As the weather begins to improve and we put on our shorts, flip flops and sun hats – bear a thought for your four legged friends in their thick fur coats. The hot weather can severely affect animals and in some cases can unfortunately cause death, so below are some tips for keeping our canines cool…..

Not all dogs are equal
Beware if you have a dog with white coloured ears or nose as these areas are more prone to sunburn and more susceptible to skin cancer. Use a child safe sunscreen.

Take care if you own a brachycephalic (short nosed) breed, such as a pug, boxer, or bull dog, which have more difficulty breathing at normal temperatures anyway. The hot weather only exacerbates the problem.

Elderly, overweight, or dogs with heart and lung disease are also more prone to over heating as they cannot pant effectively.

Walk during cooler times of day
Try walking your pet in the early morning or in the evening when the temperature is cooler. Avoid exercising in the midday sun. Try to keep very active dogs calm (easier said than done we know!) by playing less energetic games or try a frozen Kong – see below. Restrict access to sunny areas so dogs cannot bake themselves.

Water, water everywhere
Always take water on a walk to stop your dog dehydrating. We stock brilliant non-spill travel bowls in varying sizes and colours which are perfect for those days out. We are running a promotion on these at the moment so do pop in and have a look! Dogs will drink more in hot weather so refill bowls regularly, approximately every 30 minutes. Take bottled water or supplies of usual tap water as dogs are not as keen on strange tasting water.

Cooling coats
Dogs pant to try and cool down and sweat mainly through their feet. They cannot sweat through their skin like humans do; therefore a fan is of little use compared to a cooling jacket. A ‘cool dog’ cooling coat is a handy little jacket that just needs a quick soak in ordinary tap water and the evaporation process keeps your dog cool – the equivalent of sweating. They come in a variety of sizes and colours, ask our vets, nurses, or reception staff for more details.

Cool treats
Provide plenty of shade and water inside and outside. In very hot weather pop ice cubes into the water bowl or make frozen treats inside a Kong. Kong toys are a treat dispensing dog toy made of nearly indestructible rubber. They are cone-shaped with a hollow centre, which allows you to stuff it with food and treats. Dogs need to figure out how to get the treats out providing mental stimulation and an outlet for chewing, as well as keeping them cool!

Nutritional requirements will change in hot weather
Dogs may seem less interested in food during hot spells which is perfectly normal so do not worry. They are probably less energetic so their nutritional requirements will be reduced, balancing it all out.

Coat and skin care in the summer
Groom your dog regularly to get rid of excess hair or give a long coated breed a hair cut. Unfortunately the warm weather brings out undesirable pests like fleas, ticks and mites. Ensure you have a flea and tick procedure and use it regularly. If your dog does pick up a tick from walking in long grass or wooded areas, removal must be done correctly. The best tool is to use the Tick Twister Hook. Place the hook under the tick and gently turn anticlockwise as you apply very gentle upwards pressure, it removes the tick quickly and painlessly. If the head and mouth parts are left embedded in the skin they may need to be removed as transfer of disease such as Lymes disease or Babesia is still possible. Consult with your vet for this as it may need local anaesthetic to remove these deep penetrating mouth parts.

Avoid summer garden hazards
We are all more likely to go out to our garden sheds during the summer so make sure any dangerous products are placed out of reach of cats and dogs. Anti-freeze is highly toxic but cats and dogs are attracted to its sweet taste, it can cause the kidneys to fail and prognosis is always guarded to poor. Slug pellets are also toxic, ingestion of these causes severe liver damage, seizures, and unfortunately rapid death in some cases. Rat poison is another toxic substance that dogs tend to enjoy eating, this can cause them to bleed internally. If caught early and the dog is made to vomit up the rat poison then chances are improved. If left undiagnosed dogs tend to go down hill very quickly and a blood transfusion may be required. Other products that may be harmful are fertilizers, lawn and garden insecticides, and citronella candles.

Mowing the lawn can also prove hazardous if lawn mowers and dogs collide. Keep dogs indoors whilst mowing and strimming your lawns.

If throwing a garden party or barbeque remember that food and drink offered to your guests may be toxic to your pets. Alcoholic beverages can cause intoxication, depression and comas. Avoid raisins, grapes, onions, chocolate, macadamia nuts and products with the sweetener xylitol in. Similarly if human food is shared with your pets, any change in diet, even just one meal, can give them vomiting or diarrhoea or predispose them to underlying conditions such as pancreatitis.

DO NOT LEAVE DOGS IN A PARKED CAR

No matter what the circumstances please do not leave dogs inside parked cars, even if the air conditioning is on, a window is down, or a sun shield is placed on the windscreen. On a warm day temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels, literally within 10 minutes of being inside the car. It causes your pet irreversible organ damage or death.

If you see a dog in a car on a warm day, call the police on 999. If they are unable to attend please call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.