August 14, 2026, 11:48 am | Read time: 6 minutes

Five Simple Tips to Keep Your Dog Well-Nourished Despite the Heat

It’s quite normal for dogs to eat less during high temperatures. As the body tries not to produce additional heat, appetite often decreases as well.

It’s all the more important to pay attention to a few basic things in dog nutrition during the summer months to ensure your four-legged friend remains well-nourished despite the heat. With these simple tips and tricks, your dog can still get through the summer in good health:

1. Food 

Just like us, dogs often have less appetite in the summer. While we might opt for a salad, dog food should not be abruptly or fundamentally changed. It’s completely normal for your dog to have less appetite, and it’s not concerning if they eat less temporarily.

It’s best to schedule feeding during the cooler morning or evening hours. The food can be supplemented with water or dog-friendly broth, or topped with some fresh fruit or vegetables. This aids digestion and relieves the body.

Important: If feeding wet food, soaked dry food, or BARF, remember that this food spoils faster at higher temperatures and should not be left out unchilled for long. The bowl should also be placed indoors and outdoors in a way that prevents pests or insects, like flies or ants, from getting into it.

Storing food in the refrigerator just for a refreshing effect can be problematic and quickly lead to gastrointestinal issues. Generally, it should not be fed directly from the fridge. In summer, pay special attention to storing BARF food components like raw meat or offal well-chilled.

Also Consider These Points for Dog Nutrition in Summer:

• Buy meat only from trusted vendors and ensure an intact cold chain
• Canned food can spoil at temperatures above 90 °F and should be protected from direct sunlight and heat
• Dry food is best stored protected from moisture and humidity in an airtight container to prevent mold

If your dog’s food needs to be changed or adjusted due to a vacation, such as switching from BARF to another feeding method, start early. The body needs time to adjust. Therefore, a food change should ideally begin several weeks before the trip. Seek support from a veterinarian, animal naturopath, or nutritionist.

Also interesting: 12 Tips to Help Dogs Cope Better with the Heat

2. Drinking 

As temperatures rise, a dog’s water needs automatically increase. Since dogs cannot sweat, their body regulates temperature solely through panting, which causes additional moisture loss. It’s crucial to provide them with enough water. Ensure your pet always has access to fresh, clean water.

Especially on particularly hot days, drinking water should ideally be at room temperature. Drinking too cold water quickly and hastily can cause gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea. If your dog drinks little, add some broth or dog-friendly fruits to the water.

Water is indispensable when walking, on longer hikes, and while traveling. There are special water bottles with fold-out bowls for this purpose. Offer your dog the opportunity to drink while on the go and during car rides. Even with air conditioning, regular drinking breaks should be planned.

3. Bowl Hygiene 

All drinking and feeding bowls provide an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, which multiply particularly quickly in summer. Therefore, it’s important to regularly change the drinking water and clean the bowl with boiling hot water in between. Ceramic or stainless steel bowls are often more hygienic and easier to clean than plastic bowls.

If your dog doesn’t finish their food, it’s better to dispose of the leftovers or store them covered, cool, and protected until the next meal.

4. Grilled Meat 

Even though the temptation and smells of grilled meat are particularly strong, it’s off-limits for dogs. Salt, pepper, other strong spices, or marinades are too concentrated for dogs and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and in the worst case, poisoning.

Do not give your dog raw, unseasoned poultry, as it could cause a salmonella infection. Raw pork is also unsuitable for dogs due to the risk of contracting the Aujeszky virus.

5. Cold Snacks and Ice 

Many dogs love chilled snacks or treats when it’s warm. In summer, fruits or vegetables are particularly suitable. Apple slices, banana slices, watermelon pieces (without rind), strawberries, or blueberries can be offered as a perfect chilled snack.

This also works with carrots, cucumber pieces, sweet potato slices, or pumpkin pieces. Cut into small cubes and frozen with water, enhanced with salmon paste, dog liver sausage, natural yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, or low-fat quark, they quickly become a healthy lick snack or ice cream.

Regular ice cream for humans is unsuitable for our four-legged friends due to its ingredients. Sugar, sweeteners, lactose, chocolate, raisins, coffee, or certain nuts can be not only harmful but even life-threatening. If you don’t want to do without it, opt for special dog ice cream.

Even better, make the dog ice cream yourself. You can tailor the ingredients to your dog’s taste, tolerance, and preferences. For dog nutrition in summer, small ice portions are allowed and harmless. Ensure the ice is slightly thawed and your dog doesn’t eat too much at once. Frozen items can quickly lead to headaches (brain freeze) or gastrointestinal issues, just like in humans.