{"id":11988,"date":"2025-06-16T11:56:32","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T10:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/?p=11988"},"modified":"2025-06-16T11:56:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T10:56:32","slug":"keep-cool-and-carry-on-how-to-protect-your-pets-from-heatstroke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/keep-cool-and-carry-on-how-to-protect-your-pets-from-heatstroke\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep Cool and Carry On: How to Protect Your Pets from Heatstroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ensure your beloved cat or dog stays as cool as a cucumber in hot weather by following these simple tips.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

When you\u2019re having fun in the sun this summer, don\u2019t forget to spare a thought for your pets.<\/p>\n

While cats and dogs love to doze off in a sunny corner of a room or garden, they can get too much of a good thing.<\/p>\n

Animals are less able to regulate their body temperature than humans.<\/p>\n

This means they\u2019re more susceptible to heatstroke, a condition that at its worst can be life-threatening.<\/p>\n

Be especially careful if your pet is very young or old, has thick fur or has an underlying health condition. Flat-faced dog breeds are also at a greater risk of heatstroke.<\/p>\n

To keep your pets happy and healthy when the mercury rises (and to save yourself an unnecessary trip to the vet), take these precautions.<\/p>\n

Water<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

No doubt you already provide water for your pet, but now\u2019s the time to up the H2<\/sub>O provision.<\/p>\n

Place a few extra bowls of cool water inside and outside your home for your cat or dog.<\/p>\n

You can also run a towel under cold water, wring out the excess liquid and place it on the ground for your pet to lie on.<\/p>\n

Shade<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

If you have a garden or courtyard, make sure there are plenty of shady nooks where your pet can take respite from the heat.<\/p>\n

You can also buy a range of pop-up shelters for cats and dogs, or make one yourself.<\/p>\n

Drape a large towel or sheet over a table or chair and tuck the corners of the fabric under the legs so that it can\u2019t blow away.<\/p>\n

Add a bowl of water and – voila! – your pet has their very own hydration station.<\/p>\n

Observe<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

As pets can\u2019t tell us when they\u2019re feeling unwell, it\u2019s essential to watch their body language and behaviour.<\/p>\n

The early signs of heatstroke include tiredness, excessive panting (in dogs) and red gums.<\/p>\n

Other, more serious, indications include vomiting, diarrhoea, severe weakness, seizures or collapse.<\/p>\n

What to do if you have concerns<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Royal Veterinary College recommends a \u201ccool first, transport second\u201d approach if your pet shows signs of heatstroke.<\/p>\n

Immediately move your pet to a cool place, ideally near a fan, and offer them sips of water. You could also try pouring cool (but not ice-cold) water over them. Once you\u2019ve taken these steps, call your vet straight away.<\/p>\n

If you know someone who would find this article helpful, please share it with them.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ensure your beloved cat or dog stays as cool as a cucumber in hot weather by following these simple tips. When you\u2019re having fun in the sun this summer, don\u2019t forget to spare a thought for your pets. While cats and dogs love to doze off in a sunny corner of a room or garden, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[8,25],"class_list":["post-11988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal-advice-from-our-team","tag-advice","tag-jerry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11988"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11990,"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11988\/revisions\/11990"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.craneandco.co.uk\/pages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}