At first glance, it may seem like a small French Bulldog can handle the heat than a heavy-coated Siberian Husky. After all, Frenchies have shorter fur and generally like to take it easier when it comes to exercise than Huskies do. But French Bulldogs, along with other breeds like American Bulldogs, Pekingese, Pugs, and Boston Terriers are brachycephalic dogs, and that means they don’t do well in summer heat.
“Brachycephalic” refers to dogs with short muzzles, and this face shape is a huge disadvantage to dogs in the hotter months since their main mechanism for cooling down is panting.
Here’s how summer heat can become dangerous — even deadly — for brachycephalic dogs.
Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome (BAS)
Brachycephalic dogs are ineffective panters.
Panting is a form of evaporative cooling that helps regulate dogs’ body temperatures in the heat. The shorter, “smushed” faces of brachycephalic dogs are quite cute, but they can create big problems when it comes to airflow.
This causes short-muzzled dogs to snort, gurgle, and sometimes have a difficult time breathing. The bone structure of their faces makes their airways like a tight maze, so much less air reaches the lungs in a breath than it would for a non-brachycephalic dog.
Many short-muzzled dogs will breathe through their mouths, but they’re still not getting as much air as their longer-snouted counterparts.
Soft palates in brachycephalic dogs’ mouths block a majority of the air coming into the trachea, which means your short-snouted dog needs to work even harder just to get a sufficient amount of oxygen in their system.
Imagine trying to breathe while someone is pinching your nose and you have a swollen throat. That’s what it can be like for brachycephalic dogs in the summer.
How to prevent heat stroke and heat exhaustion in brachycephalic dogs
Due to brachycephalic dogs’ inability to pant efficiently, they’re at a substantially higher risk for summer health issues such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
They require a lot more TLC in the summer than other dogs to ensure they’re safe and healthy in the midst of the heat.
If you have a brachycephalic dog, be sure to do the following:
Always have cool water available
This isn’t exactly rocket science, but another way for your dog to cool down is with water. Make sure that your short-snouted friend has easy access to cool, clean water 24/7 during the summer.
Take it slow
Your dog still needs exercise during the summer, but try to do so in a slow, breezy fashion. Take shorter, slower walks during the cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or later in the evening after some of the heat of the day has worn down.
Use a harness
Brachycephalic dogs already have the cards stacked against them when it comes to breathing. Don’t add to their obstacles with an airway-restricting collar.
Use a harness to walk your dog at the appropriate times of the day.
Do not leave them outside for long
Even if you have a shady area in your backyard for your dog to rest, do not leave your brachycephalic dog outside, even if it doesn’t seem all that hot to you.
These are not the type of dogs to leave outside in heat, even just for 20 minutes. These dogs can succumb to the heat in that short of a time period.
If you let your dog out in the yard to do their business, bring them back inside as soon as they’re done.
Invest in a cooling pad
Getting a comfy cooling pad for your dog to lay on indoors is an excellent way to help your dog maintain a comfortable and healthy body temperature in the heat.
Watch their weight
Excessive weight can lead to breathing and other health problems in any dog, but it greatly exacerbates a brachycephalic dog’s inability to keep cool and properly breathe.
If you have a short-muzzled dog who has a little too much extra weight, talk to your vet about healthy strategies to help them shed the pounds.
Know the signs of heat stroke
Educate yourself on the signs of heat stroke. If you suspect your dog is suffering from heat exhaustion, cool them down immediately and contact your vet.
Brachycephalic dogs can still enjoy the summer, but they do need to be monitored vigilantly.
