 Barked: Tue Mar 13, '12 7:06pm PST |
 | |  | | The problem with the cooling vest that you have to soak in water is they use evaporative cooling, and if there is a lot of humidity the evaporation occurs very slowly, so the cooling effect does not work very well... That is also what a "Swamp cooler" means, it's a cooling method using evaporation. This is also why people say a "dry heat" is not as bad because in higher humidity your sweat won't evaporate and cool you off as quickly.
So basically if you live in a place where it gets humid in the summer, the type of vest you have to soak in water to use probably won't be as effective.
That said, I have used a "Body Cooler" product called a Pet Wrap, where it soaks in water and these beads inside swell up and hold water, and it did provide some amount of cooling for my dog even though we have high humidity here. However I also stored it in the fridge when not using so that probably helped too. It also attached underneath the dog, so I think this helps too because coats that cover the back I think can make the dog hotter and also they have more blood vessels close to the skin on the stomach/abdomen so it provides faster cooling.
One type I know of that doesn't rely on evaporation is the RPCM Chillydog Cooling Vest. It uses a special substance instead which cools and stays cool, but it is contained in these cooling packs so the dog does not get wet. It also attaches under the stomach. I have one of these for Bianca and I like it a lot. The only downside is it is quite expensive.
Here is the link to the RPCM vest: http://www.helpingudders.com/cat-Cooling Vests-41.aspx
Another possibility is to use a coat that blocks or reflects UV, helping to keep the dog cooler by preventing the sun from heating them up. I know of one that does this and also you can wet it so it can provide some cooling by evaporation as well. So that might be another option, although again the evaporating may not work that well in high humidity you also have the UV reflecting effect.
Here is one product like that: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product _ID=918&ParentCat=152
Oh yeah also if you're interested, here is a blog that reviews several cooling products for dogs (not mine):
http://dfdk9.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/summer-heat-study-2/Edited by author Tue Mar 13, '12 7:08pm PST
|  |  | |  |
|
| my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals | [notify] |
Dogster Obsessions: The Starter Kit for Dogs by Wildebeest
10
