FitDog Friday #31 - Canine Summertime Essentials

Now that summer is approaching, I've put away Mr. N's sweaters and coats and pulled out his summer gear. These four products have proven to be very useful now that we're spending more time at the beach and hiking.

Flea the Scene ($11.99):

Mr. N has a flea allergy so one flea crawling on him will leave him itching for days and will make both of us miserable. We use a topical medication on him and this summer, I'm experimenting with using Flea the Scene (inspect spray) before walks and hikes as well for extra protection.

So far so good and I haven't discovered any fleas on him. The scent is light and pleasant. Mr. N does not object to the scent unlike my insect spray which he hates. The ingredients are all-natural according to the company and the spray is safe even if the dogs lick it.

H2O4K9 ($11.99):

When the Cascadian Nomads visited us last weekend, they gave us their small H2O4K9 (dog water bottle/travel bowl), saying it was too small for their needs. The 9.5 oz stainless steel bottle fits in my
purse and Mr. N will actually drink out of it (the lid doubles as a bowl). He refuses to drink out of non-bowl shaped objects like the  
Gulpy. It's a little heavier due to the material but I prefer it to plastic.

vest

Ruffwear Life Jacket ($79.95):

Mr. N has an older model that just barely fits him with the straps tightened as far as they will go. He wears their smallest size (xxs). It would not fit any dogs smaller than him. Mr. N has so little body fat and gets cold easily so even though he can swim, he wears the life jacket as a backup.

I like the handle on the top so I can lift him if need be. Mr. N doesn't mind wearing the jacket at all. We've only used it a handful of times but it appears to be durable and well-made. My only complaint is that the straps hang loose and drag so I have to tie them up in a knot but I think this was fixed in the latest version.

The Cool Vest ($49.99):

Even though Mr. N's heat tolerance has gotten better since last year, he still gets overheated sometimes. His Cool Vest cools him down considerably. Last year, I took him down to the park with it on and he was literally running circles around these bigger dogs who were lying down and panting heavily.

It's usually good for an hour or two. Basically you just soak it in water and use the velcro straps to put it on your dog. It's shaped to cover the chest and vital organs.

Even though the liner is laminated, Mr. N does get slightly wet when I put it on him. I get the occasional "you are abusing your poor dog by making him wear clothes in the middle of the summer" speech but once I explain, people usually think it's quite clever.

What are your canine summertime essentials?

*I paid for all of these products myself except for the water bottle which was given to me by another blogger.