Cool canines in Essex
July 7, 2019
All dog owners should know what NOT to do when the weather heats up – leave your pet in the car, go for long walks in the middle of the day, etc – but what about the things you CAN do to make summer fun for you and your dog?
The Edgewood Veterinary Group team have four suggestions for ways you and your dog can safely enjoy the season together. While you’re thinking about it, maybe now’s the time to book a summer health check to make sure your canine pal is in great shape for these activities.
Cool activities for you and your dog
Part of the problem for dogs in summer is that they will get bored during that stretch of day when they can’t go for their usual long walk. But there are many other ways you can keep them occupied and safe from heatstroke or dehydration.
- Many dogs like swimming, so if you can get to a dog-friendly beach or lake, why not head for the water and splash around a bit? Remember to make sure there’s plenty of shade around though.
- No access to natural waves? Our vet Jürgen says even a paddling pool in the garden will make for fun games, such as bobbing for treats (reduce your dog’s normal food allocation by the appropriate amount) or chasing floating toys.
- If you have the room, create an indoor agility course using buckets and broom handles for jumps, a hula hoop, some canes for weaves etc.
- For a different day out, head to your nearest pet superstore, where your dog can sniff around in air-cooled comfort, probably with a bunch of other doggy shoppers.
If you follow these tips for an active summer with your dog, there should be no risk from the heat, but it’s not always easy to spot dehydration, so if you’re in any doubt, contact us.
Dogs die every summer from being left in cars, even with the windows down in minutes cars turn into coffins
- Eight thousand three hundred incidents of dogs left in hot cars were reported to the RSPCA last year
- A dog can only cool down through its tongue and paw pads, it cannot cool down quickly enough to cope with the rising heat
- The temperature inside a car in full sunlight can quickly rise to double the temperature outside the car
- Detecting overheating early and treating it promptly is essential to dogs’ recovering successfully
- Certain breeds, such as those with short noses, are overweight, are very hairy, or those that are very young or old are more likely to show heat stroke quicker.
- See our guidelines on how to prevent overheating and what you can do to save a dog’s life
- Book an appointment with one of our nurses to discuss any concerns you may have about your pet overheating
