chow in the tropics

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lily
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chow in the tropics

Post by lily »

hi everybody - im new here, my name's lily - i took in an abandoned young male chow, beginning october '15. he's not my 1st chow, and i love and adore them and feel at home with them. so there's no problem of the 'usual' kind. my problem is the heat, we live in costa rica. and he's black. i learned via internet and this here site in particular, that chows are not to be sheared, and it feels rite - but what cAn you do to alleviate/make more bearable a heat/humidity that gets even shorthair light colored dogs to dig down into the earth for relieve ? i hose him down when the heat's extreme and he has gotten to like it so maybe i can get him a belly cooling kind of kids pool just to give him the opportUnity ? what about food? we kno food has energy, cooling, warming and inbetween and he does eat an occasional banana - anybody outthere who has experience in that way ? or an oppinion ? im very Open !
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kingalls
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by kingalls »

We have a kiddie pool. My senior Chow girl used to jump in all the time but her in old age doesn't try to jump in anymore. We have two other non-Chow dogs now and they love the pool. We have to monitor it daily for any mosquitos. Not sure if a kiddie pool is an option in Costa Rica. Most people don't shave their Chows down. Maybe your Chow would like something like watermelon - don't know what you have in Costa Rica. How about a cold carrot?
Karen, Kohana, Takoda, and our Chow Angels Nahkohe and Shiloh
Rory's Dad
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by Rory's Dad »

Welcome to the forum Lily.

The reason that you don't shear the dog is because of their double coat. It acts as both an insulator in colder whether and as a cooling device in warm. A healthy chow will adjust the coat naturally to best suit him to the climate.

My best advice would be to have surfaces that are cool for him to lie on. Stone or tile, concrete, etc. You should note that black chows will "copper" when exposed to sunlight. It's not a health issue really, buy just an appearance thing.

Obviously, keep plenty of fresh water available. Expect a fair amount of panting as he ventilates.
lily
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by lily »

! thanx ! -- ok im getting a kiddie pool ! and a cold carrot, huh ! watermelon i tried - he's not too interested. and yes he's got the shady concrete and the tiles and grassy earth and he moves around frequently. i have him tied up (5m rope) most of the siesta/daytime with an hour walk daily but the heat is so great that we're both exhausted after. and he gets free-time in the very early am. and is of course free at nite in the house. im saying this because its terrible to rope-up a dog! first time for me but the circumstances are particular in this little village i live in. sOmebody puts out ratpoison (horrible death!) and theres the big road that takes its toll. and ny little property is fenced in but nowhere nEAr chow-proof . . . .
as for the copper hair - hes got some, in his mane, he's a vEry hansome dog, johnny lobo ! and either he's ajusted already to the heat or he is not pUre chow, his fur isnt with the fine dense under growth, or only in certain places and im not sure if thats a good thing. basically im a little insecure and inexperienced in this situation, so, thank you
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by Rory's Dad »

glad to hear he's adapting. make sure to give him shade. as for the fur type, you say he's young, so that may be it. Adolescent chows can begin to get their adult fur anywhere from 6 months to a year of age. I am sure the weather effects the timeline. The mane will follow what is known as 'guard furs' along the spine. From there, frequent grooming and regular bathing will move the process along.

As for the rope, I am a firm believer in having the dog securely confined. Consider a trolley run. This will give him enough room to run and get some exercise and also keep him from roaming freely.
Constantina
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by Constantina »

I live in the Philippines where summers hit 104 degrees F or 40 degrees C. I have always wanted a Chow though. So i make sure she has an elevated bed off the floor to avoid the heat and i scattered cooling mats around her shaded tiled rest area. She has fresh clean ice water on standby so it is always cold and gives instant relief. She also has a vornado fan aimed at her bed. If it's really hot we make it two fans. Invest in cooling mats as it has helped keep her survive the worst summers. Doctor's orders during summer is to bathe her up to three times a week with mild dog shampoo during the hottest part of the day. Throw in airconditioned car rides and allow her indoors when the aircon is on.
lily
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by lily »

ok im realizing his care and wellbeing will be rather high maintenance. thats fine, i live alone and have plenty of time. but i live a simple life without car or in-home air-conditioning. he's getting the ice water but seems to prefer it cool from the tap . when i took him in he was quite boney so i gave him rich food but he wouldnt put on weight and 2 weeks into living with me he lost interest in his food and became increasingly lethargic. i couldnt figure out what was wrong with him, the heat ? the flea and tick medication i gave him ? so i took him to the vet and she diagnosed him with ehrlichia, a tick transmitted disease, fatal if untreated. 16 days of strong antibiotics and stomach buffers and ayurvedic immune booster - he had definitely improved but soon he relapsed so once more the vet and a similar procedure with a different antibiotics and now seems dEfinitely better and even plays with my neibors 2 small female dogs - after sun down. and he has a trolley run, not using it much but available. so the situation And lobo are definitely improving - thank you !
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by Constantina »

Yay. Thank goodness he ended up with you who genuinely cares for him and has the patience to follow through with medication. Other people would have just left him alone to die from ehrlichia(sp?).
lily
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by lily »

yea probably, the world has become a harsh place and the life of a dog is not valued much down here.
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Re: chow in the tropics

Post by Ags »

Constantina wrote:I live in the Philippines where summers hit 104 degrees F or 40 degrees C. I have always wanted a Chow though. So i make sure she has an elevated bed off the floor to avoid the heat and i scattered cooling mats around her shaded tiled rest area. She has fresh clean ice water on standby so it is always cold and gives instant relief. She also has a vornado fan aimed at her bed. If it's really hot we make it two fans. Invest in cooling mats as it has helped keep her survive the worst summers. Doctor's orders during summer is to bathe her up to three times a week with mild dog shampoo during the hottest part of the day. Throw in airconditioned car rides and allow her indoors when the aircon is on.
May I know where you got your cooling mats?
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