Hot Weather Safety: Keeping Them Safe In The Heat

Well,  we sure weren’t expecting that our first hot weather post would be  going out in May…but have you seen the forecast?  We have a beautiful  weekend ahead of us with temperatures getting into the 20s in some parts  of the UK!

Move over Spring, Summer is making a cameo!

No  doubt there are people all over the country right now looking to make  the most of what is looking to be the nicest weekend of the year thus  far…but it’s going to be hot, and it’s going to be sunny, and that is a  terrible combo for our canine companions, especially if you’re hitting  the beach.

There are several dog  breeds that really struggle when things start heating up, the most well  known are the flat faced breeds like pugs, frenchies and the like…but  did you know that greyhounds are also an at-risk breed?  Once those  temperatures start getting into the late teens, particularly when they  hit 20, greyhounds are 4 x more likely to get heat stroke than a  ‘normal’ dog, such as a labrador, but as the mercury hits 25…no dog is  safe.

There are also numerous  factors that can lead to a dog to be of increased risk, such as  underlying health conditions and being overweight.   

Though  it doesn’t matter if it is high teens or into the twenties, dogs are at  much higher risk when you take them to the beach.  The coastal breeze  creates a false sense of security.  It may not feel as warm due to the  wind, but the sand temperatures, the additional effort it takes for them  to walk and run on the sinking surface and the distinct lack of shade  is an incredibly dangerous combination that can see your dog collapsing  with little warning.

While it is  brilliant to include your hound in days out and take them on adventures,  their safety comes first.  If you want to hit the beach this weekend,  or any open areas or events which will expose them to the heat and sun,  you’re best to leave your hound at home!  

Make  sure to walk them in the early morning or late evening, to avoid the  hottest parts of the day, and give them some enrichment to keep them  entertained in between.  If you need to take your hound out for toilet  breaks because you don’t have a garden, try to stick to the shade and  keep these breaks short.

It is  also important to be able to recognise the signs of heat stroke, and the  stage that comes before this life-threatening situation, heat  exhaustion.

Heat exhaustion can  happen very easily, and not necessarily always in hot weather.  Muscle  holds heat a lot more than fat does, so as muscular dogs, they can  easily overheat through over exertion.

The signs of heat exhaustion are:
• Excessive panting
• Skin on the inside of the ears will be red and hot
• Weakness
• Wobbly
• Fainting spells

At  this point, things are already pretty bad and while your hound will  need a bit of help cooling down, they have not run past the point of  being unable to regulate their own body temperature.  This happens when  heat stroke happens, when their core temperature reaches dangerous  levels that can become fatal without immediate treatment.

Just  like in humans, heat exhaustion can escalate to heat stroke very  quickly.  Prolonged exposure to the sun can be all it takes, but coupled  with exercise or off lead running/play can see a hound go from healthy  to heat exhaustion, to heat stroke, to death in less than an hour.

The signs of heat stroke are:
• Hyperventilating
• Agitation
• Vocalising
• Excessively thirsty
• Excessively drooling
• Glassy eyes
• Weakness and collapse
• High heart rate
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness
• Dark red or purple gums and tongue

If  you suspect your dog has overheated, you need to cool your dog down  gradually by moving them to the shade, ideally in a breeze, and covering  in cool wet towels (changing them or re-wetting them to keep them cool)  if you are seriously concerned, or you believe your dog has developed  heat stroke, you will need to urgently get them to the nearest vet.

If  you think for even a second your hound is heading toward heat stroke,  you head straight to the vet.  Never second guess that decision, it is  always best to err on the side of caution than run the risk of losing  your companion.

But  realistically, if we’re being honest, preventing heat stroke is easy.   Don’t take your hound out on walks or days out in unsuitable  temperatures…

While some hounds may tolerate higher temperatures or excretion, it isn’t always the case and care should be taken.

We  say this from experience.  For we have experienced a young, fit and  outwardly healthy hound dying on a sunny 18’c day, in a light breeze,  after going for a short 10-minute toilet walk.  She went into heat  stroke and started seizing after walking in the gates.  Unbeknown to us,  which we found out in getting her to the vets, she had an underlying  infection that she was not yet symptomatic of.  Her body temperature was  already heightened, and that light walk, that short little toilet  break, put her body temperature past the point of regulation.   Despite  getting to the vet in 15 minutes, she didn’t make it.

We  will forever remember that lesson.  We will never take chances.  We’d  rather keep our hounds indoors and grumpy from not getting a walk, than  run the risk of losing them.