‘I’m a dog owner – spraying your dog with water can do more harm than good in the heat’

With peek temperatures hitting this week, the RSPCA and other animal charities are issuing fresh guidance for pet owners looking for advice on keeping their animals cool in the heat

While summer coming early is great news for most people, our four-legged friends can suffer in the soaring temperatures. The UK is expecting to reach highs of 27C this week as an unprecedented heatwave strikes the UK.

Dog owners are being urged to take extra precautions to keep their pets safe, with one viral video warning of spraying your dog with cold water to cool them down in the heat.

Posting under the handle @buddy_the_brown_labrador, the owner of a chocolate Labrador shared their summer care tips in a viral TikTok video that has already racked up over 31,000 likes. Their key warning is to avoid using cold water to cool your beloved pet down as it could actually cause more harm than good.

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“It may seem like the right thing to do,” the owner explained, “but spraying your dog with cold water can actually make them retain more heat. It causes the capillaries under their skin to close, which stops the cooling process.”

Instead, they recommend allowing dogs to cool off in a paddling pool or shallow bath, where their paws and mouth – key areas for regulating temperature – are submerged.

Other essential tips include avoiding walks during peak heat hours and instead heading out before 7am or after 10pm, when temperatures are lower.

The video also encourages owners to:

• Use air conditioning if available, ensuring the dog stays fully indoors.
• Relocate pets to the coolest part of the house if needed.
• Provide plenty of fresh drinking water, access to shaded areas, and daily brushing to help remove excess fur that can trap heat.

The advice has been popular among TikTok users, many of whom admitted they had been unknowingly putting their pets at risk.

One commenter wrote: “Omg I had no idea. We always put our dog in our unheated pool thinking we were helping. Thank you for this.”

Another added: “Very important information. Thank you for sharing.”

According to the RSPCA, the dogs most at risk from heatstroke are dogs with health conditions, flat-faced breeds like pugs or bulldogs, and dogs with thick coats like German Shepherds.

The charity urges owners to pick shady spots for their daily walk, and pack a portable water dispenser ensuring they are hydrated every 15 to 20 minutes. It's also important to avoid pavement walking if it's too hot, instead opting for grass.

The Met Office has explained that it's not unusual to see warm and sunny periods in April, but that temperatures in the mid-20s are more of the norm. What is out of character for this time of year is the 30C mark. If reached, it will break a record.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “It is not particularly unusual to see warm and sunny periods in April where temperatures reach the mid-20s.

“This has occurred as recently as 2018 and 2019, for example. However, it is more unusual to see temperatures reach the high-20s, and if we see 30C this week, it will be the earliest point in the year in which we have achieved that threshold.”

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