Pet owners are getting better at looking after their pets, says Galway vet

Pet owners are getting better at looking after their pets, says Galway vet Maeve Walsh, and they are more conscious than ever of the dangers that high temperatures pose for their animals, including heatstroke.

“We tell people, keep your pets in plenty of shade, have loads of water, do not bring your dog in the car. Even going for walks — the tarmac can get to a seriously high temperature, so we say that if it is too hot for your bare feet, it is too hot for your pet,” Ms Walsh said.

“We have it posted on our Facebook, and in the clinic there is a poster in every room, we have it in reception — we are like a broken record. But, thankfully, you see less and less of this,” said Walsh, the owner of Bushypark Vets on Circular Road in Galway city.

The signs of heatstroke in animals are clear, for those who do not already know: “You’ll see them collapsing, they can have seizures, they start vomiting. Basically, what you are looking for is glassy eyes, weakness, heavy panting, they can go unconscious.”

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Certain dog breeds are more likely to be badly affected by hot weather, with short-snouted breeds more at risk: “If you have got a German Shepherd, you have got the lovely long snout they can breathe in, breathe out, there’s no problems.

“The problem with the bulldogs, and the French bulldogs especially, is you have basically got a squashed-up face, so even at best on a cool day, they can have breathing issues,” the Galway vet said.

“We do an awful lot of cosmetic surgeries on the nose of the French bulldogs to open it so they can get more air in, and that’s on a good day. The way they get rid of the heat is by panting, that’s the way they dissipate the heat, so they are in more trouble than another dog.”

People with pets affected by heatstroke should cool down the animal gradually to prevent shock: “You cannot just dump it into a cold bath of water, but you put a cold towel over the body of the dog, and lots of fluids, and get your dog to a vet if you suspect there’s something going on.”