Now we've hit a heatwave, it's a good idea to just remind everyone of the dangers to our canine friends...
At this time of year, everyone should get the message about leaving your dog in a car - DON'T DO IT!!
But there's a lot more to it than that.
It's absolutely guaranteed at this time of year that we will have an
increase in calls where a previously happy family dog has become
aggressive, snapped or bitten. A previously happy family pet that has
'just turned'. Usually after a busy time out in the heat.
When the sun comes and and it gets hot, we like to go out and enjoy it - Mad Dogs and English Men!
We tend to forget in the surprise and joy of a hot English Summer that
our dogs have their own portable fur coat. We want to go on long walks
and adventures with our friends, or spend time playing out in the garden
making the most of the great weather, and we end up throwing balls and
all sorts of toys for them as we would normally do.......so our friends
are still doing three or four times the amount of exercise that we
are...... in a fur coat.... ...during a heatwave.
Pavements and
roads become very hot and are painful to our friends paws. If you put
your hand on the pavement and it is too hot after a few seconds, then it
is too hot to walk your dog on it. Stick to grassy, shady areas. Go
for a walk in the woods rather than open spaces. If you are lucky
enough to be at the seaside and dogs are allowed on the beach, remember
that sand can also get very hot for paws and also reflects heat up onto
the dog.
In this kind of weather take things nice and steadily.
Stick to the cooler times of the day for walks, exercise and training -
or even have the day off! If your dog really doesn't want to join you
out in the midday sun, despite what you may be told, they aren't being
belligerent, dominant or trying to increase their pack ranking - they
simply know it isn't healthy for them. Listen to what they are telling
you. If they want to stay in the cool, let them. Make sure they have
a lovely cool area to chill out in.
Another thing to consider
is that if you feed dry food to your dog, it's even more important that
there's plenty of water available. The temperature, on top of the food,
can really dry a dog out.
If you're feeding a raw meat diet
that you usually defrost overnight, on hot day the dogs love to eat this
stuff frozen, like a big meaty ice lolly.
If you have a dog who
you know struggles in this weather, you can drape a damp, wet towel
over them. A cheap baby-gro makes an excellent cooling shirt, damp and
cool from the fridge! Of course a paddling pool always goes down well
with our four legged friends.
If the worst happens and your dog
gets too hot and suffers from heatstroke, seek immediate medical
attention. Please don't waste time asking on social media what to do.
Get your dog to the vet. Time is of the essence.
Signs of heatstroke are:
Restlessness
Out of character aggression
Depression
Dizziness or staggering
Excessive Panting
Increased respiratory rate
Increased heart rate
Excess salivation
Thick, sticky saliva
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Weakness
Gasping
Bright red tongue
Gum color may become bright red or be very pale. It may even turn purple or blue.
Seizures
Coma
If you suspect heat stroke in your pet, please get them to your vet
immediately.
Act quickly. Find some shade. Get them out of the heat
immediately.
If you are at home, get them inside and on to cool
flooring. You can even open the fridge door or freezer door to allow
cool air to waft over them. Turn on a fan if you have one.
Use cool water, not ice water, to cool your pet. Very cold water will cause more damage rather than helping.
Lower their temperature by placing cool, wet towels over the back of
the neck and around the head, under the forelegs, on the feet and in the
groin area.
If you have cool box ice packs, wrap them in a towel and place them next to your dog, but not directly on them.
If they can and will drink, let them take small, steady licks - but don't force water into their mouths.
Offer ice cubes for the animal to lick until you can reach your vet.
Just because your dog is cooler and seems OK, please do not assume
everything is fine. Even if your dog appears to be recovering, take
them to your vet as soon as possible, they should still be examined
since they may be dehydrated or have other complications.
So if
you are going out, don't let them do too much, make sure you keep your
dog and yourself cool, and make sure you have plenty of water for them
and you. Provide plenty of shade and don't overdo it.
Simple common sense means everyone can make the most of the lovely weather.
