Keeping your dog cool in hot weather is about being prepared. As well as having fun and exploring with your dog in good weather it is also important to keep them safe too.
Dogs don’t cope as well as humans in hot temperatures – as they only sweat through their paws and around their nose they find it harder to regulate their body temperature and cool themselves down.
If dogs get too hot and are unable to reduce their body heat by panting, and through their paws and nose, they may develop heat stroke. Symptoms to look out for are excessive panting and drooling, whining, extremely red gums, vomiting, diarrhoea, increased heart rate and weakness.
Heat stroke can effect any dog, but certain breeds are more susceptible to heatstroke such as brachycephalic or flat faced breeds such as French Bulldogs, Pugs, English Bulldogs and Boston Terriers, and also senior or obese dogs.
Top Tips for keeping your dog safe
Walk your dog at a cooler time of day, either early morning or late evening – do the tarmac test, if you can hold your hand down for 5 seconds then its too hot for your dogs paws
They may drink a lot more in hot weather so make sure you keep an eye on water levels in their bowl
Giving them frozen treats can help keep your dog cool – you can fill and freeze lickimats, toppls and kongs or even our Lamb Horns or trachea!
Ensure there is enough shade for your dog if they are outside, you could try a cooling mat or paddling pool to also cool them down if outside
Make sure they don’t burn – use dog safe sun screen in exposed parts or their skin such as noses, this can be dog specific or human lotion with no Zinc Oxide in
Never leave a dog in a hot car or conservatory, temperatures can quickly rise in these environments a lot more than outside temperatures which can be fatal in as little as 20 minutes
Regular grooming can get rid of any dead or excess hair leaving your dog with a less dense coat which is better for keeping cool – but don’t forget to not shave double coated breeds as their coat helps them to regulate body temperature
Remember it’s OK to miss a walk or 2 – why not try learning some new tricks instead? Or hiding treats for your dog to sniff out!
