Has anyone used a cooling vest for their dog?

[M.L.]

Has anyone used one of these cooling vests for their dog? I wonder if it works well. We are in Tucson, which means it is super hot. I'd like to find a way to keep the dogs a little cooler on walks. We walk early morning and evening, but it is still extremely hot out.

 

Here is a link to the one I'm considering Ruff Wear Swamp Cooler - Cooling Vest.

[Ninso]

I used a similar one I got from clean run. It turned out to be a few inches too short, cause Lok scrunched up his back when I was measuring. But, it seemed to work pretty well. He could be outside in hot, sunny weather for an hour and if you felt his fur underneath the coat, it was cool. He seemed to pant less, at least when he was just hanging out outside and not actually doing any physical activity. We didnt use it much though, because it was too small, and ended up giving it to a friend with a sheltie.

[Journey]

I'd be concerned about the weight and the heat it will trap once it's dry or has reached the dogs body temp.

[desertranger]

Furthermore it doesn't seem to cool a dog where a dog needs to be cooled. To me it seems to be another wasted gadget.

 

I live near Palm Springs, also the desert, and have the same heat problems you do. Heat stress at diff levels does happen to dogs. The best way to cool a down down is by soaking them with cool (not cold) water on their muzzles and bellies. Also get their feet into water. If you're going to go out on hot pavement get them a set of boots. Still the best answer is going out early.

[M.L.]

What if I just sew up a light weight, breathable, light colored vest type thing to keep the sun from being so hot on the black hair on their backs? Do you think that would help at all?

[Ninso]

What if I just sew up a light weight, breathable, light colored vest type thing to keep the sun from being so hot on the black hair on their backs? Do you think that would help at all?

 

If that's what you're looking for, that exactly what the one on clean run is--white mesh, reflective of the sun, plus you can soak it in water for evaporative cooling also. Even after it dried, fur was cool underneath.

[Root Beer]

I just got the Chilly Buddy one for Maddie. She was dying at our last Agility trial in all that hot sun. It was bad enough for her running, but she was already overheated before we even stepped on the field. Of course, she can't wear the vest in the ring, but she can wear it while she walks to potty, does some focus exercises, and waits her turn in the sun.

 

I can let you know next Monday how it worked! It is supposed to be sunny at our trial on Sunday.

 

I've tried it on her, though, and it is, as you describe here . . .

 

a light weight, breathable, light colored vest type thing to keep the sun from being so hot on the black hair on their backs?

 

You can wet it, but you don't have to. I'm going to try it without wetting it first to see how it goes.

[Riley-dog]

When I was living in New Mexico it was VERY effective to wet down the dog's back. The thick hair there holds water better than the belly and the evaporation creates pretty extreme cold. There's a huge difference when placing your palm on their back dry in the sun. It was burning hot. Then a minute later when it's damp and it's COLD. Not just warm and soggy, but truely ice cold. Riley would go from huge lolling tongue to barely panting in just a few minutes in 90+ degrees. Unfortunately it doesn't work in high humidity (living in Missouri now *grumble, grumble*) and I'm trying to find other ways to deal with his heat sensitivity.

 

I saw many riders using Cool Medic vests very effectively. Once you're wet down it's COLD. The gel crystals slowly release the moisture and the evaporation pulls out the heat. It does not warm up to your body temperature because of the evaporation process. I would think in low humidity this would be really effective on a dog, too. But outside of the arid southwest it won't be half as effective.

 

It's really hard to explain just how well evaporative cooling works unless you've stood underneath a swamp cooler or worn a wet T-shirt in 100F and less than 20% humidity and actually felt cold.

[JohnLloydJones]

Furthermore it doesn't seem to cool a dog where a dog needs to be cooled. To me it seems to be another wasted gadget.

 

I live in the SE valley part of the Phoenix metro area and our solution for morning walks is to be back before the sun is properly up. For evenings, we go to a dog park where there is a lake and the dogs are in and out of the water. I honestly doubt that an evaporative jacket would be much benefit to Senneca as she has a thick coat.

[M.L.]

I live in the SE valley part of the Phoenix metro area and our solution for morning walks is to be back before the sun is properly up. For evenings, we go to a dog park where there is a lake and the dogs are in and out of the water.

 

I don't always get out before the sun is properly up. I try to get out early, but the earliest is usually around 6 a.m. and the sun is already bright and hot at that time! The air is cool, but the sun really beats down on you. I can feel a decent difference between how hot Bailey and Willow's backs get and how hot Ginger's back gets. The two black dogs are significantly hotter. There are no dog parks with lakes in Tucson. I do hose the dogs down often if we are playing outside of our townhome.

 

The cool medic vests claim to keep body temperature 25 - 30 degrees cooler than without the vest, even in 114 degree heat (coolmedics.com).

 

Bailey has a vet appointment today (yearly checkup). I'll ask the vet for his opinion as well.

 

Some of you may wonder why I'm thinking about this now. I've lived in Tucson since 2003. Well, the dogs are getting older and they seem to mind the heat more than they used to - especially Bailey. Not to mention I have the summer off, so I'm bored!

[JohnLloydJones]

I don't always get out before the sun is properly up. I try to get out early, but the earliest is usually around 6 a.m. and the sun is already bright and hot at that time! The air is cool, but the sun really beats down on you.

My alarm clock (the wet-nosed one) get me up by 4:30 and we are back again in the house before six.

 

I can feel a decent difference between how hot Bailey and Willow's backs get and how hot Ginger's back gets. The two black dogs are significantly hotter.

Oh, Senneca's fur feels very hot in the sun, but her thick fur stops that getting down to skin level. There was a discussion about clipping dogs a while back and I think it was pointed out that the fur is a good insulator. Putting something cooler on her back isn't going to make a big difference. That might not be the case for a smooth coated dog.

 

The cool medic vests claim to keep body temperature 25 - 30 degrees cooler than without the vest, even in 114 degree heat (coolmedics.com).

If that were literally true, the dog would die of hypothermia.

[nancy in AZ]

QUOTE(M.L. @ May 27 2009, 09:05 AM) *

The cool medic vests claim to keep body temperature 25 - 30 degrees cooler than without the vest, even in 114 degree heat (coolmedics.com).

 

If that were literally true, the dog would die of hypothermia.

 

 

I believe she's referring to the ambient temp.

[M.L.]

I believe she's referring to the ambient temp.

 

Yes, I was. Sorry, I worded that badly!

[ness_bc]

I use these cool coats on mine and they work really well.

 

http://www.coolingapparel.com/shop/ap/K9_Vest.html

 

We had an agility trial a few years ago where the temp was 40C and the dogs seemed to cope extremely well with their cool coats. The handlers on the other hand suffered greatly

[Rave]

I use the Cool Coat from Clean Run and it works well on my very black dog.

[hsnrs]

A friend of mine had one that she liked very much. She lives in Phoenix and I'll try to find out where she got it. She does SAR with her dog, a Aussie. N

[esox]

The military uses cooling vests on their MWD's. The handlers swear by them. It was one of the most requested items since they are either not standard issue or there was not enough.

 

Esox & Alex

[Root Beer]

Chilly Buddy passed the test! It definitely helped keep Maddie cool today.

 

Dean liked wearing it, too. He was much more comfortable when he had Maddie's Chilly Buddy on.

[herdcentral]

Here is a link to the one I'm considering Ruff Wear Swamp Cooler - Cooling Vest.

 

 

I have recently ordered this one for my dogs and am waiting their arrival