Fun Fact Friday! Do Dog's Sweat?
Posted on September 30, 2016 by Michael Moll
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Do Dog’s Sweat?
Have you ever wondered if dog’s sweat? If so, how do dog’s sweat? The answer is tricky! Dog’s don't “sweat” like we do but they release heat. Dog’s lack the normal sweat glands that humans have. Dogs have a few interesting ways of cooling down.
- They primarily release heat through panting. Panting works by allowing heat from the inner chest (the hottest part of the body) escape through moisture made the mucous membranes of the mouth, tongue, and throat. As a dog breaths out the moist air, evaporation occurs and cools down the dog.
- They secondarily release heat through a process called vasodilation. Vasodilation is a fancy term for dilating the blood vessels. It helps to bring the hot blood to the surface of the skin which allows blood to cool down before taking a trip back to the heart.
- The third way they release heat is through the small sweat glands in their paw pads (this is not a reliable source as they release a very minimal amount of heat this way).
It is important to know how to recognize the signs of overheating. Excessive panting, bright or dark red colored gums, flushed skin, warm to the touch, vomiting, increased drooling, glazed eyes, weakness, and collapse.
Keep in mind that dogs don't just overheat from being outside in the sun. They can also overheat from extreme excitement, confinement, panic, true fever, stress, lack of water, over exercising, and laying near hot objects (camp fire).
Keep them cool and prevent the excess drool!
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