Question for our American Friends

[Weims]

I have seen advertised on E Bay a "Cool K9 Dog Cooling Coat"

"The COOL K-9 cooling jacket for dogs can help your dog stay cool on hot days. Water-absorbing, cross-linked polymer crystals are sewn into the lining. Once saturated with water, the jacket works by evaporation. The evaporative process allows heat to transfer from the dog to the jacket, and from the jacket to the air – similar to our bodies’ own manner of cooling through perspiration"

I have been told they work really well and will keep dogs cool for hours. The e bay advert is selling them for £18+, which is a good price as I can only find them over here in UK for £30+, but he wants £25 postage.

I was wondering is anyone knows of a shop or something like that that I can buy from rather than E Bay, or if someone would be willing to purchase for me and post to UK. Alternatively we are travelling to Vancouver in Canada next weekend, is there anywhere around Vancouver that sells these coats??

Thanks in anticipation of your valued assistance.

Lynn and 5 very hot weimies!

[daniela]

They sound great. When I was in the US I bought a couple of dog scarves which work in the same way. The scarves are flat but when you wet them, they swell up around the collar area and keep them cool.

I had never seen anything like this in the UK before - hope someone can help you with a retailer in the US or Canada.

[Wetdog]

Uhhh, how about just spray him with the hose? Or a spray bottle? That is what we do. And for ourselfs, we soak a bandana in cool water and tie it around our neck.

We also stay out of the sun--only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun--LOL.

Just teasing you a little, seriously, I've never seen anything like that here---it sounds like the wet bandana idea though. How about trying a wet Tshirt on him?

[graham]

Hi Lyn, The coats you refer to are fantastic. I was able to obtain one in Australia from one of our Eurowei board members "Fyreside". Marg if you are reading this let Lyn know how you obtained the coats. They were more expensive here though. Perhaps Lyn if you and some friends combined boought a number of them it would reduce the cost for freight.
I can thoroughly recommend them , snesational in the hot Australian summer. Let me know if you do not hear from Fyreside
Graham & DASH

[Weims]

Hi Graham, thanks for the reply.

Wetdog in the hot hot weather we have been having here this type of coat would be ideal for dog shows as they are outdoors. As you know I show my weimies and hosing them down is not an option at a show. The wet bandana... well honestly in the heat we have been having it would have dried out within minutes.

These coats work by drawing the heat from the dog and then evaporating it and the cool wet interior of the coat stays cool for hours and hours, someone said even days.?

The chap on E bay is in Ohio!

Lynn

PS: I wonder if this could be a business opportunity here in England.?

[tasha]

well I'd definitely have one from you, in fact if you don't mind adding one to your package I don't mind sharing the postage costs?

[fyreside]

Lynn, I have several of these coats for my dogs. They are terrific. You soak them in a bucket of water for about 5 mins and then wring them out and wipe the inside with a towel to dry it off. Place it on your dog and it will keep them REALLY cool and not wet. As the water evaporates you can either repeat the process or spray the coats with a water spray. You can order them on line from the people in Australia and pay with credit card. Their web address is www.CoolingApparel.com.au. Their phone number is [phone]. I have purchased the large size for my weimaraners. The human vests also work really well I have one of them as well. I might be a bit broke but we are all cool. :-)

I convinced Graham to buy one for Dash, and all my show friends have them as well.

Marg
Fyreside Kennels.

[Wetdog]

I Googled up the site yesterday(Silver Eagle)---looks like a good idea. When I lived in California, the dogs and I used to go over the mountains and down to the Anza Borrego desert to play and get away from the people. With summer temperatures of 40-45 C and humidities of less than 5% , soaking a heavy sweat shirt in water and putting it on did the same thing. IT REALLY COOLS in the low humidity---if fact sometimes it would get so cold you'd have to take it off for awhile.

I'm sure there are a lot of similar situations in Australia(desert)--however, if it is hot and very high humidity it wouldn't work as well.

I've been to some pretty hot dog shows and I think it is a good idea---let me know how they work for you, I might order some too later.

[fyreside]

Hmm I live in Melbourne, Australia - down the southern end of the continent. THere isn't a desert anywhere close to me LOL. I have had these coats on my dogs from when the temperature gets to about 28 degrees (82 fahrenheit). The dogs who normally pant and have trouble coping with heat, lie down and go to sleep breathing normally. When you check the dogs by feeling their coat under the cooling vest they are cool, not at all hot. I have used these coats at home on days when it has been well over 40 degrees (104) and the dogs are not at all stressed. At shows they go into the ring happy and refreshed. I now leave my coats in the boot of my car so that I'm never without them. I also use these coats to keep them warm in the winter. I can't speak highly enough of them. (I work on the adage if it works really well, tell people about it. I DONT like seeing heat stressed dogs!) These coats are fine for long haired dogs as well - doesn't make the coat wet if you dry them out as per the instructions.

[rute_paredes]

These vest sound wonderful! It can get mighty hot here in Portugal and it's really tough on Iago.
I might purchase one of these myself.
Lynn, if you're going to buy several I'll join Tasha and get one from you and split the postage costs. (I'd then pay you for the remaining postage to Portugal).
I was just in dog dog show in Lisbon 3 weeks ago and it got so hot there were some dogs being carried out of the ring in arms and hosed down practically on the spot. The temperature was so hight the dogs were dry in a manner of minutes.

rute

[Weims]

I have e mailed the CoolingApparel.com.au, asking if they would consider an agent int he UK to sell for them. I will await their reply. Will let you know what I hear, but I am on hols from 6th August to 21 August so if I dont post before I go I will let youknow when I return.

Lynn