Helping your pets handle the heatwave

Now we’re officially in Summer, we’ve put together a handy guide for keeping pets cool and safe during the warmer days and nights.

Our pets are members of the family, so we want to know that they’re comfortable and happy at all times. They may be wearing a permanent fur coat, but you can keep them cool with these easy tips, provided by the Blue Cross.

• Make sure your pet has access to clean, cold water at all times. This might mean changing their water more often, or if you’re going to be out all day, leaving a few ice cubes in their water bowl.
• Take dogs for their walk during cooler parts of the day such as early morning or late evening and try to keep energetic play to those times as well, for cats and dogs.
• Buy an electric fan and keep it at floor level. Cats and dogs will enjoy lying in front of it.
• Make treats and toys cooling by freezing your pet’s favourite treats into an ice cube or wrapping a frozen bottle of water in a tea towel for them to lie with.
• Keep your pets well groomed, especially if they’re long haired as this will help to keep them cool.
• Paws are very sensitive. A good rule of thumb is that if the pavement is too hot for your hand, it’ll be too hot for delicate paws. If you need to take your dog out during the hottest times of the day you can buy pet booties for them. Try to keep outdoor cats inside during these times too.
• Never leave a dog in a hot car as temperatures can rise dramatically and cause real damage to your pet.
• Finally, be aware of the signs of heatstroke. Dribbling, excessive panting and collapse can be seen in both cats and dogs. It’s really important that you move fast, as heatstroke can kill. Move your pet to a cool place, dampen their coat with cold (never freezing) water and contact your vet immediately.