National Heat Awareness Day

The last Friday of May is marked as National Heat Awareness day.  Heatwaves can affect children and the elderly, but your pets are also largely affected when temperatures rise. National Heat awareness day is a reminder on how to take special care of your pets health.

Animals, especially dogs and cats are vulnerable to illness from hot weather which includes heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is the first stage of heatstroke and symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting and rapid panting.

Every pet parent should follow these simple rules to prevent heatstroke:

1. Don’t walk your pets on hot surfaces like pavements during high temperatures as this can cause burns on sensitive paw pads.
2. Ensure your pet has access to fresh water – At all times!

The Torus water bowl is the perfect pet bowl for the summer! This innovative bowl is comes equipped with a filter, which produces carbon-filtered water for your pet as often as they want. This is a handy and brilliant feature because each time your pet drinks their water, replacement water automatically flows from the Torus’s storage area (which is very simple to fill), into the bowl’s drinking well.

3. NEVER leave your dog inside a vehicle – even if the car is parked in a shaded area.
4. Provide a cool/shaded place for your pet to relax. Look at setting up a paddling pool or sprinklers!
5. Take a break from high intensity exercise in the heat. Pets can over heat especially if they are a brachycephalic (flat faced) breed like French bulldogs or pugs.

If your dog is showing signs of heatstroke-

• Excessive panting/drooling
• Elevated body temperate (103º to 106ºF)
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Collapse

Apply cool – not cold water either by wrapping a soaked  towel or cooling them off in a bath and get them to your vet immediately.