As many of us enjoy the lovely warm weather that many places across the country are experiencing we thought we’d share a few hints and tips with you on keeping our four-legged friends cool on a hot day.

• Walk your dog early in the morning or later in the evening when it’s cooler.
• If the asphalt on the road is too hot for your bare foot to stand on, it’s too hot for theirs. If the air temperature is above 77 ˚F (25 ˚C) then asphalt will be about 125˚F (51 ˚C), the point at which skin destruction can occur in 60 seconds.
• Don’t over exercise your dog.
• Never leave your dog in a sun trap, in a hot room and never in a car.
• Always take drinking water with you for your dog if you go out.
• Always make sure that they have drinking water and a cool shady spot be comfortable in.
• You could also spray your dog with tepid water. (please don’t use very cold water)

 

Heat stroke - signs to look out for!

Your dog may be suffering from heat stroke if;

• they are breathing faster and panting heavily,, heavier panting
• they are barking or whining with signs of agitation
• they have an excessive thirst or are drooling excessively
• they have an increased heart rate
• you think that their gums or tongue are darker in colour
• their eyes are glassy, they are showing signs of weakness or collapse
• they start to suffer from seizures or become unconsciousness

 

Heat stroke is very dangerous for dogs and they can deteriorate very quickly. If you suspect your dog may have heatstroke;

• Move your dog to somewhere cool and give them small amounts of tepid water.
• Use wet towels to douse the dog in cool water but never use cold water.
• If you have a fan that you can place near the dog to cool it, use it.
• Contact your vet straight away.

 

At Jerry Green Dog Rescue we find a lot of our furry friends like to enjoy some time in a paddling pool and really love our frozen Kong fillings made by the wonderful welfare team.

 

Have a wonderful summer!