Staying Safe in the Warm Weather

WHEN the summer months upon us we always need to be mindful our furry friends are safe… all dogs can suffer from the heat but especially Brachycephalic breeds (flat faces!) as they cannot self regulate their body temperature as well as other breeds due to the facial structure & all too common breathing issues.

⚠ Heat stroke: The dangers ⚠ 

Heatstroke is one of the biggest dangers to dogs in summer. It can progress very quickly, and even if treated swiftly, can be fatal. It most typically occurs in three different situations: 

•Your dog does too much exercise in warm weather – An important note here; more than 70% of heat related illness in dogs is triggered by exercising in warm weather. This is exacerbated by the use of balls / ball throwers which excite and encourage dogs to exercise way beyond what is reasonable in warm weather. Carers must think FOR their dog and restrict exercise to on leash or gentle walks in the warmer weather. Your dog will comply if he thinks you want him to run and chase a ball regardless of the consequences, so this must be avoided at all costs. For Brachycephalic breeds heatstroke can occur from as little as sitting in the sun to long. 

•Your dog can’t cope with heat for a medical reason – some dogs overheat more than others, particularly overweight dogs, heavy-coated breeds, and short-nosed ‘brachycephalic’ breeds (that’s Pugs, Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, & Boxers among others). 

•Your dog is trapped in a a hot environment such as a hot car, conservatory or even just a warm, sunny room. 

Heatstroke can kill or cause irreparable damage to internal organs, so it’s vital that you take it seriously and do all you can to prevent it. 

❗ What is heat stroke?❗ 

Heat stroke is a form of nonpyrogenic hyperthermia which essentially means a high temperature that is not caused by a fever. It occurs when dogs are no longer able to self-regulate and keep their own temperature at a comfortable or safe level. 

Signs of heat stroke 

📍 Faster, heavier panting

📍 Barking, whining or signs of agitation

📍 Excessive thirst

📍 Excessive drooling

📍 Increased pulse and heartbeat

📍 Dark-coloured (red or purple) gums or tongue

📍 Glassy eyes

📍 Staggering, weakness, collapse or Seizures

📍 Unconsciousness 

If you see any of these symptoms be it your dog or someone else’s, begin cooling the dog immediately with cool water, get to the dog to the nearest vet as quickly as you can, ensuring that you have opened all windows or have the air conditioning on while still cooling the dog, you can place wet towels under the dog, fully soak the dog avoiding the face, if this is not possible, wet the paws, the back of the neck, inner thighs, underbelly & armpits. 

Rapid cooling saves lives so act quickly 🙏 

If by a water source use this to fully wet the dog while being mindful not to submerge the dogs head especially brachycephalic breeds as these are prone to aspiration pneumonia, also most can not swim so always support the dog fully. 

Do not use iced water I’d leave that to the professionals so the dogs is in a controlled environment where the temperature can be monitored closely. 

Water evaporation & air circulation is one of the most effective ways of reducing the body temperature down below that critical level so act quickly to save lives, but always get to the closest vets for professional treatment 

Offer small amounts of cool water, but don’t let them drink too much too quickly, as this could cause vomiting and make the condition worse. Giving OxyPet oxygenated water could be helpful at this time to reduce hypoxia as OxyPet has over 700 times more oxygen in the form of nano bubbles. 

Please don’t allow you dog to get to this level precaution is the best course of action 

🐾 So what can we do to help our dogs stay cool & happy during the summer months? 

📍 Encourage them to stay in shaded areas and away from direct sunlight apply a natural sun screen if needed. 

📍 Be mindful of using Crates in the summer months and ensure they are placed in the coolest part of the house and not in full sun, find a shady spot, if not possible make sure blind and curtains are drawn to keep the room cool. 

We would recommend leaving the door open to allow them to come out if they are too hot, or if they can’t be trusted with free roaming, you can buy play pens to attach to a crate to give them more open space to cool down without access to the whole room. Cool mats can be used to give them an option to cool off when needed and any winter covers should be removed in the warmer months. 

Make sure your dog has somewhere to go lay down that’s cool, giving them the choice to move from a bed if needed. 

It’s also extremely important they have unrestricted access to water to keep hydrated and to regulate their temperature. OxyPet rehydrated twice as fast as regular water. 

The snout soother from Natural dog co is a great natural sunscreen the ingredients include organic shea butter which naturally retains moisture and natural sunscreen. It also contains Kukui oil which is a homeostatic moisturizer and sunscreen. 

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📍 Make sure your dog has access to clean water at all times, ideally OxyPet in a large bowl filled to the brim. Always carry water & a bowl with you on walks. 

📍 freeze some doggy safe fruits 🍉 🍓 🍌 in ice cube trays 

📍 keep them indoors if temperatures are hot and put on a fan. 

📍 Put down damp towels for them to lie on or a cool mat. 

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Rywell Thermochromic Dog Cooling Mat, Arc-Chil Cooling Mat Pad for Dog Large 70x90CM [Q-max＞ 0.5] Chew-Resistant Non-toxic Absorbent Reusable Dog Cooling Mat for Indoor Outdoor Kennel Crate Travel [https://amzn.eu/d/9RGxrq6](https://l.facebook.com/l.php? u=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.eu%2Fd%2F9RGxrq6%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3V3YkXncPw8fE867- iWNtj4tfHEePGo3OYTdtvGk4z47o6yVJMTZGaE6E&h=AT30bVqa44j9FKuOcR9btZsIKQR7unGnUI gACz-hbDyXvQpdRbZ9vtTnKHFkSbX6dSWD8RCs0HpJ4sp9mM9sp8I6- ya9Nolzgeeq7ghLXxLufOdioHRzAJYBZZWbSnBgWFaT&__tn__=-UK-R& c[0]=AT2iIforz_Bd6CTvAA3zCg_EHFFLeAOYTLdWQzAWUWIFYdBuklAaA-eBqwFdt0y2e0Gam5Ou0HFpFFUYxVoAy8ehkg2UsCFinE3eaMCP8_ 0nSCK__zRlcczYPmpA-M_ d5SpjN0pGPGaXG4q5jasSva99vof7IVXO-vh3KPo) 

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📍 Put the garden sprinkler on but be aware of water intoxication don’t allow your pooch to drink too much while playing (Water intoxication is when dogs swallow too much water in a short space of time. It’s rare, but this condition can lead to brain damage and, in extreme circumstances, can be fatal.) this can also happened while your dogs swimming so be mindful of time spent in the water 

📍 Keep a paddling pool in the shade for them to splash about in (be mindful that many Brachycephalic breeds can’t swim though due to their body shape and facial structure!) 

📍 Invest in a good quality cooling coat which is well fitted.. most work on evaporation to remove the heat from your dogs body.. (make sure the ones that you wet don’t become dry whilst your dog is wearing !) some of our favourites 

•True love- MOKCCI Truelove Dog Cooling Vest Harness Cooler Jacket with Adjustable Zipper for Outdoor Hunting Training and Camping [https://www.amazon.co.uk/.../ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i...] (https://l.facebook.com/l.php? u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2FB07VZ5DLS2%2Fref%3Dcm_sw_r_cp_api_ i_34316F8JJR93XEQ57K6V%3F_encoding%3DUTF8%26psc%3D1%26fbclid%3DIwAR3up6rtK QVVmVMMzYfL-sv_ LMHeXOqK3HWWqUxXNWbPPXUPQ1dlULGIUoc&h=AT2nYQ7zInKanz2fygrdcw-jJRLC7JIDsgkFDYgRZyH4shyFCEXURITj3CWnNoBl1peLskbbs1lOLFMtsdR3PhCxsMV-CTvhS68p6mPg2clEqdIOJVVpZ21NEjMgmZt -9jU4&__tn__=-UK-R& c[0]=AT2iIforz_Bd6CTvAA3zCg_EHFFLeAOYTLdWQzAWUWIFYdBuklAaA-eBqwFdt0y2e0Gam5Ou0HFpFFUYxVoAy8ehkg2UsCFinE3eaMCP8_ 0nSCK__zRlcczYPmpA-M_ d5SpjN0pGPGaXG4q5jasSva99vof7IVXO-vh3KPo) 

•Hurtta - [https://amzn.eu/d/02mz7Mze](https://amzn.eu/d/02mz7Mze? fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1wDLLQyxOScGDxWsd8RaFE-4bYCmwhe638EJ0N5k2yEh9x OtK8J-7Wygg_aem_GrVn03mKsxL9B5xxjBMCKw 

•Easidri- [http://www.easidri.com/](https://l.facebook.com/l.php? u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.easidri.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1PwyMGxcwlYHnXVD11mZkF63u ediitTHRBcmKvBSDedHUv3tE5ZvzqT0k&h=AT2QLU3HXGgsa49RHisPIqrmhSrlFV3jBrIxTUpTEFk Ok2tQ2bcPxZb-7eSTFpOpG-6nHl1bGoWTXXgE5xziKQ-iDyU9t41eX7ij_ WAWQ6dQbaKlUNIAlbtThuf2VQsl3vhq&__tn__=-UK-R& c[0]=AT2iIforz_Bd6CTvAA3zCg_EHFFLeAOYTLdWQzAWUWIFYdBuklAaA-eBqwFdt0y2e0Gam5Ou0HFpFFUYxVoAy8ehkg2UsCFinE3eaMCP8_ 0nSCK__zRlcczYPmpA-M_ d5SpjN0pGPGaXG4q5jasSva99vof7IVXO-vh3KPo) 

•Ruffwear Swomp cooler- [https://www.mountaindog.uk/.../ruffwear-swamp-cooler...](https:// l.facebook.com/l.php? u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mountaindog.uk%2Fcollections%2Fcooling%2Fproducts%2Fruffwear -swamp-cooler-harness-new-for-22%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0AgVw BqEclqz8AW51rzMJ1Lzg1LmCxn-bpcK6D3Sk39AFflXONgiMxdc& h=AT332tyJ4yYQr7C7G2HPOu2kImflfZgFh0uutYZcSpqptFfmrSiw iQs0xl1J6T_Xbp794ot1qPHQcgS29l9ogW_n8wEgG1vxUUDc LRmrodD8iYjXXviXeJhh7EX889_pdtR&__tn__=-UK-R& c[0]=AT2iIforz_Bd6CTvAA3zCg_EHFFLeAOYTLdWQzAWUWIFYdBuklAaA-eBqwFdt0y2e0Gam5Ou0HFpFFUYxVoAy8ehkg2UsCFinE3eaMCP8_ 0nSCK__zRlcczYPmpA-M_ d5SpjN0pGPGaXG4q5jasSva99vof7IVXO-vh3KPo) 

Cooling bandanas are great too 

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📍 Avoid long car trips.. if unavoidable take regular stops and offer water regularly also keep the car interior cool again this is where a cooling mat would make your dog more comfortable 

📍 Never leave you dog in a car or conservatory unattended, If you see a dog in a hot car panting or looking distressed call the police if the dog looks like it’s going to overheat record the temperature at the time, take a photo of the dog, the reg of the car and break a window furthest away from the dog and get it out.. take to a shaded space and offer water and await the police if the dog is showing signs of heat stroke don’t wait get it to a vets as soon as you can❗ 

📍 Try and avoid taking your dog out in the midday sun. Early morning or evening walks will be cooler and more pleasant for your dog & avoid walking on tarmac, pavements and even sand where possible.. These hot surfaces can really hurt and damage your dog's pads so test all surfaces with the back of your hand for a few seconds if it’s to hot for you it’s to hot for little paws 

Keep them safe don’t take chances 

By Sarah Worthington & team. No Bull Just Natural Health for Dogs