Beat The Heat – Keeping Your Dog Comfortable

What is 'Hot Weather'?

There's no denying that 'hot weather' is a pretty subjective statement. More often than not, what we think is bearable is actually far too warm for our four legged friends...

Temperature	Risk Level	Meaning
15°C	Low	Poses no risk to most healthy dogs.
18°C	Low	No risk to small and medium sized dogs. Large dogs may find it a little too warm.
21°C	Medium	Some risk to small and medium sized dogs. Large dogs will find it too warm.
23°C	Medium	Most dogs will find it too warm.
26°C	High	Most dogs will find it too warm. This can be dangerous for large dogs.
29°C	High	This is dangerous for all dogs and potentially life threatening for large dogs.

Hydration

1. Drinking Water

The key to keeping your dog hydrated during the summer is to ensure they’re drinking more liquid than they’re losing! You can calculate roughly how much they should be consuming easily, simply multiply the number of cups of dry food they receive per day by three. Bare in mind, some dogs will drink double or even triple their normal amount when it’s hot. So, be sure to top up their bowl regularly!

2. Encouraging Drinking

Tracking any animal’s water intake is easier said than done! Sadly, if they’re not drinking enough they can quickly become dehydrated. There are plenty of things we can do to prevent this though, so don’t panic. Take a look at our top tips for upping their intake…

• Feed raw or canned food, these contain much more water.
• Add water to their biscuits and feed immediately. This works best before the liquid is absorbed.
• Completely submerge a small amount of wet food or a few pieces of meat in a bowl of water. Most dogs will happily drink to get to the food.
• Freeze their favourite tasty treats in ice cubes.

Beating The Heat

1. Pools

Paddling pools aren’t just for kids. Most dogs think they’re great fun too, especially if you throw in some toys! On a hot day, these offer your dog the ability to cool off on their own terms. If you’d like to give this a go, ensure the paddling pool is in a shaded area so the water doesn’t get hot.

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Aqua Fabric Lobber

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Aqua Stretchy Ball Thrower

2. Shade

Spending all day in direct sunlight can be really dangerous. If your dog loves to be outside in the garden, it’s important to provide plenty of shade. This doesn’t have to be a fancy kennel! In fact, we’d recommend investing in a parasol. These guard against UV rays but don’t obstruct the cooling breeze!

3. Fans & Ventilation

We really don’t need to tell you this, but houses get hot and stuffy! Unfortunately, if you’re struggling, your dog will be too. So, consider treating them to their very own fan. While these don’t necessarily drop the temperature, they keep the air moving for a more comfortable environment.

4. Grooming

5. WeatherBeeta Therapy-Tec Cooling Dog Coat

Heat Stroke

We all know that spending too much time in the sun can cause heat stroke, but did you know this can affect dogs too? Also known as Hyperthermia, heat stress and heat exhaustion, it occurs when their body temperature becomes too high. Unlike us, dogs do not sweat. Relying on panting, they’re much less effective at cooling off. So, we need to be extra careful!

Any dog can suffer from heat stroke, but some are at a higher risk than others. It’s particularly prevalent amongst short faced breeds, thick coated breeds, dark colours, seniors, puppies and the overweight.

Symptoms Of Heat Stroke

On a hot day the severity of heatstroke can escalate rapidly, so it’s important to know the signs:

• Fast Heart Rate
• High Temperature
• Panting
• Drooling & Foaming
• Red or Purple Mucus Membranes
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Fatigue
• Distress
• Poor Coordination, Weakness & Shaking
• Vomiting
• Collapse
• Seizures

Treating Heat Stroke

If you believe your dog is suffering from heat stroke it’s vital to act fast! Sadly, it can become fatal in as little as 15 minutes, so every second counts. First and foremost, don’t panic. Call your vet to inform them of the situation and arrange an emergency appointment. Before transporting your dog to the surgery, you’ll need to cool them down. Your vet will tell you what steps you should take to do this gradually and safely. These may include:

• Moving your dog to a cool, shaded area.
• Placing your dog on top of a cold wet towel.
• Using a shower, hose pipe or sponge to soak your dog’s coat with a constant stream of cool (but not cold) water.
• Offering your dog a drink of water.
• Placing your dog close to a fan or in the breeze.

Walkies!

1. Time

Always try to avoid walking your dog during the hottest part of the day, between 11am and 3pm. It’s best to opt for early in the morning or late at night when it’s much cooler outside.

2. Duration

Try to keep your dogs walk shorter and slower paced when the weather is hot. The most common cause of heat stress in dogs is overexertion. So, to avoid this keep excitable and highly active dogs on the lead when possible.

Burnt Pads

Have you ever walked on a hot pavement barefoot? Concrete, tarmac and stone surfaces absorb a lot of heat, easily capable of causing burns in as little as 1 minute. So, it’s best to do a quick test before you head out for walkies. Place the back of your hand on the ground. If you can’t comfortably keep it there for 5s or more then it will damage your dogs paw pads.

Air Temperature	Tarmac/Asphalt
25°C	52°C
30°C	57°C
31°C	62°C

Symptoms of Burnt Pads

• Licking and Chewing
• Limping
• Colour Changes
• Blistering
• Bleeding
• Swelling
• Tenderness

If you believe your dog has sustained burns, contact your vet immediately to arrange treatment.

Traveling & Day Trips

When the temperatures sore the temptation is to take a day trip somewhere nice, right? The issue with this is… Cars get very hot! Not only do they trap heat, but they’re poorly ventilated, quickly becoming suffocating. Consequently, while the temperatures outside may only be around 20°C, they could reach an unbearable 47°C inside within as little as one hour.

Take a look at our top tips for keeping your dog safe when traveling on warm days…

Do

• Use a crate or carrier.
• Travel early in the morning or later at night when the temperatures are cooler.
• Wrap cold damp towels around frozen water bottles to keep them cool.
• Use a cooling mat.
• Use window shades to block direct out sunlight.
• Turn on the air conditioning to circulate cool air.
• Keep the windows open a little to improve airflow, providing they can not jump out.
• Plan breaks on long trips so they can go to the toilet and stretch their legs.
• Take water and a bowl and offer them regular drinks to prevent dehydration.

Don't

• Allow your dog to put their head out of the window.
• Allow them in the front seat with the air bags on.
• Feed your dog less than 2 hours before traveling.

Don’t forget, never leave your dog alone in a hot car!

Sun Protection

While your dogs coat is good at blocking UV rays, this doesn’t mean that they can’t get sunburn! Anywhere that the skin is exposed or the coat is thin is at risk. The most commonly burnt areas are the nose, ears and belly. Easy to prevent, suncream will reduce the risk significantly when applied correctly. This should be re-applied every 4 to 6 hours or if they’ve been swimming.