How do I keep pets comfortable in heat?

Animals cool themselves far less effectively than people do, and the ones most at risk are not always the ones people worry about. Knowing which is which changes what you do on a hot day.

Safety

Step by step

1. Provide shade that moves with the sun.A spot shaded at eleven is in full sun by three. Check through the day, and make sure any outdoor animal has shade at every hour rather than at the moment you looked.
2. Put out more water than usual, in several places.Multiple bowls, kept full, in shade. Add ice cubes to keep it cool. Outdoor water heats quickly and a single bowl in sun is close to useless by afternoon.
3. Understand how dogs cool.Almost entirely by panting, which relies on evaporation and works poorly in humidity. Flat-faced breeds, overweight dogs, thick-coated breeds, puppies and older dogs are all at substantially higher risk.
4. Walk dogs early or late, and test the pavement.Back of the hand on the ground for seven seconds. If you cannot hold it there, it will burn paws. Tarmac stays dangerously hot well into the evening after a sunny day.
5. Use a damp towel rather than an ice bath.A cool wet towel over the body, or paws in cool water, or a damp cloth on ears and belly. Ice-cold water constricts blood vessels at the skin and can slow cooling.
6. Take rabbits and guinea pigs seriously.They are the most heat-vulnerable common pets and cannot pant effectively. A hutch in sun becomes lethal quickly. Move them into shade or indoors, add frozen water bottles wrapped in a towel, and check hourly.
7. Check rabbits for flystrike daily in summer.Flies lay eggs on soiled fur and the maggots cause a rapidly fatal condition. Check the rear end at least once a day in warm weather and keep the hutch scrupulously clean. This is a summer-specific and urgent risk.
8. Give cats cool places and leave them to it.Cats regulate reasonably well and will find a cool tiled floor or a shaded spot themselves. Make sure the cool rooms are accessible rather than shut, and that water is available.
9. Watch birds and fish.Cages out of direct sun with good airflow, and a shallow dish for bathing. A tank in sun heats fast and holds less oxygen — shade it and increase surface agitation.
10. Use fans for airflow, not aimed at the animal.Moving air through the room helps. A fan blowing directly at a small animal that cannot move away is not helpful, so leave an escape route.
11. Reduce activity and feed at cooler times.No ball games in the middle of the day. Move feeding to early morning and evening, and expect appetite to drop in heat.
12. Never leave an animal in a car or a conservatory.A car reaches lethal temperatures within minutes even with windows cracked and parked in shade. The same applies to conservatories and cars in car parks that will be in sun later.
13. Know the emergency response.Heavy panting, drooling, bright red gums, staggering, vomiting or collapse. Move to shade, apply cool water, offer small amounts to drink, and ring a vet immediately. Do not wait to see if it improves.

Tips

• Frozen water bottles wrapped in a towel are the most useful thing for rabbits, guinea pigs and dog beds. They give the animal something cool to lie against and can be moved away.
• A paddling pool of a few centimetres of water in shade is genuinely effective for dogs and costs almost nothing.
• Grooming out dead undercoat helps a thick-coated dog. Shaving usually does not — the coat also insulates against heat and protects skin from sun.

Common mistakes

• Leaving a rabbit hutch in the sun — Rabbits cannot pant effectively and a hutch in direct sun becomes lethal within a short time. They are far more vulnerable than dogs and get far less attention.
• Walking a dog at midday because it seems cooler than expected — Pavement holds heat long after the air feels comfortable. Use the seven-second hand test rather than judging by how the air feels.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask