Summer safety tips: How to keep your dog safe in the sun
As temperatures soar, Dogs Trust Loughborough is offering tips on how you can keep your dogs safe in the sun.
The charity advises that dogs should never be left alone in cars as even just a few minutes in a hot car can prove fatal.
It says that on a 22-degree Celsius day, the temperature inside a car could rise by eleven degrees in just ten minutes and as dogs can’t cool down the same way as humans, the heat can quickly become dangerous for them.
Dogs Trust Loughborough has the following tips to keep pets safe in the sun:
Avoid walking your dog at the hottest times of the day, so early morning or later in the evening is often best and whenever you go out, take plenty of water with you.
Tarmac can get very hot in the sun – check it with your hand before letting your dog walk on it so they don’t burn their paws. Try the ‘seven-second test’ – if it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.
Avoid long car journeys but if you do have to take your dog in the car, avoid the hottest and busiest times of the day, use a sunblind for shade, avoid congested roads as much as possible, take regular breaks and have plenty of water on board.
Make sure your dog has plenty of shade in the garden and if they have shown they are comfortable around water, introduce them carefully to a shallow paddling pool in the shade.
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If you see a dog in a car in distress, the charity advises that members of the public call 999. Signs of a dog suffering from heatstroke include excessive panting, heavy salivation, vomiting or diarrhoea, lack of co-ordination or loss of consciousness.