'I'm a dog owner – you should never spray them with water during heatwave'

26 June 2024 , 08:31

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'I'm a dog owner – you should never spray them with water during heatwave'

Summer usually means fun in the sun. But for our four-legged friends, it can get a little too hot.

Dogs don't sweat like we do, and that fur coat isn't exactly summer-friendly. So, as a dog owner, it's super important to make sure your pup stays cool — especially when being blasted by a heatwave.

Brits and their pets are baking in 31C temperatures today. The country basked in the hottest day of the year on Monday with Wisley, Surrey, hitting a sweltering 28.3C.

The mercury is expected to climb even higher, particularly in central and eastern England come Wednesday, according to Met Office predictions.

The nation is urged to stay vigilant until Thursday under yellow heat health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). But that means dog owners need to make sure their pets stay cool and healthy in the hot weather.

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Heatstroke can also affect pets in hot weather (stock image) (PA Archive/PA Images)

An owner of a chocolate labrador, who posts online as @buddy_the_brown_labrador, has taken to social media to share tips for taking care of their pets this summer. In a video, which has gained more than 31,000 likes, they said: "You should never spray your dog with cold water to cool him down?

"It would cause the capillaries under their skin to close and you would get the opposite effect. Your dog will then retain even more heat."

Instead, cooling them down in a pool is more effective as dogs regulate their temperature with their paws and mouth. The dog owner also recommends changing your walks to hours with cooler temperatures — before 7am and after 10pm.

They explained: "Do you have air conditioning? Great! Use it. Just make sure your dog is completely inside. If it gets too hot indoors, move the dog to a cooler place in the house."

In the final part, they added that owners should "always make sure your dog has plenty of fresh drinking water", has "spot in the shade" and to "brush your dog daily to remove loose hair".

TikTok users took to the comments – and many were grateful for the advice as the UK is currently being blasted by a heatwave. One user said: "Omg I had no idea. We always put our dog in our unheated pool when it gets hot out thinking we were helping. Thank you for this."

Another added: "Very important information. Thank you for sharing," while someone else penned: "That's good to know."

Kirsty Card