Heatwaves, holidays and keeping your pets safe this summer

Here in Normandy, just as I thought I could finally start planting out in the potager, we suddenly had a blast of the cinq saints de glace. Heading into the Pentecost Festival it remained grey and overcast, but by the end of May it was nudging 31°C. I think it is safe to say summer is finally on its way.

With many of you planning your summer break, and many heading to the delights of the Côte d’Azur, I hope you remember to pack everything needed for your pet’s comfort too if they are coming along for the journey.

If you have ever had the misfortune to become stuck in a traffic jam on a motorway in the UK with a dog in the car during a heatwave, you will know exactly how traumatic that can be. Fortunately most modern cars now have air conditioning, but small dogs sitting on rear parcel shelves can still be at real risk of heatstroke and dehydration. Unlike the French autoroutes, there is often nowhere to leave the motorway for miles.

Over the years we tried various cooling products for our own dogs while travelling. Cooling mats never seemed particularly successful because the dogs rarely wanted to lie on them, but we found Easidri cooling jackets an absolute godsend. You can even sit outside a restaurant in Provence with your dog comfortably wearing one and, if it starts to dry out, simply pour cool bottled water over it again. Your fellow diners will see it as a mad English tradition I’m sure!

On that note, always remember to keep several bottles of water within easy reach in the car, together with a suitable drinking bowl. If you do become stranded in traffic – thankfully still relatively uncommon in France compared with parts of Britain – at least your dog can be kept hydrated and comfortable. I sincerely hope you do not experience, as we did, a breakdown on the motorway, and the breakdown truck lifting your car up onto the truck with your cats inside, though at 11pm we were grateful to be taken safely to a nearby hotel. The cats didn’t seem to mind. Behaviourists tell us they are solitary survivors, but I have yet to experience their independent nature.

Simple things make a surprising difference in hot weather. Your dog will probably thank you more for staying cool in an air-conditioned villa than sitting on a crowded beach in the midday sun. Sitting beneath a tree is often considerably cooler than sitting under a parasol, and many dogs appreciate cool tiled floors during the hottest part of the day. Walks are usually best taken early in the morning or later in the evening once temperatures begin to fall. 

Owners of flat-faced breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs and French Bulldogs should be especially cautious, as these breeds struggle far more in hot weather because of their restricted airways.

If you suspect your dog may be developing heatstroke, rapid action is key. Move the animal into shade immediately and begin cooling the body using cool water while contacting a veterinary surgeon as quickly as possible. In severe cases, prompt cooling really can mean the difference between life and death.

My first veterinary clinic was situated just off Junction 9 of the M25 and every summer we would see emergency cases of heatstroke involving dogs trapped for hours in stationary traffic. Sadly, some cases ended very badly.

The good news is that most heat-related problems are entirely preventable with a little preparation and common sense.

Don’t let it happen to you. Stay safe this summer – and enjoy a wonderful holiday without any unexpected emergency trips to the vet.

Article by Peter Culpin, a British veterinary surgeon with over 45 years of clinical experience in the UK who now lives in Normandy