kellen46

The answer is they don't sweat to cool down. They have lots of blood vessels in their big ears and by exposing the blood to the cooler air, cool their bodies. For all those who are suffering in the current heat wave here is a solution that uses the animal's wisdom.
For some time I have made cool scarves for service persons in Afghanistann and Iraq. The crystals absorb a great deal of water and hold it for a long time. As a result the scarves when draped around the neck, through evaporation, cool the blood running through the veins and arteries in the neck. If you cannot cool the the environment, cool the body. The scarves are easy to make, requiring just a narrow fabric tube and a bit of the crystals. In addition extra scarves can be kept in the refrigerator for an instant whoosh of coolness. The scarves can be refreshed as they lose moisture by a simple soaking in water. This might be a good project to make for seniors who do not have air conditioning and cannot go out to a cooling center. It might also be good for those who have jobs requiring them to work outdoors. At a minimum it can make a hot day more bearable at a lot less cost than the energy to run an air conditioner on high cool. Here is a link for instructions and sources of supply. http://soldiersangels.org/uploads/CoolScarvesHowTo.pdf

Painiacs

I've used those they r great!!

NancyG

Thanks for the link. I had one of these years ago and it worked wonderfully....really cools you down.

pamelainsa

I have even used these on my Siberian Husky when it got really hot!!!

ssgramma

Soaking one now for DH to mow :-)

quiltpd

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a go.

Ramona Byrd

Where do you get the crystals in large amounts? Now that I no longer have access to nursery catalogs, I've forgotten where a lot of that stuff comes from. The cost of small amounts is rather stiff, or at least were years ago.

feline fanatic

Thanks! I have used these motorcycling and they are great. Now I have a resource for the crystals and simple instructions on how to make.

alikat110

Love these.

hobo2000

They also sell one at Bed, Bath and Beyond for 14.99 that lasts up to 12 hours. It is wonderful. Has a tube you slide it in for 1/2 hour and its good for another 8-12 hours.