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