RSPCA urges people in Suffolk to protect animals in the hot weather
The charity has reported an increase in those seeking heatwave advice
The RSPCA in Ispwich is warning pet owners to take necessary precautions as the warm weather continues.
A yellow heat health alert remains in force for Suffolk for the next few days and the charity tells us it's seen an increase in the number of people visiting the vets for heat-related issues.
Amy Ocelford is from the RSPCA in Ipswich: "Although a lot of us love the heat... our pets need help to stay cool."
She wants people to make "little simple changes to their normal routine just to make sure their animals are staying happy and healthy in the heat."
She emphasised people should never leave any pet in the car, even for a short amount of time, such as popping into the shops: "Cars can become hot very quickly and they can prove fatal."
She also reminded us dogs shouldn't be walked during the hottest time of the day:
"Dogs can die on hot walks and suffer from heat exhaustion very quickly."
But it's not just household pets Amy is concerned about.
Here in Suffolk, there is a lot of agriculture, farms and wildlife.
Amy says that because of the hot weather, the ground will dry up, making it "really difficult for animals to find food and water at this time of year."
She suggests leaving out bowls of fresh water and food for them.
For those who own horses and livestock, she advises making sure the animals have "a lot of fresh drinking water."
As well as this, she wants animals to have access to shade and shelter so they can "move out of the heat at the hottest part of the day".
Amy also recommends checking on animals regularly to check water levels and that they're "not suffering any heat-related issues such as fly strike".