Caring for your dog during hot weather

When is it too hot to walk your dog?

There's no simple answer. Your dog could overheat even in winter. 

However, if you’re considering taking your pal out in warmer weather, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. 

• do the five-second tarmac test - Tarmac can get very hot in the sun and could burn your dog’s paws. Check the pavement with your hand before letting your dog walk on it – hold your hand down for five seconds, if it’s too hot for you, then we recommend walking your dog later when it’s cooled down to avoid burning their paws.
   
• walk your dog at cooler times of day – When walking your dog in hot weather, try to take them out in the early morning, or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler. This will reduce their risk of heatstroke. Be particularly careful if your dog is old, overweight, suffers from breathing difficulties or is a flat faced breed like Pugs, French Bulldogs or English Bulldogs.  

Why is overheating dangerous for dogs? 

Getting too hot can be really risky for our four-legged friends. They can’t sweat (except through their paws), so they rely on panting as their main way to get rid of heat. Panting is less efficient than sweating, especially when it is humid.   

Heat related illness is sometimes called ‘heat stress’, ‘heat exhaustion’ or ‘heatstroke’ - these terms describe increasing severity of heat related illness. You might think it’s only a problem in the summer months or during warm weather, but dogs can overheat at any temperature, and any time of year including during winter. A recent study has shown that a significant number of dogs were diagnosed with heatstroke when the temperature was only 16.9 degrees Celsius.*  

What should I do if my dog gets too hot? 

Act immediately to prevent your dog’s condition getting worse. If your dog has collapsed or is struggling to breathe, call your nearest vet immediately.  

Cool first, transport second. Take these steps to cool your dog down, then transport them to a vet: 

• Stop them from playing, walking or whatever activity they’re doing 
• Move the dog to a shaded and cool area 
• Offer them drinking water   
• Start cooling them down urgently 
  - For young, conscious, healthy dogs, this means immersing them in cold water (for example, in a paddling pool) if possible, keeping their head above water. Use any water available, provided it is cooler than your dog. If immersion is not possible, continuous dousing with cold water is an alternative. 
  
  - For older dogs or dogs with health conditions, spray them with room temperature water, avoiding their face, and combine with air movement from a breeze, fan or air conditioning. Place ice wrapped in a tea towel (to prevent ice burns) in their groin and armpits.  
  
  - Always closely monitor cooling and stop if you notice signs of shivering 
• Don’t place a wet towel over them as this can raise their temperature. 
• Call your vet urgently for further advice and transport them there as quickly as is safely possible. Keep the air conditioning on in the car or the windows open. 

How hot is too hot for dogs? 

Unfortunately, there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all' answer to this. Each dog will have their own limits depending on their breed, age, health and other factors. However, some dogs are more at risk than others.

One of the risks of overheating is heatstroke. Heatstroke can affect any type of dog, but certain breeds and types of dogs are at increased risk: 

• Brachycephalic or flat-faced breeds such as English Bulldogs, Pugs and French Bulldogs 
• Older dogs 
• Puppies 
• Overweight dogs or those with low fitness levels 
• Dogs with underlying health conditions or respiratory or heart diseases 
• Larger breeds 
• Dogs not used to warm weather (if they’re used to living in a cooler climate like dogs in the UK). 

According to research (from the VetCompass Programme at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University), Bulldogs are fourteen times more likely to suffer heat-related illness compared to Labrador Retrievers.** Over a third of owners of flat-faced dogs reported that heat regulation is a problem for their pet.***

Won’t my dog know when they’ve had enough? 

We need to learn the signs of heatstroke and look out for these in our dogs to help them take a rest and cool down when they need to. Some dogs aren’t good at self-regulating and may continue to run and play even though they’re hot and tired, which increases their risk of heatstroke.

In fact, exercise is the main trigger. A recent study found that nearly 75% of cases of heat-related illness in UK dogs were because of exertion. And 67.5% of cases were just from walking only, so even moderate exercise can cause dogs to overheat. 

References 

* Read the full study on: 'Risk Factors for Severe and Fatal Heat-Related Illness in UK Dogs—A VetCompass Study' by Hall, Emily J., Anne J. Carter, Guaduneth Chico, Jude Bradbury, Louise K. Gentle, Dominic Barfield, and Dan G. O’Neill. May, 2022.

** Read the full study on: 'Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016' by Hall, E.J., Carter, A.J. & O’Neill, D.G. June, 2020. 

*** Read the full study on:  'Great expectations, inconvenient truths, and the paradoxes of the dog-owner relationship for owners of brachycephalic dogs' by Packer RMA, O'Neill DG, Fletcher F, Farnworth MJ. July, 2019.