DOG owners have been urged to keep their pets indoors all day from tomorrow, as temperatures across the UK soar.
Pooch owners are advised to keep their canines inside the house during the hottest parts of the day from 9pm on Thursday, June 12 to 8am Sunday, June 15.
GettyPet owners are urged to keep their dogs inside this week[/caption]
Met OfficeTemperatures across the UK are set to soar this week[/caption]
The warning comes from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who have issued the first yellow heat health warning of the year.
The UKHSA said: “If you are going to do a physical activity (for example, exercising or walking the dog), plan to do these during times of the day when it is cooler, such as the morning or evening.”
The yellow warning applies to the East Midlands, South East, East of England, and London.
It states that the hot weather will lead to “greater risk to life of vulnerable people”, and “increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people.”
It adds that Brits should learn the symptoms of heatstroke and heat exhaustion so that they can help out others who are suffering in the extreme heat.
The Met Office predicts temperatures up to 30C on Friday in some areas and has also issued yellow thunderstorm warnings as the warmer weather arrives.
The hottest parts of the day are typically between 12pm and 6pm so dog walkers should avoid bringing their pooches inside during this time.
The RSPCA warned: “Dogs should have regular exercise and involving them in your outings and family fun is expected, but if the weather is warm, it can be too much for our dogs.”
The animal charity added that dogs with health conditions, flat-faced breeds such as pugs and pooches with thick coats are most at risk.
“As dogs rely on their respiratory system to keep cool, unfit and overweight dogs and those with heart or respiratory disease are more likely to heat up faster and take longer to cool down”, it said.
Eve, a veterinary nurse from the UK and a dog mum-of-three recently took to TikTok to share a warning for dog owners.
She said: “The temperatures are rising and taking your dog on a walk is not worth risking their life.
“Do it responsibly – 6am in the morning, 8pm at night when it’s nice and cool.”
Dog breeds most susceptible to overheating
In general, there are six groups of dogs who struggle most in hot weather…
Firstly, those with underlying health problems. Dogs can’t sweat like we can, so rely largely on panting to cool down. However, if they have airway or lung impairments, or suffer from fluid balance or hydration issues, then this is more difficult, and their ability to lose heat is reduced, meaning they are at a higher risk of heat-stroke.
Overweight animals find it harder to ventilate, and their core temperature rises faster than you’d expect for a lean dog.
Very young dogs or very old dogs are also at increased risk of heatstroke, and these owners should be even more cautious in hot weather.
Dogs with very thick coats, who are adapted to a colder climate. Dogs such as the Husky or Malamute – and even the Chow Chow – have been bred to keep heat in. However, this comes at the price of being less well able to cope in hot weather. Their thick double coats effectively trap heat, making it the equivalent of us going out in the July heat wearing a fur coat and thermal underwear: they get very hot, very quickly. This problem can be alleviated by clipping (NOT shaving), however, the coat can take a long time to grow back. In a heatwave, though, if you’re struggling to keep your dog cool, I’d personally rather have a dog with a thinner coat who’s alive than a luxuriously coated dog in the morgue.
Short-nosed, or brachycephalic, breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs. These dogs have been bred to look “cute”, with big eyes and flat faces. Unfortunately, the result of this has been a narrowing of the airways and a profusion of soft tissue in the nasal chambers and pharynx – we call this Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome, and it profoundly affects their ability to pant and lose heat. Like a dog with any other respiratory disease, most members of these breeds are highly prone to heatstroke, and as they are often overweight as well, are at very high risk in hot weather.
When is it too hot to walk my dog?
Kathleen Pohl, a vet from Pet Health Club revealed the the ideal temperature to walk your dog in is between five and fifteen degrees.
Up to around 23 degrees it is ok to lightly exercise your dog but any strenuous exercise could put them at risk of heat stroke.
However, when temperatures rise from 24 up to 27 degrees, according to this vet: “Most dogs will find the heat very uncomfortable – while it’s not immediately life threatening, prolonged exposure can lead to overheating and exhaustion.”
However, the vet warned that any temperature above 32 degrees is extremely dangerous for dogs.
The vet highlighted: “At this level there’s a high risk of life threatening heat stroke.
“Dogs can suffer from dehydration, rapid heart rate, even organ failure.”
She added: “Remember, a dog has never died from skipping a walk, but they die every year from heat stroke. Don’t walk your dog in the heat.”
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