Cool Coat/Vest

I have one for both of my Shelties made by Saratoga Horseworks. I usually wet the dogs down first and throw the coats on them which I keep in a cooler. The big advantage is that it keeps the sun from heating up their backs and drying their bodies. Keeps them very cool and comfortable at agility trials in the summer. Even if you keep them dry on the dog, they cut down on the amount of heat for sure....just like a sunscreen.

 

I also struggle with keeping Spirit cool during her outdoor agility class (in Florida, humid AND hot). I've stayed away from cooling vests because I don't want her muscles to cool to the point that she gets injured (I'm probably being way over cautious here). But she does have a cooling pad for her crate, I wet her down, she has a fan, and access to unlimited cool water.

 

If you are looking at getting a cooling pad, try this first. I did for my Hamish when he was really hot one time in the car coming home on a trip:

get some ice cubes in a bag, wrap in a towel and let them lie on it.

Hamish stopped fussing once I put the bag of ice cubes on the car seat for him to lie on.

 

I use the Canine Equipment Ultimate Cooling Coat by RC Pet Products for my Sheltie. This year has been unusually hot in the Okanagan so I knew I had to do something for my Service Dog when my car's air conditioning went on the fritz.

The cooling vest/jacket works great! It keeps my little one comfortable without leaving him soaking wet. This is important since I take him into restaurants, hospitals and all sorts of other places where a dripping wet dog would be severely frowned upon and probably (and justifiably) asked to leave. I also like the cooling jacket because I have better control over the cooling by adjusting the water temperature.

The jacket stays cool for a couple hours on days with low humidity and temperatures between 34°c and 38°c (93°f - 100°f). Fortunately it's easy to recharge with tap or any source of clean water. I have been told that the cooling coats/vests that rely on evaporative cooling don't perform as well in humid climates.

As for size, I was told by a vet that the length is less important than how it fits around the dog. Too tight and the air won't circulate enough to cause cooling and too loose won't keep the cool air in. The length is good even if it doesn't cover the whole back because most of the cooling takes place with these products around the neck and chest. So you want it to fit a slightly loose.

I have heard many good things about the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler Cooling Vest from friends accross the border and I prefer the sportier look. However the shipping to Canada was prohibitively expensive so I went with the RC product that is made here. I think they are fairly compareable. I'm not sure about the material Ruffwear uses but RC uses a PVA matierial that feels like cardboard when dry and neoprene when wet. It locks in the water well enough to prevent dripping while still being very effective at cooling. I think the Ruffwear one is a lighter colour which may also be helpful.