Heatwave guide: looking after your pets in hot weather

Tips for when you’re at home

Hot weather and heatwaves can cause numerous issues for our pets, which is understandable with all that fur!

Keeping your pet as cool and comfortable as possible at home is crucial, and one of the best ways to achieve this is to make sure they stay properly hydrated. Keep your pet’s water bowl or dispenser topped up with fresh, cold water, ensuring you replenish it regularly and don’t let it run out.

While you shouldn’t feed frozen food to your pets, you can safely add one or two ice cubes to your dog or cat’s water, which can help them to cool down. Dogs are also particularly fond of cold snacks, like apple and carrot pieces straight out of the fridge.

If you have an outside space like a garden or balcony, make sure you provide a shaded area for your pet to relax in to help them stay out of the sun. You should also place a water bowl in this shaded area for them and keep it topped up, so they’ve always got the opportunity to hydrate. You can also place a damp towel on the floor for them to lie on to help your furry friend cool down more quickly. Avoid leaving your pet in a hot conservatory or outbuilding.

For cats, ensure their cat flap is open and easily accessible so they can get inside to escape the heat if necessary. You might also want to consider keeping them indoors during the hottest times of day, letting them out in the early morning and late evening instead. Pet-safe suncream is an option if either cats or dogs are outside during times when UV levels are high.

Grooming becomes extra important during the warmer summer months, especially if you have a pet with longer or thicker fur. Brush your cat or dog regularly to remove excess hair or fur, and consider booking them in for a trim with a professional groomer to help them cope better in the heat.

Tips for when you’re out and about

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure your pet stays safe when out and about. Cats that spend a lot of time outside may already have a good idea of how to look after themselves, but it’s still worth considering the following. 

When travelling, you should never leave a pet in a hot car or caravan, not even for a short time, as these environments can become very hot very quickly and sometimes even become fatal.  

As well as suffering from overheating from the air temperature, dogs are susceptible to burning their paws on hot pavements. It can be very painful for them to walk on hot surfaces, so it’s best to avoid walking your dog at the hottest times of day, which tend to be between 11am and 3pm. If you’re considering taking them out, it’s best to check the pavement temperature first to protect their sensitive paws.

Signs of overheating

Following this advice will help you to keep your pet cool, but they may still suffer from overheating.  

Some common signs to keep an eye out for in cats include: 

• Wobbling or struggling to stand up 

• Dribbling or panting 

• Struggling to breathe (this is especially true of flat-faced cats) 

If you have an older or overweight cat, you might need to take extra precautions to help them manage in the heat. Observe their behaviour for any of the above signs, and take additional precautions if necessary, such as booking them in for a trim or attaching mesh to windows to allow breezes to pass through your home without your cat escaping. 

Signs of overheating to look out for in dogs include:  

• Panting or drooling 

• Red gums 

• Wobbling or difficulty standing up 

As is the case with cats, dogs that are flat-faced, overweight, or older can often struggle more in the heat, so consider taking some of the extra precautions mentioned above to help them to enjoy the summer months without overheating.

Neil’s advice

• Exercise is vital for keeping dogs healthy and happy, so make sure they’re staying active, but adapt their routines on hot days. Walk in the shade if possible or under an umbrella and keep walks short. You can split your normal route into two shorter walks (ideally one in the early morning and one in the evening) if that helps. 

• Paddling pools in the garden are a good way to keep pet paws cool, as well as giving your pet a new place to play and have fun!  

• Keep a fan turned on in a designated cool part of the house for your pet to enjoy.