You and your dog can still have fun in the sun but it’s important that you take necessary precautions to ensure that the welfare of your dog comes first.
Here are my pointers for all dog owners out there but particularly those of you who plan to run them over the summer period.
- Make sure you have plenty of fresh water with you – carry a water bottle to avoid your pet getting dehydrated and drinking from stagnant water in ponds.
- Make sure there is a shady place to get out of the sun.
- Look for signs of over heating in your dog – excessive panting, difficulty in breathing, increased heart rate and respiratory rate, drooling, weakness and in extreme situations bloody diarrhoea, vomiting, stupor, collapse and even seizures. Dogs with heat stroke can have a body temp of over 40c!
- When running your dog in hot weather be even more careful with dogs with flat faces, elderly and overweight or a known history of respiratory or heart disease.
- Never leave your dog alone in a parked vehicle on a hot day even with windows open, as this can easily lead to overheating and heat stroke.
- Trim longer haired dogs but never shave as this will remove protection from overheating and sunburn.
- Do not give ice cubes on a hot day instead of fresh water as this can cause your pet to gag and collapse.
Summer is a great time to be out running – just avoid the peak times and take necessary precautions
Follow this advice and you can still enjoy running with your dog over the summer months.
Guy is owner of Cobham Park Veterinary Clinic, Cobham.
We also have another blog on running with your dog over the Summer and podcast which you can find >>here
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