It’s nearly summer, and by the looks of this heatwave, summer is here!

Whilst us human are soaking up the sun rays (apply that sun cream!), our dogs and cats may start to suffer. A quick reminder that dogs don’t sweat and cats only sweat between their toes, so it’s important to remember to provide them with opportunities to cool down. There are some signs that you should look out for to see if your dog/cat is getting too hot and you need to take action.

Pets should never be left in hot cars, even if you’re just popping into a shop. This is the number one cause of heatstroke in pets, and is usually fatal. But, there are other ways that animals can get heatstroke, including playing outdoors and lying in the direct sun for too long. Also, dogs with short noses (think pugs) and cats like Persians, as well as overweight/obese animals are more likely to suffer with heatstroke.

Signs to look out for:

• Excessive fast panting whilst looking for a cooler location
• Restless
• Bright red gums
• Salivation
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea

If they do not improve, then there is the potential for seizures and can go into shock.

How to help them?

If you catch them at the panting and restless stage, get them to a cooler location and provide them with water. They will likely be fine, keep an eye on them to see if they progress further, if so contact your vets straight away.

If you find that your dog has gone past the panting a restless phase, then it’s important to get them to an emergency vets ASAP. It’s important to get your pet to the vets as soon as you can, as Heatstroke can be life-threatening.

The best thing to do is to make sure that your pet has enough water to drink, is in shaded areas and is discouraged from running about too much on the hottest day of the year.