Summer care for pets

Most pets cool themselves far less well than people do. Dogs and cats cannot sweat through their skin. Rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters come from cool places. In an Indian summer, heat is the most serious everyday danger to pets.

For every pet

• Fresh, cool water at all times, in more than one bowl. Refill often.
• Shade and moving air. A fan helps only if the animal can also move away from it.
• The coolest room in the house during the afternoon. Never a closed terrace room, a tin shed or a balcony in the sun.
• Never leave any animal in a parked vehicle, even for a few minutes, even with a window open.

Dogs

• Walk before the sun is high and after it has set.
• Test the road with the back of your hand for a few seconds. If it is too hot for your hand, it is too hot for paws.
• Let the dog lie on a damp towel or a cool floor. Offer a shallow tub of water if it likes one.
• Do not shave a double-coated dog: ask a groomer or vet what is right for the breed.
• Flat-faced dogs such as pugs, and old or overweight dogs, need extra care.

Cats

• Cats find cool spots by themselves if they can reach them: leave bathroom and shaded rooms open.
• Brush out loose fur.
• Add a second water bowl in another room.

Rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters

• Move the cage to the coolest room, away from windows.
• Place a ceramic tile or a bottle of frozen water wrapped in a cloth in the cage, so the animal can lie against it.
• Offer washed, fresh greens for extra moisture.

Birds

• Keep the cage out of direct sun and hot wind.
• Offer a shallow bath, or a light mist of plain water.
• Change drinking water twice a day: it spoils quickly in heat.

Fish

• Shade the tank, switch lights off in the afternoon and raise the lid a little.
• A small fan blowing across the water surface cools it.
• Feed less in very hot weather.

Overheating is an emergency

Heavy panting, drooling, weakness, wobbling or collapse in hot weather means the animal is overheating. Move it to shade, offer water, wet its body with cool (not ice-cold) water, and go to a vet at once.

This is a care guide, not veterinary advice. It covers housing, food, routine and safety. It does not diagnose or treat illness. If your pet seems unwell, is hurt or behaves differently, take it to a qualified veterinarian without delay.