

Since the summer is approaching, it’s important to have a better understanding of how dogs cool off, and what to look for if your dog is overheating.

We reached out to Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a veterinarian at Animal Medical Center in New York City to find out more about whether or not dogs sweat.

According to Dr. Hoenhaus, no, dogs definitely don’t sweat like people.

While people have various sweat glands all around their bodies to help them cool off, dogs don’t have glands in the same areas.

And it makes sense because people are cooled down when their sweat evaporates. And because dogs have fur, it’s nearly impossible for sweat coming off of their bodies to evaporate in the same way.

Dogs do, however, have a type of sweat gland — called merocrine glands — located in their paw pads. And while those glands are activated when your dog gets hot, it isn’t the main way your dog’s body helps cool her down.

“Dogs pant to cool off,” Dr. Hohenhaus said.

In a process called thermoregulation, your dog’s body cools off best through the adorable art of panting.

When your dog pants, that’s when that important evaporation process happens — evaporating moisture from her tongue, nasal passages and throat.

So if your dog starts to pant in your 90-degree apartment this summer, it’s probably a good sign to turn on the air conditioner.

Unfortunately for dogs, the way they cool off isn’t as effective as the way people do, so they’re more prone to getting overheated — or even experiencing heat stroke — than people are.

To help make sure your dog stays cool, Dr. Hohenhaus suggests these preventative measures:

Dr. Hohenhaus recommends only exercising your pup early or late in the day to ensure that it’s the safest temperature out. “Heatstroke occurs most often in the afternoon,” Dr. Hohenhaus said.

Even with the windows cracked, NEVER leave your dog in a car, as it can become fatal in a matter of minutes. “In one study, a hot car was the number one cause of heatstroke,” Dr. Hohenhaus said.

Consider choosing a water bowl designed to keep water cool, or add ice cubes to the bowl.

Like this Freezable Dog Bowl from Amazon for $20

Dr. Hohenhaus suggests using either an umbrella or another covered kennel or cot outside to make sure your dog has access to shade whenever she feels too hot.

Like this Floppy Dawg bed from Amazon for $55

You can also try out a cooling jacket or mat.

Like this Dog Cooling Vest from Amazon for $23

Or this Arf Dog Self Cooling Mat from Amazon for $60

By making sure your dog has plenty of ways to cool off, coupled with her own body's abilities, she should be perfectly safe all summer long.

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