We are used to regular warnings about protecting our own skin from the dangers of the sun’s rays, but it is important to protect our pets too. Dogs like people can suffer in hot weather and following simple rules can help keep your dog a lot happier as temperatures rise. As summer is here (hopefully!) and as the temperature rises it brings more time spent outdoors with our dogs, enjoying days out with both humans and canines. So we have put together a few top tips to help you plan ahead to stop dangerous situations from escalating and avoid potential disasters. It’s worth remembering that every year dogs tragically die in hot vehicles or end up in the Vets with sunburn or heatstroke.

Understanding how your dog cools down is important

• They don’t sweat like us, they pant, and they don’t think, ‘I’m hot, I think and I will go and lie down and cool off now’! They use their respiratory system to regulate body temperature and cool down, mainly by panting, unlike us humans who sweat when we are hot, dogs do not use sweating through their skin as their cooling mechanism.
• A panting dog is a hot dog! His or her mouth is open and their tongue is hanging out. They get rid of heat by panting or through the pads of their feet. As he begins to overheat, your dog will ‘heave’ which becomes louder and sounds like a ‘roar’. He will begin to look tired and distressed and his tongue will be very floppy and red in colour. Sometimes you see twitching muscles and a dazed look in his eyes.
• It is time to act quickly and decisively. Seek Veterinary help as this is a medical emergency for your dog that can be fatal, potentially causing damage to internal organs.

IF YOUR DOG OVERHEATS it is important to follow this procedure:

• Lower his body temperature – pour cool water, not freezing, on your dog and rub ice on him, particularly around the head and under his tail. If possible stand him in a cold bath and keep going with the ice until the breathing is less laboured. If no ice is immediately available, use packets of frozen vegetables. If out an about use a horse trough, river or pond to stand your dog in or find the nearest hose pipe.
• Clear the airway – Squirt some lemon juice (Jiff lemon is great for this) into the back of his throat. Not nice, but works brilliantly at breaking up the excess foam and clear his throat. Do NOT allow him to drink a lot of water as this will cause him to vomit but do offer cool water. Don’t force him to drink.
• Keep him calm – Keep him in a quiet place and keep a close eye on him. A few drops of Bach Flower Remedy on his tongue might help here.
• If these tips don’t work get him to a Vet as quickly as possible wrapped in damp, cold towels for the journey. Take some cold water for your dog to drink.

• Like us, dogs can also suffer from sunburn and white dogs are particularly prone to sunburn due to a lack of pigmentation in their skin. The tips of their ears, bridge of their nose, round their eyes and abdomen are areas that can easily burn due to thin skin and less hair covering these sensitive areas.
• High factor waterproof sunscreen or complete sun block can be applied and you can now buy sun block cream specifically produced for pets. www.canineconcepts.co.uk/item-pet-suncreen
• Small paddling pools are a great idea and loads of fun to cool a dog down in the back garden and many dogs enjoy play in this way. Make sure you don’t leave your dog unsupervised and make sure they can get out easily. Be extra careful using rivers and canals as there are strong underwater currents, obstacles and disease present in many areas.
• I love the new concept of ‘Canine Coolers’! They can help relieve the symptoms of Heatstroke but in hot days just keep you beloved dog more comfortable and cool. See www.canineconcepts.co.uk/itemcanine-cooler-cooler-dogs.
• Like us, your dog can also become dehydrated due to lack of fluid intake and loss of saliva when panting. So making sure your dog has a constant supply of cool fresh drinking water will help prevent dehydration, but not from a bowl that has been sitting in the sun. I like the spill proof bowls from www.muddypaws.co.uk. Signs of dehydration in a dog include a dry mouth, gums and nose, reduced skin elasticity and sunken eyes. If you suspect your dog is dehydrated offer your dog water in small amounts to prevent vomiting. Then call your Vet to seek further advice.

SHADE AND VENTILATION

• Check your dog has constant access to a well shaded area at all times of the day. Remember the sun moves around and I often place an electric fan (well out of reach) to help keep the air circulating in the room for my dog. Also pulling over curtains and blinds early morning before the sun rays come into a room is very helpful. Some dogs, especially Labradors, love to sunbathe so you need to prevent this as dogs quickly overheat and can be burnt by the sun.
• Older dogs and those with expanding waistlines can overheat a lot quicker and may be less tolerant to the heat and less able to regulate their body temperature
• Even travelling in a car to and from the exercise area can present an opportunity for your dog to become overheated quickly. Never ever leave your dog even for a few minutes in a hot car as temperatures in the car can soar very quickly. Be safe and don’t take the risk! I see many dogs travelling in cars with their heads stuck out the window which is extremely dangerous as a passing car could hit them or a stone could do significant damage to their eyes, as can wind and dust particles. It is a common error to believe that leaving a window partly open will eliminate problems with heat.

EXERCISE

• Always a difficult one and a real challenge for Pet Carers last summer but as much as possible we start earlier and we do not go out in the midday sun with our dogs. Only mad dogs and Englishmen do!!! And we see them all the time. Dogs will play and run in the sun but they don’t know when to stop and they can suffer from heatstroke due to physical activity on a warm, hot or humid day. If your dog wears a muzzle when out and about be extra careful and take additional precautions in hot weather to safeguard the welfare of your dog. The ‘basket type’ allows your dog to open its mouth to pant or to drink so they can cool themselves down quickly.
• It is always important to remember that tarmac and pavements get hot too! Dogs’ paws can get burnt in hot weather and in the early evening when they still can be hot, so change your exercise location to grass or another surface.

COAT TYPES

• Black dogs will absorb more heat from the sun, and long-haired and dogs with double coats need to be kept well groomed. Keeping the coat free of tangles and removing dead undercoat helps the air to circulate which allows the skin to breathe and your dog keep cooler. Some owners of the longer haired breeds go to a professional groomer and have them ‘shaved’ and trimmed quite short for the summer, as it makes them more comfortable.
  BRACHYCEPHALIC DOGS
• Short nosed in face/flat face/snub nose dogs are technically known as ‘Brachycephalic dogs’ and include breeds such as British Bulldog, Boxer, Pekingese, Pug as well as cross breeds.
• These dogs need special care in hot weather as they can overheat quickly and this can be fatal. They have short noses and air breathed in doesn’t cool so well before it reaches the lungs. They also rely on panting but have to work a lot harder at it as they are not, by design, very efficient.
• When a Brachycephalic dog is too hot and panting, foamy phlegm can be produced in the throat making it harder to breathe and prevention is even more important in these types of Breeds.