00:00Well, hello from Cannon Hill Park. On a sweltering day, the UK is expected to have a bit of a
00:06heat wave
00:06and also conditions are improving as we move into the core summer months.
00:10I'm with Caroline from Blue Cross. Caroline, the question is, what do we do with our dogs and cats,
00:16particularly during these hot spells?
00:18Well, cats very rarely seem to suffer from the heat, but obviously it's always good to be cautious,
00:23particularly if you have an elderly cat. Elderly cats are very prone to get kidney disease
00:28and it's absolutely vital that they have constant access to water.
00:32So it's really important to make sure that you accidentally don't shut your cat away somewhere.
00:35So be very careful about that.
00:39With dogs, it's often more difficult, particularly if they are very motivated to get involved in play
00:44because they love playing. But in this kind of weather, when they're racing around all excited,
00:48they can very easily get heat stroke.
00:50And you need to be particularly careful if your dog is a short-nosed dog
00:54or if it's an elderly or a little bit on the chubby side, as so many dogs are these days,
01:00then you need to be particularly careful.
01:02It's a good idea to walk them in the cooler parts of the day,
01:05so like first thing in the morning or last thing at night,
01:08rather than bringing them out in this beautiful sunshine.
01:11It's also that time of year where sometimes people leave their dogs in a car,
01:16which I understand is particularly dangerous.
01:18Yes, it's absolutely a big no-no. Even with the windows open, a car can really heat up.
01:24So please don't leave your dog in the car.
01:26What would you advise to be if somebody sees a dog in a car on a day like today?
01:30Well, the standard advice is to phone the police, who will come along and assess the situation.
01:35So that is what I would do.
01:37Obviously, I realise the temptation is always to break into the car,
01:41but people are really advised to talk to the police first.
01:44And of course, for advice, you've got an extensive website which just details what's doing all these scenarios.
01:49Yes, indeed. I mean, the sort of first signs of heat stroke are that your dog will be panting a
01:54lot
01:54and slowing up, probably have very noisy breathing.
01:57And if you think that your dog is getting heat stroke,
02:00then the best advice is to immerse them in cool water, not freezing cold water,
02:05but you need to get them absolutely soaked in cold water.
02:08We used to tell people to put wet towels on them,
02:11but that's now not thought to be the theme because it traps the heat.
02:13So immerse your dog and then phone your vet, because even if your dog recovers,
02:17you still need to talk to the vet because there can be damage to the internal organs.
02:21Some people maybe leave the dog in the garden during the summer.
02:25How essential is shade for a dog?
02:27Yeah, it's important to make sure that dogs have options.
02:30They can manage heat very well themselves, as long as they don't get carried away,
02:33so that they're playing really excitedly.
02:36And so make sure that they've got plenty of shade, plenty of water, and they should be OK.
02:41Caroline, thank you so much for your advice and for your time today.
02:45Blue Cross has extensive information for pet owners on its website,
02:49including a summer survival guide.
02:51You can find it at bluecross.org.uk,
02:55where guidance is available on keeping animals safe in the heat.
02:59Let's finish.
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