Top tips to keep your pets cool in the heat

Tips and tricks to help your pets in the heatwave

Published 21st Jul 2016

Although you might be enjoying the heatwave that is hitting Britain right now, your pets could be struggling.

To help you out we have found the best ways to tell if your pet is struggling in the heat and how best to help them.

If you have a dog

Symptoms :

Heavy panting. - Tongue and gums may be bright pink or red. - Tongue may loll out of their mouth. - They may seem disorientated. - They may vomit. - They may lie down more often than usual. - They may have a dry and tacky mouth with a mucus-like build up. - They may lift their feet awkwardly if the ground is too hot for them.

Tips and tricks to help:

Always make sure they have plenty of fresh water. - Avoid taking them out around midday and avoid exercise between 11am and 4pm. - Take water with you on walks. - Make sure they always have access to a shaded area. - Don’t feed your dog within an hour of exercise. - If your dog has little hair, apply sun lotion to their ears. - Invest in a cooling coat to keep their temperature down. - If they have a lot of hair, consider getting their hair cut to make the hot weather more bearable.

If you have a cat:

Symptoms:

Heavy panting. - Their tongue and gums may be bright pink or red. - They could start drooling. - They may lie down more often than usual and breathe heavily. - They may stumble and seem disorientated. - They may have sweaty paws. - They could vomit. - They could be restless. - They may excessively groom in an attempt to cool off.

Tips and tricks to help:

Make sure they always have plenty of fresh water. - Brush them regularly. - Use a fan to keep areas cool. - Ensure they have access to a shaded area. - Restrict your cat going outdoors in the hottest hours of the day. - Feed your cat little and often to ensure the food is not left out in the heat. - Apply sun lotion to their ears.

Things to remember:

Never lock your pet in a car, no matter what the weather. 2. Animals can lose their appetites when they hot. 3. Animals can become irritable in the heat so do not annoy them.