Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 14
  1. #1
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641

    Reconsidering my cooling vest (Tanya!)

    Well....I've long been a proponent of the chillybuddy reflective/evaporative lightweight vest. I still think it's a great vest. But it's proving to no longer be enough.

    Dan has been getting more and more affected by heat as he's aged (now 8) and yesterday morning he was obviously feeling nauseated after our 1 1/2 mile mostly shady walk (moving slowly at home and aiming himself toward his puke spots...by the sliding doors/behind chairs). He didn't get sick and was hungry for his meal about an hour or so later...and his tongue and gums hadn't gone past the light/light-to-medium pink stage by the end of the walk...but he was definitely uncomfortable and his back was warm under his chillybuddy. We didn't walk them yesterday afternoon except for on the front lawn (backyard visits/mostly shade/to the extent that he wanted to be out there...not long).

    This morning, he had his normal potty visit to the area under our deck...but then refused to go on a morning walk.

    So I bought both pooches something to wear in addition to the chillybuddys (I definitely want the reflective protection)...I got them the smaller version of the ChillyDog (called ChillyPup....awww....). This one fits over the chest/ribs (not stomach or sides which I don't like for an icepack type vest) and can fit under their chillybuddies. Potentially.....Yaaaayyyyyyy!!!

    I need to be able to get these guys out or else I'll have fat pooches...not acceptable. I'm sure Sunnie will appreciate the extra cool....she's a walking enthusiast....and this should keep Dan from being a total "recliner spud".

    I'll keep you posted in case any of you are still looking for cooling stuff.

    I hope they ship fast.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastern Ontario Canada
    Posts
    3,336
    Thanked: 2070
    aww poor dude Good to know, thanks.

    That was was on my short list (you are not the only one that recommended it) BUT they have no longer have any Canadian vendors. I'd have to order from the US (with exchange and shipping it adds up).

    I am more or less down to two options, or one once I factor cost. I may be ordering this one (there is a canadian vendor I have found though need to decide fast while they still have his size...):
    Saratoga Horseworks Custom Horse Clothing Made in USA - K9 Kooling Coat

    This one was under great consideration but it si TWICE the price. Some mentioned they have had one years so it lasts a long time but this isn't really a purchase that I will need for more than one summer. maybe two. 403 Forbidden

    We've been using the old version of the Swamp Cooler (as best I can tell anyway, it's a RuffGear cooling vest). hard to say how much it helps (we're probably adding minutes at best but hey, it gets him out to pee). He does seem to do better when I wet the back of his neck/top of head so I'm going to see what I can do there. Maybe a bandana. Also looking to see if I can sorta fashion ice packs to his belly or his neck in a DYI less expensive fashion

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Tanya For This Useful Post:

    SoapySophie (06-14-2017)

  4. #3
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    The one from the horse place looks like a better version of the chillybuddy...covers more territory on the dog. It also looks like you could put a cooling pack on that chest strap if you decide you need more.

    The second place says they're going out of business on June 15...don't know if that was there when you looked.

  5. #4
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastern Ontario Canada
    Posts
    3,336
    Thanked: 2070
    Quote Originally Posted by SunDance View Post
    The one from the horse place looks like a better version of the chillybuddy...covers more territory on the dog. It also looks like you could put a cooling pack on that chest strap if you decide you need more.

    The second place says they're going out of business on June 15...don't know if that was there when you looked.
    well that settles that! they just changed the message, up until yesterday it said they were not taking any orders until June 15th. So that option is out. Looks like i'll be ordering the saratoga one (better get on that before the canadian vendor sells out!)

  6. #5
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    Oh, Phooey.....the chillypup (and presumably chillydog) is not for dogs with tuck/deep chest.

    I can barely get Sunnie's to fit in a way that allows her to walk comfortably (i.e., doesn't hit her elbows or have the straps too snug/in the wrong spots).

    Danny's is impossible. He's definitely large enough, per the instructions, to be able to wear one....but his chest/tuck don't allow it to be forward enough to not get peed on without hitting his elbows, even standing still. I've got to figure something out for him to hold the ice thingys....all I can think of right now is tube tops....

  7. #6
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastern Ontario Canada
    Posts
    3,336
    Thanked: 2070
    Bummer fit can be a pain in the butt for some dogs.
    Rock's saratoga was shipped today, in theory should arrive by the end of the week.

    I have been experimenting with various things. Like wetting the back of his neck and bought these at costco
    Dr. Cool | Ice Compression Wraps For Recovery-On-The-Goâ„¢

    I wrap the small one around his neck. not sure if it's doing much. For rocky it seem to vary on the day :P The longer would wrap around his chest which I have played with a little.

    We tried hitting petsmart to see if we coudl walk there. He did ok on the grass in front but lasted maybe 2 minutes indoors before getting panty. I assume exitement or anxiety hard to say with Rocky sometimes. took a bit of time for him to fully cool down (no crisis by any means I just want to avoid anything that gets him that worked up where we have to work on cooling him down over a long periode). Oh well, we have a good routine down that seems to be working for us so we'll leave it at that and just stay at home (and maybe car rides just for the ride but while he is fine in the car i don't know that he enjoys it per say.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to Tanya For This Useful Post:

    SunDance (06-19-2017)

  9. #7
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    Ooh...I like the Dr. Cool. I can see wrapping a 50" around twice...it would secure short of an even twice around....and stay in place, most likely. Hmmmm.....

    It's either that or get Dan a lace bandeau bra that closes at the back. Yeah....I've been to Amazon.

    Dan's on house arrest for a while so I have some time to figure things out. His knee bothers him from time to time and I now realize that I just have to stop the longer walks totally. And keep him off chairs and beds. Whoo, boy....he so hates being treated like a dog.

  10. #8
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastern Ontario Canada
    Posts
    3,336
    Thanked: 2070
    poor pup!

    Yeah I realized after HAVING to cut the walks distance/time that I should have been cutting them more often than not. Do a longer walk, but then a day of short to rest, then a long walks. Ideally more shorter walks (like 3 20-30min VS one 45-60min) is better just hard with the heat as there is only one time of the day (or with working outside the home, it's hard to fit in 2 walks in the evening but now impossible with the heat)

  11. #9
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641

    No. No. No. And No!

    Crud.

    No #1: I found out this morning that the cooling packs freeze hard. I just assumed they'd freeze pliable like a few of the gel-packs I already have for myself. They don't conform to the shape of the dog and have a definite "stick out" aspect to how they lay. I took the vest to the park with us this morning without thinking whether or not I'd have to readjust Sunnie's vest and found that I did...at least it was a relatively cool morning so having her out of the car on the ground "naked" wasn't a big deal. Hard packs took up much more of the length of the straps than the pliable warm ones did. (But...yayyyy....Sunnie had her whole walk naked, which she prefers to wearing even the chillybuddy (which I also had along even though this walk is mostly shady).

    No #2: The strap that goes around the chest falls down as the dog moves regardless of how tight or loose you adjust it.

    No #3: The chest strap also interferes at least a bit with movement...regardless of how tight or loose it is...not good for Sunnie; she'll slow down something terrific.

    No #4: The movement of the legs/chest strap pulls the rib straps. Sunnie has a sore spot on her spine....looked into it years ago when we noticed that she really didn't like going up hills...nothing on x-rays and the doc said just to keep it in mind. It's no worse...really only know about it if you run your finger down her back with some pressure. I've always wondered if she has a bit of "long dog" syndrome because, to me, she seems a bit long for her height and bone structure.

    So...

    Plan B involves two of the 50" Dr. Cools. At least with those I can always use them the next time I pull a hamstring.

    Plan C, if needed, will involve those cool packs somehow.

    I wish my back still allowed me to hunker over my sewing machine...that would make life a lot easier than for me to try to successfully hand sew materials that don't behave well when hand sewn.

    One of these days, I envision the possibility of Dan wearing one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


  12. #10
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ellicott City, MD
    Posts
    6,626
    Thanked: 3641
    Quote Originally Posted by Tanya View Post
    poor pup!

    Yeah I realized after HAVING to cut the walks distance/time that I should have been cutting them more often than not. Do a longer walk, but then a day of short to rest, then a long walks. Ideally more shorter walks (like 3 20-30min VS one 45-60min) is better just hard with the heat as there is only one time of the day (or with working outside the home, it's hard to fit in 2 walks in the evening but now impossible with the heat)
    My Hershey started having limping issues about a year before he died...a front end limp. I found that if I did our normal walk (4 miles) alternated with no walk (he was a backyard goer so this wasn't an issue), he wouldn't limp. I mentioned that to our vet at his next annual visit (during which we were discussing that limp and attempting to get a diagnosis) and the vet replied "I'm surprised he ever wanted to walk that far". The x-ray showed significant lack of cartilage in his one elbow. My poor agreeable guy must have been in some pain all the time...but Hersh did love his walkies.

    We cut back the long walks significantly and, if I recall correctly, increased the number of "just yard" days, too. That was right around the time when his hind end started showing obvious signs of problem.

    It's tough coming to terms with having to shorten/eliminate walks...dogs seem to thrive on them (at least as much as we do).

    Sunnie's a walker at heart....Dan, though, is a spud.

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •