Do Dogs Sweat? Find Out!

There’s a famous quote that says: “I don’t sweat. I sparkle.” Well, if that’s the case then these hot summer months sure have me sparkling like a diamond! While we lather on the deodorant and antiperspirant in an effort to keep our shirts dry and smelling fine, did you know our sweat glands are actually designed to help us release heat and cool down? Pretty cool! Now here’s another thought: How do our dogs keep cool? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a dog come inside on a hot day with sweat beads on his forehead! So, it begs the question: Do dogs sweat? 


Do Dogs Sweat?

Short answer: Yes, dogs do sweat a little. But it’s not their main way of cooling down.

Dogs have two types of sweat glands:

  • Merocrine glands
  • Apocrine glands

Merocrine glands function pretty similarly to our sweat glands. They’re located in a dog’s paw pads and activate when it’s hot, as a way of helping our pup’s cool down. This is why you may notice your pup leaving behind damp paw prints on super hot summer days.

Apocrine glands – while considered sweat glands – don’t actually produce sweat to keep your dog cool. Instead, they release pheromones. These glands are located all over our dogs’ bodies and help the canine community identify other dogs by scent.


So, How Do Dogs Cool Off?

On a super hot day, you’ll probably catch your dog with his mouth wide open, tongue hanging out, huffing and puffing. That’s because panting is a dog’s main way of cooling himself down.

Here’s how it works … 

When dogs pant, they release hot air from their lungs and let in cooler external air. This ultimately helps evaporate water on their tongue, inside their mouth, nasal passages, and upper respiratory tract. As this water evaporates, your dog’s body is able to regulate its body temperature and cool down. 


There Is Another Way Dogs Cool Down

Dogs also rely on something called vasodilation, which is the expansion of blood vessels.

When your dog’s blood vessels expand, they bring hot blood closer to the skin’s surface. This allows the blood to cool down before flowing back to the heart, which ultimately helps lower a dog’s internal body temperature.


Heat Stroke In Dogs

While dogs do have natural ways to cool themselves down, they aren’t always the most effective — especially if the outside air temperature is the same (or even higher) than a dog’s normal body temperature of 102 F. You may not realize it, but heat exhaustion and heat stroke can happen very quickly in dogs. Some warning signs include:

  • Heavy and/or rapid panting
  • Increased body temperature (normal body temp is anywhere from 101º- 102.5º)
  • Rapid or irregular heart rate
  • Anxious
  • Excessive drooling
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Weakness and stumbling / Lack of coordination
  • Muscle tremors
  • Loss of consciousness

If you think your dog is suffering from a heat-related illness, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke then do the following:

  1. Remove your dog from the heat source. Get to a shady location or an air-conditioned space, if possible.  
  2. Soak towels in cold water (not ice water) and wrap them around your dog to bring down his body temperature.
  3. As long as the dog is awake and alert, offer him something to drink. Don’t let him drink too fast, though.
  4. NEVER try to give a dog water who is either semi-conscious or unconscious.
  5. Get your pup checked by a vet immediately, even if you think he is fine. 

In THIS article, I share more essential dos and don’ts to help keep your pup safe in the heat!

Plus, check out THIS article where I share 6 essential products and tips to keep dogs cool in the summer.