Gosh, it’s hot out there!

How do we cope in this weather with our cats and dogs AND HAVE FUN at the same time? It can be quite tricky to juggle – at last it’s lovely, we want to go out there and enjoy the sun, maybe sit in a beer garden or go to an outdoor show, and we don’t want our dogs to miss out. But should we take them?

If in any doubt, less is definitively more!

No dog has ever died from being bored for a few days, but far too many dogs have died (or seriously suffered) from being out in the heat too much.

And dogs die of heatstroke each year!

Hopefully you already know the usual advice:

• Take your dog out first thing in the morning and last thing at night, when it’s a little cooler.
• Take plenty of water with you.
• Seek out shady areas and those with access to water.
• Grass is cooler underfoot than tarmac
• Avoid strenuous exercise, take it easy. Leave the ball thrower at home.
• Check the temperature of the pavement with the back of your hand – if its too hot for you to touch for more than a couple of seconds, it’s too hot for your dog to walk on. And dogs do get scalded paws in hot weather!
• And obviously – never, ever leave your dog in the car on a hot day! It gets extremely hot in the car very quickly, and despite this being shared over and over again, dogs still die like this every summer!

Some dogs can cope much better with hot weather than others.

Dogs that are more at risk are:

• Older dogs
• Very young dogs
• Overweight dogs
• Dogs with medical issues such as heart problems or hormonal problems
• Bulldog type dogs with a flat face

Dogs can’t sweat like we do (their only sweat glands are in the paws), so they mainly adjust to heat by panting. In flat faced dogs, the area of the nose that regulates heat is TINY compared to that of other dogs noses- that’s why, no matter how much they pant, they still can’t cool down effectively.

If your Frenchie pants just a little bit more than usual – that’s a sign to stop! Better still: be proactive and stop BEFORE there is any extra panting.

What should you do if you suspect that your dog suffers from heat stroke?

Get your dog out of the sun and get lots of water on them, then call your vet immediately!

Don’t worry whether the water is cold or tepid, don’t bother with fashionable advice such as lemon juice – just remember:

Wet, then Vet!

Wet towels are great – but remember to take them off before they’ve dried. Dried towels will trap the heat and make things worse.

Turn the air con on full while you drive to the clinic- the cold water on your dog together with the cool air will help your dog’s temperature to come down.

Make sure your vets know that you’re coming, so that they can get ready and prepared to take over your dog’s care immediately once you arrive- this will save precious minutes and can be the difference between life and death.

Ok, but we were talking about having FUN with our dogs in the heat.

Here are a few lovely things to try:

• Make it ‘Sponge your Dog Down Day’ (use tepid water, not ice cold).
• Have a kids paddling pool in the garden for your dog to step in and out of as they want. You could even put some toys inside for them to collect.
• Get into the water with your dog. You don’t have to swim! Just wade a little – you’ll feel nicely refreshed, too!
• Scatter some frozen peas in the garden (in the shade) for your dog to search and find.
• Make some ice cubes with bone broth or crushed berries for a cooling snack.
• Fill a kong or similar with dog food, freeze it and give to your dog to enjoy.
• Keep their minds occupied with games- practice tricks, teach them new ones, practice obedience, play with puzzle toys- whatever you and they enjoy.
• Go for a midnight walk. It’s hot til sunset, but who says you can’t take your dog out really late? Maybe take the kids and make it into an adventure!

And what about cats?

Well they tend to look after themselves and be much more sensible than dogs most of the time.

Our Filou loves to sunbathe, then cool off in the long grass, or even roll around in some soil.

The main concern with cats is that they can get cancer from too much sun exposure. It’s mainly white cats that are at risk, and it’s the ears that are most often affected.

It’s sensible to keep white cats indoors on hot, sunny days; and if they do go out, then apply some thick pet safe sunscreen to the ears (white dogs, too!).

All that being said – ENJOY the sun, who knows how long it’ll last!