Hurrah, it’s a heatwave!

On a sunny day it can be tempting to take your dog for a walk, but it's important you know how to keep dogs cool in the summer as they can get heatstroke. 

And while we can’t take responsibility for your 90’s sunglasses or Hawaiian shirt choices, we CAN give you some top tips on making sure your pup can enjoy the warm weather and glorious beach days you inevitably have in store.

We know you wouldn’t dream of leaving your four-legged friend in a hot car, that goes without saying, but here are some puppy pointers that will help you make the most of the hot weather:

• Pamper your dogs with a wet towel to lay on when relaxing outside – they’ll love it and it’ll help them stay cool longer
• Did someone say TREATS? Why not offer your dogs some yummy homemade frozen treats? For example, not only is it easy to make apple or blueberry ice lollies, they are also healthy
• Grooming can be useful. If your furry friends have a thick coat, why not give them a haircut? Not too short though as their fur can help avoid sunburn (yes… dogs can get sunburn too!)
• Don’t forget their paws – just like you wouldn’t walk on a hot pavement without shoes on, hot surfaces can burn paws and injure our furry friends. Consider some booties or going for early morning / evening walks with your dogs when it’s cooler instead
• Remember to be careful with food and drinks served at BBQs. Alcoholic beverages, grapes, onions and chocolate can wreak havoc on a dog’s digestive system and could cause long-term issues
• Last but not least – hydration is KEY. Encourage your dogs to drink more by placing more than one water bowl inside and outside of the house. Keep their water fresh, replenish their water bowls often and while you’re at it, why not add some ice cubes to lower their body temperature.

And familiarise yourself, family and friends with the signs of heatstroke just in case:

• Excessive panting and drooling could mean your dog is overheating and is trying to release heat (as they cannot sweat like humans do)
• Dry, tacky gums can be worrying as dog’s gums are usually moist and glistening. If you’ve experienced dry mouth as a result of ill health or medication for example, then you’d know how this feels!
• Dry and sunken eyes
• Lack of energy
• No appetite (you know something’s up if they can resist Poppy’s Picnic!!)
• Loss of skin elasticity (to find out, gently pinch their skin to see if it springs back to its original state – the skin of dehydrated dogs will take longer to fall back into place)

Now I shall leave you to enjoy the hot weather. I am headed outside, however the girls have already commandeered the sun loungers so I’m not sure I’ll get a look in!!

Much love,

Dylan & Poppy x