Stud Dogs in Hot Weather

Last updated: July 29, 2019

Heat can impact a male breeding dog's fertility. In this Vet Minute, Revival's Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Marty Greer, talks about stud dogs in hot weather.
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Video Transcript

Heat can negatively impact dogs when it comes to breeding and their overall health. So what can you do to keep these animals cool in the summer? I'm Doctor Greer, Director of Veterinary Services with Revival Animal Health. Overheating is dangerous for dogs. It is especially tough on our male dogs, used for breeding. In all male mammals, the scrotum allows the testicles to distance themselves from the body wall, allowing the testes to be two to three degrees cooler than the core body temperature. When the weather is hot and we let the males out in the heat for too long, such as when they lay on concrete or worse yet, asphalt, the developing sperm are permanently damaged. Avoid prolonged heat exposure, allow the dogs to have access to wading pools with fresh water, keep the kennel well ventilated, and avoid using heated air blow dryers on your male dogs. Reproduction is a luxury of the body - other organs come first.

Marty Greer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, has 35+ years' experience in veterinary medicine, with special interests in canine reproduction and pediatrics. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1981. She's served as Revival's Director of Veterinary Services since 2019.

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