{"id":10513,"date":"2026-06-03T11:56:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/news\/?p=10513"},"modified":"2026-07-03T13:41:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:41:51","slug":"10513-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/news\/10513-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Heat Safety for Dogs and Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>How to keep pets cool and avoid heat related illness in West Yorkshire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As summer begins, warmer weather can quickly become uncomfortable and even dangerous for pets. Dogs and cats do not cope with heat in the same way humans do, and heatstroke in dogs and cats can happen faster than many owners realise.<\/p>\n<p>At Calder Vets in West Yorkshire, we see a noticeable spike in heat-related calls every summer, particularly from owners walking their dogs at Pugneys Country Park during the hottest part of the day. Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, while cats rely on finding cool, quiet places to rest. Both methods have limits, especially during heatwaves or high humidity.<\/p>\n<h2>Simple ways to keep pets cool<\/h2>\n<p>Small changes can make a big difference.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Always provide fresh, cool water and refresh it often.<\/li>\n<li>Keep pets indoors during the hottest part of the day.<\/li>\n<li>Close curtains or blinds to block direct sunlight.<\/li>\n<li>Use fans to improve airflow, but make sure pets can move away if they choose.<\/li>\n<li>Provide cooling mats or damp towels for resting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For dogs, walks should be limited to early mornings or late evenings. Pavements can become dangerously hot, so always check the ground with your hand before heading out.<\/p>\n<p>Cats often manage heat quietly, so make sure they have access to shaded areas, cool floors and undisturbed resting spots.<\/p>\n<h2>Pets most at risk in hot weather<\/h2>\n<p>Some pets need extra care in summer.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Flat-faced breeds such as Bulldogs and Persians.<\/li>\n<li>Overweight pets.<\/li>\n<li>Senior pets.<\/li>\n<li>Animals with heart or breathing problems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If your pet falls into one of these groups, the team at Calder Vets can offer tailored advice to help reduce risk. We see a lot of French Bulldogs and older Labradors in West Yorkshire, and we&#8217;ll happily plan a summer check-up around your pet&#8217;s needs.<\/p>\n<h2>Signs of heatstroke to watch for<\/h2>\n<p>Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Knowing the signs of heatstroke in dogs and cats can buy your pet vital minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Look out for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Heavy panting or rapid breathing.<\/li>\n<li>Drooling or thick saliva.<\/li>\n<li>Lethargy or weakness.<\/li>\n<li>Vomiting or diarrhoea.<\/li>\n<li>Collapse or seizures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are concerned, contact Calder Vets on <a href=\"tel:01924465592\">01924 465592<\/a> immediately. Early treatment can be lifesaving.<\/p>\n<h2>What to do if you suspect heatstroke<\/h2>\n<p>Heatstroke is a true emergency. The first few minutes really matter, and what you do at home before you get to the vet can make a real difference.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Move your pet to a cool, shaded place straight away.<\/li>\n<li>Wet their coat with cool, not ice-cold, water. Pay particular attention to the belly, groin and paw pads.<\/li>\n<li>Use a fan or open window to keep air moving over the wet fur.<\/li>\n<li>Offer small sips of cool water if they want it, but never force them to drink.<\/li>\n<li>Get to the vet as quickly as you safely can, even if your pet seems to be picking up. Internal damage can show itself several hours later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A note on what to avoid. Do not use very cold water, ice packs directly against the skin or full ice baths. It sounds counterintuitive, but extreme cold can make blood vessels at the surface clamp down, which actually traps heat inside the body and can tip pets into shock. Cool, gentle and quick is the rule.<\/p>\n<h2>How your vet can help<\/h2>\n<p>The team at Calder Vets in West Yorkshire can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Assess your pet&#8217;s heat risk before summer hits.<\/li>\n<li>Offer advice on safe exercise routines.<\/li>\n<li>Support weight management.<\/li>\n<li>Help manage ongoing health conditions during summer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you&#8217;d like a summer check-up before the next heatwave, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/book-an-appointment\">book an appointment online<\/a> or call us on <a href=\"tel:01924465592\">01924 465592<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Quick answers<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-list\" data-clickingmad-faqs data-options='{\"category\":\"heat-safety\",\"openFirstQuestion\":true,\"onlyAllowOneOpen\":true,\"includeStructuredData\":true,\"class\":\"\"}' data-instance-id=\"1\"><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">What are the first signs of heatstroke in a dog?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Heavy panting, very thick or stringy saliva, bright red gums, lethargy, and an unwillingness to keep moving are usually the earliest signs. Vomiting, collapse and seizures come later and indicate a true emergency.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">Should I put my dog in cold water if I think they have heatstroke?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>No. Use cool tap water, not ice cold water or an ice bath. Extreme cold causes blood vessels at the surface to constrict, which traps heat in the body. Wet the coat, particularly belly, groin and paw pads, keep air moving, and get to the vet straight away.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">Can cats get heatstroke too?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>Yes, especially older cats, overweight cats, and flat-faced breeds like Persians. Cats tend to hide discomfort, so look for unusually quiet behaviour, panting (very unusual in cats), drooling, or seeking out cold floors and tiled areas.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"faq-item\"><h3 class=\"faq-question\">What temperature is too hot for a dog?<\/h3><div class=\"faq-answer\"><p>As a rule of thumb, walks become risky once the air temperature is above 20\u00b0C, and high-risk above 24\u00b0C. Pavement temperature also matters \u2014 if you can&#8217;t comfortably hold the back of your hand on the ground for seven seconds, it&#8217;s too hot for paws. Vet advice in <em>West Yorkshire<\/em>: shift walks to early morning or late evening through July and August.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h2>How to book and contact us<\/h2>\n<p>To book online or check availability, visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/book-an-appointment\">here<\/a>. You can also call us on\u00a0<a href=\"tel:01924465592\">01924 465592<\/a>, or pop into Calder Vets:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bridghouse |\u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01484 404400\"><span class=\"phone\">01484 404400<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/brighouse-vets\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Denby Dale |\u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01484 865845\"><span class=\"phone\">01484 865845<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/denby-dale-vets\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Dewsbury Veterinary Hospital | \u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01924 465592\"><span class=\"phone\">01924 465592<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/dewsbury-veterinary-hospital\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Mirfield |\u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01924 492155\"><span class=\"phone\">01924 492155<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/mirfield-vets\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Penistone |\u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01226 764764\"><span class=\"phone\">01226 764764<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/penistone-vets\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Sandal |\u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01924 258833\"><span class=\"phone\">01924 258833<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/sandal-vets\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Wakefield |\u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01924 372017\"><span class=\"phone\">01924 372017<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/wakefield-vets\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Waterloo |\u00a0<a class=\"trackcontactphoneclick\" href=\"tel:01484 469184\"><span class=\"phone\">01484 469184<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/contact-us\/waterloo-vets\">View our opening Hours<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For out-of-hours emergencies please call\u00a0<a href=\"tel:01924465592\">01924 465592<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to keep pets cool and avoid heat related illness in West Yorkshire. As summer begins, warmer weather can quickly become uncomfortable and even dangerous for pets. Dogs and cats do not cope with heat in the same way humans do, and heatstroke in dogs and cats can happen faster than many owners realise. At<\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/news\/faq\/what-temperature-is-too-hot-for-a-dog\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.9 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caldervets.co.uk\/news\/faq\/what-temperature-is-too-hot-for-a-dog\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 4.9.9\" \/>\n\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"aioseo-schema\">\n\t\t\t{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/what-temperature-is-too-hot-for-a-dog\\\/#breadcrumblist\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news#listItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/category\\\/latest-news\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Latest News\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/category\\\/latest-news\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Latest News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/category\\\/latest-news\\\/\",\"nextItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/10513-2\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Heat Safety for Dogs and Cats\"},\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news#listItem\",\"name\":\"Home\"}},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/10513-2\\\/#listItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Heat Safety for Dogs and Cats\",\"previousItem\":{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/category\\\/latest-news\\\/#listItem\",\"name\":\"Latest News\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Calder Vets\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/calder-vets-logo.png\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/what-temperature-is-too-hot-for-a-dog\\\/#organizationLogo\",\"width\":171,\"height\":102},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/what-temperature-is-too-hot-for-a-dog\\\/#organizationLogo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/what-temperature-is-too-hot-for-a-dog\\\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.caldervets.co.uk\\\/news\\\/faq\\\/what-temperature-is-too-hot-for-a-dog\\\/\",\"name\":\"What temperature is too hot for a dog? 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