They’re even known to collapse, as their short muzzles can make breathing difficult, and therefore it’s even harder for them to keep cool.
Invest in an escape-prevention harness if you have a small dog and a fenced-in yard. A little silly looking, but safer than risking a runaway dog. Buy it here.
Overweight and senior pets can also struggle in hot weather, so take extra care.
Caroline Reay, Head of Veterinary Services at Blue Cross, said: ‘Just recently we treated a two-year-old French bulldog who had been taken out on a run who had collapsed.‘While we enjoy the sunshine and warm weather, it is important to make sure our pets are kept safe. They can quickly overheat and sometimes this can be extremely dangerous and even fatal.
‘The heatwave will certainly prove too hot for most of our pets, so please do walk dogs early in the morning and late at night when temperatures are lower.
Add Brushing Your Dogs Teeth into Their Grooming Routine. Get in the habit of brushing your dogs teeth daily to avoid expensive dental visits later. You can use a human toothbrush if you like (though they make ones for dogs, too), but be sure to pick up tooth paste that’s formulated for dogs.
‘Never leave your pet alone inside a car, even with windows open it can quickly become like an oven and dogs become overcome with the heat.’
Blue Cross also want to highlight that hot tarmac can burn your little buddy’s paws just like it might a human, so be careful where you walk them.
If you want to test if the ground is too hot, simply take your shoes off and see if you can stand for five seconds – if you can’t, it’s too hot for your dog.
It’s tempting to open all your windows in hot weather, but Blue Cross recommends installing screens and netting to help keep your pets from suffering a nasty fall.
The cheese will melt just enough to stick to the inside of the Kong.
The charity often also gets asked about giving dogs ice cubes in hot weather.
Caroline explains you need to take the size of your pet into consideration, saying: ‘It’s fine to give your dog ice cubes in the hot weather, but make sure the size of the cube is appropriate to the size of the dog.
‘For smaller breeds only offer small cubes or ice shavings.’
Watch out for the symptoms of heatstroke in your pets, which, as This Morning’s Dr Scott Miller previously warned, include ‘excessive amounts of panting’ and drooling.No night vision goggles needed! Dogs’ eyes contain a special membrane, called the tapetum lucidum, which allows them to see in the dark.
He explained that heatstroke could also cause pets to lose their coordination, while, in the ‘worst case scenario’, they could collapse.
For dogs specifically, heatstroke presents with symptoms including:
- Heavy panting
- Excessive drooling
- Lethargy
- Drowsiness
- Lack of co-ordination
- Collapsing
- Vomiting
The symptoms of heatstroke in cats are:
- Agitation
- Stretching out and breathing rapidly
- Extreme distress
- Having skin hot to the touch
- Glazed eyes
- Vomiting and drooling
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