Do Dogs Sweat on Their Belly? Why Is My Dogs Belly Wet?

Are you noticing a clammy moist feeling around your dog’s belly and wondering what’s causing it? Naturally, you may think of it as sweating, but the next immediate question is, do dogs really sweat through their belly. 

Dogs actually cannot sweat on their belly or from any part of their body where there is fees. Unlike humans, dog’s regulate their temperature through panting, not sweating.

So, to answer your question, we’re here with a detailed guide about your pooch buddy’s sweating mechanism. By the end, you will be aware of whether dogs sweat on their bellies or if it is normal for them to sweat at all. So, hold on tight to get your queries answered.

Do Dogs Sweat from Their Belly?‎

Dogs don’t sweat from their belly or any part of their body with fur. In fact, they don’t sweat the way we humans do as they regulate their body temperature in an entirely different way that is panting. They do have some sweat glands that would help them in cooling down their bodies, namely merocrine sweat glands and apocrine sweat glands. 

Merocrine glands are mainly located in your dog’s paw pads and work just like the human sweat glands and help your pup to cool off. It’s the key purpose of this gland. So, your puppy will sweat through their paws, and you’ll know this by the wet trail behind them on hot summer days.

On the other hand, apocrine glands are located all over your doggo’s body but aren’t involved in regulating the body temperature. Instead, these glands release specific hormones that help your dog buddies to identify each other. 

Sometimes, you may notice that the belly area of your dog is hot to touch, especially after a long walk. But there is nothing to panic about – have him relax under some shade, and he’ll be fine.

Where Do Dogs Sweat if Not from Their Belly?‎

Since the fur interrupts evaporation, they’d sweat from the part that has the least fur. It means that they’d sweat through their paws. Merocrine glands that are responsible for regulating their body temperature are in their paws.

You may tend to assume that dogs sweat through their armpits, belly, or other areas of skin, but that’s just a false assumption as dogs do not have any sweat glands in there. They do have glands in that area but release scent pheromones for identification purposes.

So, to cool down, a dog opens their mouth and breathes heavily. By doing so, the extra water evaporates from the dog’s tongue, lungs, and nasal passages, lowering the overall body temperature. Still, it can be tricky to identify whether your dog is feeling hot. So you have to look for different signs beside panting but remember that excessive panting is never a good sign.

If you notice your dog’s neck sticky, don’t take it as sweat as it is a fungal or bacterial skin infection or the beginning of it. In such a case, you would have to take your doggo to the vet as soon as possible.

Is It Normal for A Dog to Sweat?‎

Though your dog has sweat glands, they don’t work as they do in humans. So, you won’t see your dog dripping in sweat in the hot summer season. Instead of sweating through their skin, they’d use their paws to excrete salty sweat.

That’s why you often see them licking their paw pads when they are hot. If you think your dog has sweaty paws, don’t worry about it because it is perfectly normal for dogs to be this way. 

However, sweating alone is not enough to cool their bodies as dogs get major help from panting to get off the excess heat. So, it is normal for your dog to keep panting on a particularly hot day.

But it might be a matter of concern if it feels as if the panting is a little extreme. If not taken into account, your furry buddy might end up with problems like heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

It is possible for your dog to get overheated due to extreme physical activity such as long walks in the sun or playing in the heat. However, dogs rarely sweat even through their paw pads. But if you notice a substance on their body that feels like sweat, it might be an indication of some underlying problem.

Why Is My Dogs Belly Wet If It’s Not Sweating?‎

Now we are super clear that dogs don’t sweat through their belly or any part of the skin. But still, if you find their belly wet, it is not due to sweating. Seborrhea is the main reason which causes wet sticky accumulation around your doggo’s belly, armpits, and ears.

What happens here is that Seborrhea stimulates the skin to release a waxy substance all around the body and, most importantly, the belly area. 

This substance is greasy and smelly in nature and might be mistaken for sweating. But it isn’t! This greasy substance is produced by your dog’s skin and is quite evident in the belly area. Usually, this condition comes with a strong stink.

You may have to shampoo your dog more than normal and use a medicated shampoo to deep cleanse the oil. If the problem persists, a visit to the vet is the only solution.

The build-up of oil is the perfect breeding spot for skin bacteria and yeasts. In the early stages, the bacteria will stay on the surface before penetrating the skin layers and causing a real infection. Always remember it is better to treat this condition in the early stages. 

If your dog has Seborrhea, you should clean his fur regularly. In addition, you should bathe him once or twice weekly to get rid of the stinky stuff from his skin. 

Conclusion

Lastly, we hope that we have provided sufficient information regarding whether dogs sweat through their belly or not. The fact is sweating is totally different for humans and their canine counterparts.

But if you notice a clammy and wet sensation on their belly, it is not sweating but overactive oil glands. As a starting solution, give them regular baths. But if the stinky, sweaty substance persists and you cannot stand it, consider visiting the vet as your pet may need antibiotics. 

Author

  • Brad

    Hi I'm Brad, the founder of bulldogpapa.com. Having been a vet of 6 years I work alongside our team to provide valuable insight into your dog's health. I have a frenchie myself named Senzu who is my pride and joy!