Top tips to help prevent your dog overheating

• Make sure your dog’s water bowl is topped up with fresh drinking water and is always available to them.
• However much your doggie enjoys sunbathing, it’s advisable to keep them shaded during the summer heat.
• Why not try making some dog cooling tasty treats, by freezing ice cubes with your dog’s favourite food inside.
• Carry a bottle of water and a collapsible drinking bowl with you when taking your dog on walks.
• Cool plush grass can be a refreshing place for your dog to lay during a summer’s day walk.
• Dogs like to cool down, by laying on a cold surface, such as a wooden or stone floor. Alternatively, a ClimaCOOL Self Cooling Mat with provide relief from the heat for up to one hour.
• Watch your dog for signs of overheating, which include heavy panting and loss of energy. If you recognise any of these signs when on a walk; stop, find a shaded spot, and give them some water.
• Avoid walking your dog on a hot pavement or tarmac surface. Check the temperature by placing your hand on the surface for a few seconds, If it’s too hot for your hand - it’s too hot for their paws! Dogs can get severe burns on their paws by touching the hot surface for just a few seconds.
• Short-nosed (brachycephalic) dogs such as bulldog breeds (e.g. English and French bulldogs), boxers, and pugs, as well as older dogs and those that are overweight, are more susceptible to the hot weather. These dogs can get heatstroke simply by running around. Walk them at cooler times of the day, like early mornings or evenings.
• To help keep cool on walks, use a cooling coat such as our ClimaCOOL Dog Cooling Vest / Jacket. Ensure the jacket is kept wet during use, to helping your dog to stay cool throughout their walk.
• Never leave a dog alone in a hot car, even with the windows open. If it’s 22℃ outside, it can reach 47℃ inside a car within 60 minutes. If you do see a dog alone in a car on a hot day, call 999.