Beat the heat! How to keep your dog cool in hot weather

How to Keep Your Dog Cool and Safe in Hot Weather

As temperatures rise, it’s important to consider how the heat affects our canine companions. Dogs are highly susceptible to heatstroke, a serious and potentially fatal condition – recognising the signs early and knowing how to respond can make all the difference. Here are some things to consider and help your dog beat the heat!

Signs of Heatstroke in Dogs

Look out for the following symptoms:

• Excessive panting
• Dark red or bright red gums and tongue
• Sticky or dry gums and tongue
• Staggering, seizures, or severe lethargy
• Bloody diarrhoea or vomiting
• Rapid heart rate

Certain dogs are more vulnerable, particularly flat-nosed breeds (such as Bulldogs and Pugs), large breeds, heavy-coated dogs, senior dogs, and those with respiratory issues.

What to Do in an Emergency

Cool first and transport later! If you think your dog is suffering from heatstroke, act quickly.

Stop any activity, move them to a shaded or cool, well-ventilated area, and begin cooling them with water straight away.

Poor water over them and use airflow from a fan, breeze, or air conditioning if available, and offer water if they are alert and able to drink.

Contact your vet immediately for advice — the current guidance is to cool first, then transport, as every minute matters when a dog is overheating.

How to Help Your Dog Beat the Heat

• Always provide fresh, cool water at home and when out and about. Carry a bottle for both you and your dog, don’t forget to take a Natural Dog Food Collapsible bowl!
• Cool, not cold, water is best for cooling dogs down. Very cold water can cause blood vessels to constrict, making it harder for them to lose heat.
• Create shaded outdoor spaces and offer cool resting spots indoors, such as tiled floors or near a fan.
• Offer frozen dog-friendly treats to keep them stimulated and cool.
• Opt for mental stimulation games instead of physical activity during the hottest parts of the day.
• Limit walks to cooler times such as early morning or late evening if the pavement has cooled enough. If the pavement is too hot for your bare feet, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws!
• Never leave your dog in a car, even for a short time. The temperature inside a car can climb dangerously high within minutes, even with the windows open.
• Grooming can help remove loose undercoat and improves airflow through the coat. For heavy-coated or double-coated breeds it is not recommend to cut the coat however for other breeds a shorter summer cut can help keep them cool.
• Be careful with artificial grass, sand, decking, and patios, it isn’t only pavements that heat up. Artificial grass, beach sand, paving slabs, and decking can all become uncomfortable or even burn paws.

Hot weather activities for dogs

Scent games, such as finding treats hidden around the room, can help keep the brain active while providing a low energy activity. There are also many treat dispensing toys that can keep them busy, these also keep their minds active. You can also use a towel, lay flat and scatter treats, then roll up and watch them unwrap to find the treats.

Bobbing for treats is a great way to keep dogs cool, getting their face and mouths wet helps to cool them and get water into their bodies even if they don’t like drinking much water.

Learning a new trick is a fantastic way of using their brains and focusing their energy on one activity, this could be something active like a small obstacle course or a trick that you have always wanted to learn

Encouraging your dog to drink frequently helps maintain hydration and reduces the risk of heat-related illnesses, there are lots of tips on our blog post!

Hot weather can sometimes bring thunderstorms, there are lots of things we can do to help our dogs deal with stress and anxiety, read more here.

For more blog posts, visit our blog page!

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