Wood Green is urging pet owners to take extra care of their pets when the temperature rises following an incident at the weekend where a dog collapsed from heat exhaustion.
The Charity attended the bustling Bedford River Festival on Saturday and Sunday, and one of the most popular features of its stand was a large paddling pool full of cool water for our four-legged friends to cool off in the exceptional temperatures.
Sadly, a seven-year-old Labrador collapsed at the event during the height of the heatwave on Saturday. This was a direct result of a new owner not understanding the risks to his pet of walking in the middle of the day. He had already walked some distance from home to the event and his dog collapsed to the ground in one of the busiest sections of the festival.
Faye Woods, (Outreach Volunteer) and Helen Bulgin (Community Education Officer) sprang into action immediately upon hearing of the dog’s plight. They ensured that the Labrador, called Lucky, was covered in wet towels and given tepid water a little at a time. Fortunately Lucky improved enough to be transported in an air-conditioned Police van to local veterinary practice, Scotts. The vet confirmed that, due to prompt action by Wood Green staff and fantastic support from the local Police, Lucky would make a full recovery. Within an hour of arriving at Scotts, Lucky was found to be bouncing around and wagging his tail in the cool of the air-conditioned surgery. The vets at Scotts very kindly treated Lucky with no charge.
Whilst we all love to spend time with our dogs, try to consider how they will be feeling in hot weather in their furry coat. Always check the temperature before going out and avoid walking in the hottest parts of the day, leave them at home if appropriate to do so and if you do go out ensure that you have plenty of fresh water available at all times. Some dogs cope less well than others so take extra care with brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds, dark coloured dogs and those with thick or long coats, why not get them a summer hair cut to help keep them cool!
A recent survey by online medical provider VioVet has also revealed that a shocking number of people still believe it is acceptable to leave their dogs in their cars – 62% said that they would happily leave their dog unattended for an hour before returning to check on them, while 45% admitted to not realising how quickly a car can heat up in temperatures of as little as 19 degrees.
Wood Green advises that you never leave your dog unattended in your car in warm weather, even for a few minutes. In outside temperatures of 22 degrees, your car can heat up to more than double that within an hour, and leaving a window open will not make a difference. Dogs regulate their body temperature by panting or perspiring through their paw pads, but in an airless car they are unable to do this and they can die in as little as 20 minutes.
For further advice on keeping your pets safe in the warm weather please visit http://
www.woodgreen.org.uk/news/2754_keep_your_pets_safe_in_the_sun