Sometimes the question How do dogs sweat?, comes to mind. Dogs are very active animals, who like to jog and move when they go on their daily walks.
Logically, so much activity should dissipate the heat accumulated in the canine body through sweat; but dogs lack sweat glands in their epidermis, and they don't sweat in the same way that humans and other animals (horses, for example) do.
For all that has been said, in this article on our site we will respond with the information that answers the question: How do dogs sweat? Find out!
Foot Pads
The main way dogs sweat is through the pads on their feet.
Dogs have virtually no sweat glands in the dermis of their bodies. Therefore, they do not sweat almost there. However, in the pads of their feet these glands do accumulate. For this reason, on a very hot day, or after a great effort, the dog will leave wet footprints on the ground when walking…
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The tongue is also an organ through which the dog can dissipate its internal heat, which is the function of sweat in the human body (other than secreting bodily toxins). The canine tongue itself does not sweat sweat as it does with its pads, but it does evaporate water and cools the dog's body.
Breathing
The dog's gasping breath when he is hot, or after exercise that increases his body temperature, sends a copious flow of blood to the the dog's tongue, and the salivary glands produce abundant moisture by which the dog cools by drooling with the tongue out of the mouth.
It is the combination of panting and tongue that is part of the canine thermoregulatory system. Canine body temperature is in the range of 38º to 39º.
Don't forget that panting is very important for dogs, for that reason if you have a potentially dangerous dog that must use a muzzle, remember to use the basket type, which is indicated in our article about the best dog muzzles.
Thermoregulatory efficiency
The canine thermoregulatory system is less efficient than the human and more complex. The fact that their entire body is covered with hair explains the small number of sweat glands on the trunk of the dog. If they had the body covered with an arrangement of sweat glands similar to the human, the sweat would spread throughout the coat, wetting it and cooling the dog very little. It is the phenomenon that happens to us humans who are not bald and when we sweat our hair gets wet with sweat and we do not feel comfortable with wet and hot hair.
The dog's face and ears also help to cool it down. Especially when it comes to the brain. When noticing an increase in temperature, they receive the brain order that their facial veins are going to dilate and expand to better irrigate the ears, face and head in order to reduce the excessive temperature.
Large-sized dogs cool less than small-sized ones. Sometimes they are not able to expel all the heat that their body generates. However, small dogs tolerate environmental heat less well.
Exceptions
There are some dog breeds that are hairless on their body. These types of dogs sweat as they have sweat glands on their body. One of these hairless breeds is the dog Xoloitzcuintle This breed comes from Mexico, and is also known as the Aztec Dog. It is a very pure and ancient breed.
