Sun’s Out… Tongues Out!
With the summer heatwave set to continue, follow our guide to keeping your dog safe and having fun in the summer sun….
- Restrict exercise – walk early in the morning or later in the evening
- Never leave in a car, hot room or sun trap
- Ensure drinking water and a cool, shaded spot is always available (carry water & a bowl with you on walks)
- Spray with cool water
- Make cooling tasty treats by making ice cubes with your dog’s favourite food inside or stuff a kong and pop it in the freezer
- Be particularly careful with short nosed breeds, older dogs and those that are overweight – these dogs can get heatstroke simply by running around
Heatstroke – know the signs;
- Glassy eyes, fearful expression
- Heavy panting, excessive drooling, red or purple gums & tongue, vomiting
- High body temperature
- Racing heart
- Collapsing or staggering
- Seizures
Steps to take if you’re worried your dog has heatstroke;
- Move somewhere cool, preferably somewhere with a draught or in the breeze of a fan
- Offer small amounts of tepid water
- Using wet towels, douse with cool (not cold!) water
- Contact your vet or out of hours service immediately – The average survival rate of dogs diagnosed with heatstroke is 50% so it is important to act quickly