Just after 3 p.m., asphalt still holds the day’s heat as if it has no intention of letting go. A bare hand can’t stay on it for long. A few meters away, a dog continues its walk without slowing down — there’s no way to explain to him that the surface beneath his paws has already reached a temperature capable of causing pain. Most owners won’t realize something’s wrong until the dog starts panting heavily or moving more stiffly than usual. By then, however, his body may already be under thermal stress.
A Summer Scene That Repeats — And the Myths That Come With It
This is one of those recurring summer images — and with it return familiar assumptions: that shaving a dog helps him stay cool; that cats tolerate heat better than any other animal; or that leaving a pet in a car for just a few minutes poses no real risk. Veterinarians, however, say many of these beliefs aren’t backed by science. And as heatwaves grow more frequent and intense, the gap between myth and reality becomes increasingly consequential.
Fur Isn’t the Enemy of Summer
Of all summer myths, few persist as stubbornly as the idea that shaving a dog ‘cools him down.’ The logic seems simple: less fur means less heat — much like how people change clothes when temperatures rise. But dogs don’t regulate body temperature the same way humans do. Their primary cooling mechanism isn’t through the skin, but through breathing. Panting is their main way of releasing heat. Meanwhile, fur — especially the double coat found in many breeds — acts more like a natural insulator than a heat trap. It helps maintain a stable microclimate between the environment and the body, even shielding against overheating from direct sunlight. Removing it entirely doesn’t necessarily improve heat tolerance. In some cases, it leaves the skin exposed, raising the risk of sunburn and discomfort — particularly during peak daylight hours.
‘We see this same misconception every summer,’ notes a veterinarian who treats heat-related emergencies in dogs. ‘The intention is to help the animal, but the intervention doesn’t always align with how thermoregulation actually works.’
What matters most isn’t removing fur, but managing it: regular brushing, removing dead undercoat, and avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day.
Cats Aren’t Heat-Proof
If the fur myth is the most widespread, it’s not the only one. Another image returns each summer with equal predictability: the cat who ‘endures everything.’ There’s a familiar scene many have witnessed — a cat curled up in the brightest spot on the balcony, seemingly indifferent to the very heat that sends humans scrambling for shade. From this image grew a persistent belief: that cats are uniquely resilient to high temperatures.