When the thermometer climbs, a flat can quickly become stifling, especially under the roof. A dog copes with heat less well than we do. Here is how to keep your home cool, adapt outings and spot heatstroke.
Why dogs suffer in the heat
A dog sweats very little, and only through the paw pads. To get rid of heat, they rely mostly on panting. When the air is hot and humid, this system works badly.
Some dogs are more at risk:
- short-muzzled breeds (French bulldog, Pug, Shih Tzu and so on), which already breathe with more effort;
- older or overweight dogs, and those with a heart or breathing problem;
- puppies;
- dogs with a thick or dark coat.
If your dog is in one of these groups, ask your vet before summer what precautions to take for them.
Keeping the flat cool
- Close shutters and curtains in the morning, before the sun beats on the windows.
- Air the flat at night and early in the morning, when the air outside is cooler than inside.
- Let them choose the spot. Give them access to the coolest room, often the bathroom or a north-facing room.
- A cool floor within reach. Tiles are their best ally. A damp towel laid on the floor, in the shade, gives them one more cool spot.
- A fan moves the air. Put it at a distance, without pointing it continuously at the dog, and keep the cables out of their reach.
If you go out to work on a very hot day, prepare the flat before you leave: shutters closed, several bowls of water, doors open to the coolest rooms. Avoid shutting them in a small room that gets the sun. Under the roof, in a full heatwave, see whether a relative can take them in somewhere cooler.
Water, everywhere and all the time
- Several bowls of fresh water around the flat, refilled several times a day.
- A bottle of water and a collapsible bowl on every outing.
- A few ice cubes in the bowl if your dog likes that, or a chew toy kept in the freezer.
Adapting outings
- Go out early in the morning and late in the evening. In the hot hours, limit yourself to short toilet trips, in the shade.
- Test the tarmac. Put the back of your hand on the ground for a few seconds. If you cannot leave it there, it is too hot for their paw pads.
- Save ball games for the evening. In the hot hours, prefer a quiet scent game indoors.
- Never leave them alone in a car, even for a few minutes, even with the windows slightly open. The temperature rises very quickly.
To organise outings through the day, see our guide to how many outings for a flat dog.
The coat and the bed
Brush your dog more often: removing the dead undercoat helps air circulate. Before clipping a double-coated dog, ask your vet or a groomer for advice. This coat also protects them from the sun, and clipping is not always a good idea.
As for the bed, memory foam moulds to the body and keeps its heat. In summer, many dogs leave it for the tiles in the hot hours, then come back to it at night. Let them make that choice. Take the blankets out of the bed, and wash the cover more often if your dog pants and drools more. The beds in the dog collection have a zipped cover that washes at 30 °C.
Recognising heatstroke
Heatstroke is an emergency. Watch for these signs:
- intense, noisy panting that does not ease at rest;
- heavy, thick drool;
- very red gums or tongue, or on the contrary pale or bluish ones;
- weakness, a staggering walk, vomiting or diarrhoea;
- a dog that collapses or no longer responds normally.
Move them somewhere cool, in the shade. Wet them with cool water, not ice-cold, and offer them a drink without forcing them. Call your vet or emergency vet straight away. Even if your dog seems to be getting better, an examination is still needed.
And when winter comes back, our guide to keeping your dog warm takes over.
In short
- Shutters closed by day, windows open at night, free access to the coolest room.
- Fresh water in several places, refilled often.
- Outings early in the morning and late in the evening; test the tarmac with the back of your hand.
- Never alone in a car, even for a few minutes.
- Intense panting, abnormal gums, weakness: cool them down and call the vet.