20/06/2025
What a glorious morning ☀️. Heres a wee article again, that I recently read:-
With the summer months upon us we need to always be mindful of our furry friends. All dogs can suffer with the heat but especially Brachycephalic breeds (flat faced breeds like PUGS, BOSTON TERRIERS, FRENCHIES, BOXERS ETC), as they cannot self regulate their body temperature as well as other breeds, due to the facial structure & all too common breathing issues!
⚠️Heat stroke: The dangers ⚠️
Heatstroke is one of the biggest dangers to dogs in summer. It can progress very quickly, and even if treated swiftly, can be fatal. It most typically occurs in three different situations:
1. Your dog does too much exercise in warm weather – An important note here; more than 70% of heat related illness in dogs is triggered by exercising in warm weather. This is exacerbated by the use of balls / ball throwers which excite and encourage dogs to exercise way beyond what is reasonable in warm weather. Carers must think FOR their dog and restrict exercise to gentle “sniffing” walks in the warmer weather. Your dog will comply if he thinks you want him to run and chase a ball regardless of the consequences, so this must really be avoided. For Brachycephalic breeds dangers can be as little as sitting in the sun 🥹😳
2. Your dog can’t cope with heat for a medical reason – some dogs overheat more than others, particularly overweight dogs, heavy-coated breeds, and short-nosed ‘brachycephalic’ breeds (that’s Pugs, Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, & Boxers among others).
3. Your dog is trapped in a hot environment such as a hot car, conservatory or even just a warm, sunny room! NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A HOT CAR 🥵
Heatstroke can kill or cause irreparable damage to internal organs, so it’s vital that you take it seriously and do all you can to prevent it.
❗️What is heat stroke?❗️
Heat stroke is a form of nonpyrogenic hyperthermia which essentially means a high temperature that is not caused by a fever. It occurs when dogs are no longer able to self-regulate and keep their own temperature at a comfortable or safe level.
Signs of heat stroke:
📍Faster, heavier panting
📍Barking, whining or signs of agitation
📍Excessive thirst
📍Excessive drooling
📍Increased pulse and heartbeat
📍Dark-coloured (red or purple) gums or tongue
📍Glassy eyes
📍Staggering, weakness, collapse or Seizures
📍Unconsciousness
If you see any of these symptoms be it your dog or someone else’s, begin cooling the dog immediately with cool water, get the dog to the nearest vet as quickly as you can, ensuring that you have opened all windows or have the air conditioning on while still cooling the dog, you can place wet towels under the dog and wet the paws, the back of the neck, inner thighs, underbelly & armpits.
Rapid cooling saves lives so act quickly 🙏🏻. If you are by a water source, use this to fully wet the dog while being mindful not to submerge the dogs head especially brachycephalic breeds as these are prone to aspiration pneumonia, also most can not swim so always support the dog fully.
Do not use iced water, I’d leave that to the professionals so the dogs is in a controlled environment where the temperature can be monitored closely. Water evaporation & air circulation is one of the most effective ways of reducing the body temperature down below that critical level so act quickly to save lives, but always get to the closest vets for professional treatment. Offer small amounts of cool water, but don’t let them drink too much too quickly, as this could cause vomiting and make the condition worse 💔
Please don’t allow your dog to get to this level - precaution is the best course of action.
So what can we do to help our babies stay cool & happy during the summer months:
📍Encourage them to stay in shaded areas and away from direct sunlight, and apply a natural sun screen if needed
📍Be mindful of using Crates in the summer months and ensure they are placed in the coolest part of the house. We would recommend leaving the door open to allow them to come out if they are too hot, or if they can’t be trusted with free roaming, you can buy play pens to attach to a crate to give them more open space to cool down without access to the whole room. Cool mats can be used to give them an option to cool off when needed and any winter covers should be removed in the warmer months. Make sure your dog has somewhere to go lay down that’s cool, giving them the choice to move from a bed if needed. It’s also extremely important they have unrestricted access to water to keep hydrated and to regulate their temperature.
The snout soother from Natural dog co is a great natural sunscreen the ingredients include organic shea butter which naturally retains moisture and natural sunscreen. It also contains Kukui oil which is a homeostatic moisturizer and sunscreen.
Make sure your dog has access to clean water at all times, ideally a large bowl filled to the brim. Always carry water & a bowl with you on walks.
Freeze some doggy safe fruits 🍉🍓🍌 in ice cube trays.
Keep them indoors if temperatures soar and put on a fan.
Put down damp towels for them to lie on or a cool mat.
Put the garden sprinkler on but be aware of water intoxication don’t allow your pooch to drink too much while playing (Water intoxication is when dogs swallow too much water in a short space of time. It’s rare, but this condition can lead to brain damage and, in extreme circumstances, can be fatal.), this can also happen while your dog is swimming so be mindful of time spent in the water!
Keep a paddling pool in the shade for them to splash about in ( be mindful that many Brachycephalic breeds can’t swim though due to their body shape and facial structure!)
Invest in a good quality cooling coat which is well fitted.. most work on evaporation to remove the heat from your dogs body.. (make sure the ones that you wet don’t become dry whilst your dog is wearing it!) some of our favourites:
•True love- MOKCCI Truelove Dog Cooling Vest Harness Cooler Jacket with Adjustable Zipper.
•Hurtta
•Easidri
•Ruffwear Swomp cooler
Cooling bandanas are great too 😁
Avoid long car trips.. if unavoidable take regular stops and offer water regularly, also keep the car interior cool, again this is where a cooling mat would make your dog more comfortable.
Never leave you dog in a car or conservatory unattended. If you see a dog in a hot car panting or looking distressed call the police if the dog looks like it’s going to overheat record the temperature at the time, take a photo of the dog, the reg of the car and break a window furthest away from the dog and get it out.. take to a shaded space and offer water and await the police if the dog is showing signs of heat stroke don’t wait, get it to a vets as soon as you can!
Try and avoid taking your dog out in the midday sun. Early morning or evening walks will be cooler and more pleasant for your dog & avoid walking on tarmac, pavements and even sand where possible. These hot surfaces can really hurt your dog's pads so test all surfaces with the back of your hand for a few seconds, if it’s too hot for you then its too hot for little paws 🐾
Be safe out there ☀️ 🐶 ❤️
