Essential Hot Weather Safety Tips
Finally summer has arrived in the UK! However, the hot weather pauses risks to dogs ranging from dehydration to heatstroke and many other potential problems in between. Here are our essential safety tips to make sure your furry friends can enjoy the warm weather.
Plan your walks
Walk your dog either early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the hottest parts of the day. If you have a very active dog, you might have to limit the amount of walks on hot days as a dog would carry on as normal risking heatstroke, which can be fatal to dogs. Pavements get very hot and therefore can easily burn the paws. To check if a pavement is too hot, simply put your hand on it and if it feels too hot for you, it will be unpleasant and dangerous for your dog to walk on.
It’s also a good idea to visit the woods instead of open fields and remember to take some water with you for your dog.
Provide shade in the garden
Dogs will naturally seek out the shades outside so you just need to make sure there are trees in your garden. If not, you can buy a dog-friendly tent.
Provide fresh water
Keep your dog hydrated by providing access to fresh water at all times and keep the water bowl out of direct sunlight.
Apply sunscreen
If you have a short-haired breed with whitish or pinkish ears, you should apply sunscreen to the nose, lips and ears. This can be done to any dogs just to be on the safe side.
Circulate indoor air with fans
You can just use fans to cool the house but if your dog seems very hot and bothered by the temperature, place it near your dog’s spot and let him/her enjoy it.
Cooling mats and damp towels
Cooling mats are great but if you don’t have one, you can simply dampen some towels and lay them out for your dog to lie on. They bring down a dog’s temperature quite quickly. Please make sure you don’t wrap your dogs in damp towels though as they will warm up eventually and instead of cooling they will warm up your dog.
Ice treats
Make ice-lollies with simply blending water with a few strawberries or blueberries. You can also just freeze some carrots or cucumber if your dog is usually happy to have such vegetables. Alternatively, you could fill a hoof or Kong toy with some plain yoghurt and some dog-friendly fruits.
Car safety
Never ever leave your dogs in the car, not even for a few minutes as cars get overheated very quickly!
Signs & symptoms of heatstroke in dogs include collapse, excessive panting and dribbling.
Most importantly, try to prevent heatstroke by following the advice above.
Go and enjoy the lovely weather whilst it lasts!