Top tips to keep your pets cool when it's hot outside
Tips and tricks to help your pets when it's hot
Although you might be set to enjoy the rise in temperatures this weekend, your pets could be struggling. To help you out we have found the best ways to tell if your pet is struggling in the heat and how best to help them.
If you have a dog:
Symptoms:
Heavy panting.
Tongue and gums may be bright pink or red.
Tongue may loll out of their mouth.
They may seem disorientated.
They may vomit.
They may lie down more often than usual.
They may have a dry and tacky mouth with a mucus-like build up.
They may lift their feet awkwardly if the ground is too hot for them.
Tips and tricks to help:
Always make sure they have plenty of fresh water.
Avoid taking them out around midday and avoid exercise between 11am and 4pm.
Take water with you on walks.
Make sure they always have access to a shaded area.
Don’t feed your dog within an hour of exercise.
If your dog has little hair, apply sun lotion to their ears.
Invest in a cooling coat to keep their temperature down.
If they have a lot of hair, consider getting their hair cut to make the hot weather more bearable.
If you have a cat:
Symptoms:
Heavy panting.
Their tongue and gums may be bright pink or red.
They could start drooling.
They may lie down more often than usual and breathe heavily.
They may stumble and seem disorientated.
They may have sweaty paws.
They could vomit.
They could be restless.
They may excessively groom in an attempt to cool off.
Tips and tricks to help:
Make sure they always have plenty of fresh water.
Brush them regularly.
Use a fan to keep areas cool.
Ensure they have access to a shaded area.
Restrict your cat going outdoors in the hottest hours of the day.
Feed your cat little and often to ensure the food is not left out in the heat.
Apply sun lotion to their ears.
Never lock your pet in a car, no matter what the weather.
Animals can lose their appetites when they hot.
Animals can become irritable in the heat so do not annoy them.
These may sound obvious but they are good to know!
Now check out how to keep yourself cool when it's been baking all day...
1) Cool your sheets
While it would be great to put all of your bedding in the fridge or freezer before you go to bed, a cool over-sheet or cool pillow cases will help. Stick them in a plastic bag and then in your fridge or freezer for around 10 minutes before you go to bed and they will cool you down.
2) Sleep alone
Even if you normally share your bed with your significant other, body heat can make a hot night even hotter. Maybe it's time for one of you to sleep in the spare room for the night.
3) Tepid shower
Don't be fooled into having a cold shower, a tepid shower is better at lowering your body temperature. If you have a cold shower your body can overcompensate and make you even hotter!
4) Avoid alcohol
Although it's very tempting to enjoy a cold alcoholic drink when it comes to bedtime you might regret it as alcohol dehydrates.
5) DIY air conditioning
When a simple fan isn't enough to cool you down, try filling a pan or bowl with ice cubes and putting that in front of the fan. The fan's breeze will then create a cooling mist.
6) Use sheets instead of a duvet
Get rid of your winter duvet and maybe even your summer duvet, swapping it for a thin sheet to keep you cool.
7) Cool your feet
Dipping your feet in a bucket of cold water before you go to sleep can help cool down your body, but make sure you don't spill it or get water all over your bed!
8) Windows and curtains
Make sure you keep the windows and curtains closed during the day to keep the heat out and then open them when it's cooler. This will help circulate the cooler air.
9) Drink plenty of water
Aim to drink at least two litres of fluids a day if you can, stay away from caffeine and alcohol.
10) Cool your pulse points
Put a cold flannel on your wrist and neck to cool down your body.
11) Cold water bottle
We've all heard of a hot water bottle, why not do the same with cold water when it's hot weather. Alternatively you could use an icepack in towel. However, remember not to put ice directly onto your skin!
12) Fan cross flow
If you have a fan or blow heater then put it on the cool setting and create a cross flow. Point it so that the warm air at the back is pushed out of an open window, that way it will keep your room cool.