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Heatstroke in Dogs | Symptoms, Preventing & Treating Heat Stroke

Heatstroke in dogs

As temperatures rise during the summer, we’re able to get out and enjoy the longer days and beautiful weather with our dogs.

As humans, we know we need a cold drink or to find some shade when we’re getting too hot, but dogs aren’t as self-aware. It’s also instinctive for dogs to hide any sign of weakness, and even if they’re struggling – they can’t tell us.

When can heatstroke happen? Is it a problem in the UK?

Heatstroke (also known as hyperthermia) describes a body temperature that has risen above normal limits. In this case, we’re looking at temperatures elevated by environmental factors rather than illness. Heatstroke can happen in relatively mild temperatures from around 21 degrees Celsius and higher.

If a dog’s body temperature exceeds 41.2c, it can even lead to organ failure, so it’s essential we know what to look out for.

Dogs who have been exercising vigorously in heat, are overweight, have underlying health problems or suffer from breathing difficulties, such as flat-faced breeds, are often the first to suffer. It’s also well publicised that leaving dogs in cars – even with windows open and water available – can quickly cause problems, even on a cooler day.

Unlike us, dogs can’t sweat to control their body temperature but pant instead. Muzzled dogs can often suffer from heatstroke quite quickly as their ability to pant is restricted, so it’s essential to pay extra attention in these situations.

What are the signs to look out for?

A dog suffering from heatstroke will usually begin to show several of these symptoms:

Faster breathing and panting
Dry mouth and dry, discoloured gums, alternatively drooling and foaming at the mouth
Weakness
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Tiredness
Confusion
Occasionally seizures

Heatstroke is an immediate medical emergency, and if you think your dog might be displaying these symptoms, you need to act quickly to reduce their body temperature safely. The quicker they can be cooled down, the better their chance of a full recovery, but be careful not to use very cold water or ice packs as this is too much of a shock.

What can you do?

Some things you can try are:

Pouring cool water over them, concentrating on their head, stomach, armpits and anywhere else with less fur.
Applying cool cloths to the areas above, changing them often, so they remain cold. Don’t cover them in one cool towel or cloth as this could elevate their temperature further
If you’re at home, put them on a towel in the bath and give them a cool shower
Find a ventilated spot
Offer them water
Speak to them calmly and reassure them that everything is ok

If you remain concerned or if they had heatstroke for a while before recovering, call us and we will of course see them.

How can I avoid my dog getting heat stroke?

Here are our top tips for warmer times:

Exercise your dog when it’s cooler – either morning or evening are ideal
Take water and a bowl with you if you’re travelling in the car or walking somewhere without water bowls
Avoid hot pavements and sand
Never leave your dog in a car when the sun is out
Keep your dog a healthy weight
If they have a thick coat, consider having them clipped during warmer months
Watch how enthusiastically they’re running around. If it’s vigorous and a hot day, keep it short
Find shade when you can or limit the amount of time you’re out
Encourage them to swim if you’re near water and they like it. A hose pipe in the garden can also be fun!
If you have a brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog, a harness is often a better option than a lead as it doesn’t restrict their panting

Worried your dog has heatstroke?

If you remain concerned or if they had heatstroke for a while before recovering, call us and we will of course see them as soon as possible.

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£15 Microchipping in June | National Microchipping Month!

June is National microchipping month!

With the law for cats changing in 2024 and still so many pets not microchipped, we have decided that an offer is needed!

So… for the rest of June ONLY, microchipping is just £15!

This is a huge saving of £6 per microchip as they are usually £21.

Increase the chances of your pet being reunited with you quickly by getting them microchipped; it takes just minutes and can be done by one of our lovely Registered Veterinary Nurses.

Just this weekend, we reunited a cat that had been missing for 3 years, his family were over the moon, this would never have been possible without him being microchipped.

Claim your £15 Microchip

To claim your £15 microchip, book before the end of June by calling 01376 786732, or book online by clicking the button below:

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Ultimate Guide to Post-Brexit Pet Travel: All You Need to Know

As the UK has now left the European Union rules on pet travel changed on 1^st January 2021. Pet Passports have been replaced by Animal Health Certificates (AHC’s) that are valid for a single trip. We can arrange this for you.

You can still travel within the EU if you have a valid Pet Passport, but it needs to have been issued in an EU country (not England, Wales or Scotland) and these countries are listed at the bottom of this blog.

If you reside in the UK and wish to travel, there are different rules for EU and non-EU countries.

When travelling to an EU country your dog, cat or ferret needs:

To be over 15 weeks of age. This includes the 12 weeks it takes to be old enough to get their vaccinations and a 21 day wait afterwards to allow the vaccine to take effect
Microchip
Rabies vaccination (If your pet has an up-to-date rabies vaccination history following your first AHC, they will not need a repeat rabies vaccination before travelling to the EU or NI
Tapeworm treatment for dogs if you’re travelling directly to Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Norway or Malta given one to five days before travel.
Animal Health Certificate (you’ll need to bring proof of the above to your AHC appointment) issued within 10 days of the date you will be travelling. This is valid for up to four months of travel but expires after one trip. We can help clarify what you will need

When travelling to a non-EU country:

You’ll need to get an export health certificate (EHC). This checks that your pet meets the health requirements of the country you’re travelling to.
You’ll also need to complete an export application form (EXA) if you’re in England, Scotland or Wales.

Don’t worry: This all sounds very complicated. If you’d like to travel with your pet but aren’t sure what the right way forward is, just call us on 01376 786 732 or email us on reception@vistavets.co.uk

Important!

Check the rules of the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel. For example, some countries have parasites or diseases that are different to ours and your pet might need additional protection from these such as poisonous snakes, ticks, mosquitos, and sand flies which can spread disease.

There are also other environmental threats that you might want to be aware of, such as hot pavements that might blister paws that aren’t used to it.

Laws on dog ownership might also be different so it’s worth researching this. For example, in Italy, all dogs must be muzzled whilst out, so you should get them used to this in advance of your trip so it’s not too unsettling for them.

Do these rules apply to assistance dogs?

Slightly different rules apply to assistance dogs whilst normally you would need to travel an approved route, you don’t need to with an assistance dog. You will just need to tell the authorities that you’re travelling with an assistance dog to make sure the appropriate checks are carried out.

How many pets can I travel with?

You can travel with up to five pets to and from GB. The only exceptions to this rule are if you’re taking part or training:

In a competition
In a show
In a sporting event

If they are in the above, you must bring written evidence of your participation in the event with you to the Travellers’ Point of Entry. Your pet will need to be over six months old, be actively taking part in the event or training and must meet all the other requirements needed to enter that country.

EU countries are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

Pet passports are also accepted from:

Andorra, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Northern Ireland, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, Vatican City State

Want to travel with your pet?

If you’d like to travel with your pet but aren’t sure what the right way forward is, just call us on 01376 786 732 or email us on reception@vistavets.co.uk and we'll help you arrange everything.

Top 8 Reasons You Should Neuter Your Pet

What is neutering?

Neutering is a surgical way to stop reproduction. In males it’s called castration and in females it’s called spaying.

During castration both testicles are removed. This prevents fertility and also reduces the amount of the male hormone testosterone.

When a female is spayed, the ovaries and uterus are removed which makes the female unable to become pregnant.

Both operations are carried out under a general anaesthetic and are very safe. Painkillers are given during and after surgery and you will be able to take some home to use in the days following surgery. Most pets are up and about a few hours after surgery and recover quickly.

There are many reasons to protect your pet, the community and the population by neutering, but the 8 top reasons to do so are:

1. Population control

There are already far too many cats and dogs to go round. It’s hard to gauge exact figures but it it’s estimated that 3.9 million dogs and 3.4 million cats enter shelters across the UK each year.

Out of all the abandoned animals, only 10% have been neutered, and few are microchipped or have ID. Don’t think that breeding from pedigrees stops abandonment either. 25% off shelter residents are specific breeds.

2. Helps females live a longer and healthier life

Spaying helps prevent nasty womb infections such as pyometra, which is seen quite often in un-neutered females and can be fatal. It also hugely reduces the risk of breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50% of dogs and 90% of cats. Recent studies (Hart et al, 2020) suggest best neutering ages based on different breeds due to varied pros and cons, therefore, please discuss the right timing for your dog’s spay with our nurses or vets by contacting the practice. In cats, we recommend neutering females at around 5-6 months of age.

3. Your female won’t go in to heat

While cycles can vary, female cats can usually go into heat for four to five days every three weeks in breeding season. They become desperate for a mate, act in strange ways, make howling noises and urinate more frequently wherever they find themselves. Keeping them in during this time makes no difference either – they will still howl, wee and scratch to get out. It can be so dramatic that seasons are often mistaken for some immensely painful and debilitating illness by owners who don’t know what’s going on with their pet.

When a female dog is in season she becomes the most desirable thing an entire dog has ever seen. The odour makes them highly traceable, and even keeping them inside has resulted in male dogs pushing down fences and howling at doors just to get to them. It can be messy too as they produce a bloody, sticky discharge for three weeks or more.

Many unneutered female dogs have a false pregnancy after a season and, although this is natural, it can cause behavioural and even medical problems.

4. It’s cost effective

Your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is far less than the cost of having and caring for a litter.

You’ll also save money on your insurance premiums if your pet is neutered, and you’ll not incur any of the costs associated with illness and disease resulting from remaining entire. Even insured pets who get sick still have an excess to pay each time, and many won’t be covered for a recurring infection or after the first year if they’re left with a chronic problem.

As unneutered pets are more aggressive, there are also battle wounds to consider. When hormones rage, cats and dogs don’t hold back. An unneutered dog is more likely to be the target of aggression from another dog, too, even if they don’t initiate the conflict. 

5. It stops them roaming

An intact male will do just about anything to mate and will be very frustrated by being restricted. The urge is almost overwhelming and they will find ingenious ways to escape from house and garden, and dogs will disappear on walks. Once he’s free to roam, dogs risk injury in traffic and both cats and dogs will fight with other males (and unwilling females).

6. Neutering prevents testicular cancer in males

Neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.

7. Reduces unwanted behavior and aggression

Your neutered male may be better behaved and be generally more sociable and nicer to have around.

Unneutered dogs and cats are more likely to mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house whereas neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families and aren’t bothered about marking their territory. Once furniture or carpets have been ‘marked’ in this way, it’s almost impossible to eradicate the smell which is unpleasant to have in the house, but also marks this area as a toilet for your pet making them highly likely to re-offend!

Some aggression problems may be avoided by early neutering too. Surgery will reduce the amount of testosterone in your male’s system, although it won’t eliminate the hormone completely so if your pet has learnt behaviours resulting from hormones before being neutered and these have become habitual, then changes might be slow to happen or lessened which is another good reason to neuter as soon as it’s possible.

An unneutered dog is likely to try and scratch their particular itch themselves by mounting, and this is often at inconvenient times and on inconvenient objects such as your favourite cushion, child or leg.

8. Neutering does not cause obesity

Neutering in itself won’t make your pet fat, but you might need to decrease the amount of food you give them and/or increase the amount of exercise – this is due to the reduced energy expenditure from hormonal activity in the body.

Your pet will remain the shape they are as long as you keep an eye on their food intake. There are also pet foods specially formulated for the nutritional and calorific needs of neutered pets that are worth investigating.

Remember that if you’re a member of our Vista Pet Club, you get a discount on neutering your pet.

Your small monthly payments include discounts on numerous products and procedures, including neutering. As well as, vaccinations, home delivery of parasite treatment and much more.

You can join the plan and start benefitting (and saving!) today

Useful Guide to Feeding Cats and Kittens

Making sure your cat has the best diet goes a long way to keeping them healthy and happy for the longest time possible.

If your cat comes to you as a kitten, it’s important that they have access to the best nutrition you can afford during this key developmental stage, as this puts the foundations down for a healthy adulthood.

As they grow up, keep an eye on their weight and tweak their diet accordingly to make sure they stay healthy.

Whatever their age or condition, always ensure they have access to water. Without water, your cat could become severely ill very quickly. Note: Cow’s milk is not a substitute for water and can really upset their stomachs.

Feeding your kitten

When your kitten first comes home, it’s best to stick with the food they arrived with for a week or so. There will already be lots of change for them to get used to, so wait until they’ve made themselves at home before you start gradually changing over to your chosen food. Always avoid sudden or frequent changes of diet as this can result in diarrhoea, and this applies to cats of any age, so start mixing increasing amounts of new food with old over 5 to 7 days until they’re just eating the new food.

Always use kitten food for a young growing cat. We recommend Hills Vet Essentials range of complete cat foods as it has many positive attributes for your cat’s health and works out very economically per meal.

Kittens should have dry kitten food available at all times, with two small kitten meat meals daily if you wish, though these are not essential. Eating little and often is fine for cats, but not for dogs.

They will also need their food and water to be served away from their litter tray as otherwise, they might not be interested in either.

Feeding your cat

Keep an eye on your adult cat’s weight and make sure their diet meets their needs. You can buy high-calorie food for active and skinny cats, food for hairy cats who suffer from hairballs, and food for overweight cats too if you need to.

Cats have a higher protein requirement than many other mammals and need protein from meat to maintain a strong heart, good eyesight, and a healthy reproductive system. They also have several other species-specific nutrient requirements, so must be fed cat food as opposed to dog food or plain meat.

Home-cooked cat food is difficult to offer as a full-time diet as getting the proteins, vitamins and mineral balance your cat needs to thrive right all the time is tricky and could cause a nutrient deficiency.

Vitamin supplements should not be needed if you’re feeding your cat a good quality cat food unless we’ve recommended otherwise. Supplements could cause a dietary imbalance which could cause harm.

Use separate feeding equipment for your cat and make sure that clean, fresh water is always available. It is commonly assumed that cats need a variety in their diet but this is not the case and often leads to upsets. A cat will eat the same food happily day after day for many years. They like a wide and shallow bowl so that their whiskers do not touch the side of the bowl when eating or drinking.

If you have several cats on different diets, it’s worth looking into food bowls that open just in response to a particular microchip being near them. These can make life so much easier as they make sure food can always be left down for each cat, but that there is no chance they’ll eat inappropriate food.

Changing dietary needs

Kittens have very different nutritional requirements to adult cats and will need food specifically developed for that life stage.

Most adult cats are normal, and the majority of foods are supplied for this life stage. However, there are several circumstances when adult foods are not suitable:

Under/overweight: If your cat’s condition needs changing, you can buy food that provides them with more or less calories. These can be a useful tool in weight management, but make sure you get the portion size right and don’t just fill their bowl. There should be portion advice on the packaging, but if you have any queries about what’s right, do call or pop in and we’ll be able to advise.

Older cats: have requirements that are different again and appropriate preparations are available.

Pregnancy and lactation: also bring changing dietary needs and food for these circumstances can be discussed with Vista Vets.

Medical conditions: There are foods available for various conditions including kidney problems, heart disease, kidney problems and bladder stones. If you cat needs one of these we will let you know which one whilst discussion their continuing care.

Some brands provide diets for all life stages including Hills, and it’s easy to change to the relevant product of the same brand as your cat ages.

All Vaccines, Parasite Treatment, Health Checks & much more, covered.

The Vista Pet Club offers you an easy way to remember and budget for vaccinations and parasite control and includes a complete health examination with your vet each year. As a member, you can also benefit from a discount on dental products and many other routine care treatments, so it is a brilliant gift to your pet and you.

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Start of Life

Puppy and Kitten Pack

New addition to the family?

Our Start of Life pack saves you money on important treatments for a new pet, and gives your new kitten everything they need for the best start in life!

Primary Vaccinations
Microchipping
1 dose of flea treatment
1 dose of worming treatment
5 weeks FREE pet insurance (Vetsure)
A bag of goodies!

A Useful Guide To Feeding Your Puppy and Dog

Feeding your puppy or dog a good diet is key to a long and healthy life. Both nutritional content and portion control have a big impact on doggy health, and it’s much better to get this right for your dog from the beginning of their life with you.

It’s essential to make sure your dog is well nourished as this can prevent a lot of health issues, but the weight is also very important. As many of us know, losing excess weight is no fun! And it’s the same for dogs. Keeping an eye on condition and making tweaks here and there by balancing food intake with exercise is a much better way to maintain ideal weight.

Getting it right from the start

When you bring a new puppy home, you should continue feeding them the food they had been eating in their old home. If this food isn’t ideal and you want to change, you can start to switch it over but make sure this transition is gradual or you’ll risk upsetting their stomachs. Change over slowly by mixing the two foods together for 5-7 days.

There are a few diet choices around for puppies including wet, moist and dry foods. It’s up to you which you choose, but don’t offer variety as they might become picky eaters, and it can cause stomach upsets.

Puppies grow 20 times faster than adult dogs and so require a special diet to aid their physical development. A specially formulated growth food is recommended for the first year of age, which needs to be fed at evenly spaced intervals to avoid overstretching their small stomach. However, it’s important to note that larger breeds take longer to skeletally mature, and as a result, they may require puppy diets until around 18 months of age. Please check with your vet if you’re unsure about this.

Up to four months old

Three or four meals a day. You can feed to appetite as their growth and development is rapid, so give them as much in each meal as they want to eat then take it away if any is left uneaten. If food is left down all the time they might starting less at one time and grazing instead, which isn’t how they’re naturally programmed to eat, and can cause digestive problems.

Four to five months old

Three meals a day, still feeding to appetite

Five months onwards

Two meals a day but portion controlled as growth has now slowed, and they will start putting on excess weight if allowed to eat as much as they like. It’s sometimes tricky to work out how much to feed them as they will still be growing and therefore their weight increases, so a good measure is to monitor their condition by feel. You should always be able to feel their ribs and their spine – if you can’t, they’re becoming overweight and you should feed them less.

One year

Two meals a day

Which food is best? Dry, moist or wet?

Dry complete foods

Complete means that these biscuits theoretically contain all the nutrients a dog needs and can be the easiest choice to ensure you’re feeding your puppy or dog all the nutrients they need to grow and thrive, but quality varies. Supermarket brands are often the nutritional equivalent of a McDonalds diet and aren’t going to keep your dog in the best of health.

To ensure your dog gets what they need, choose a food designed for their life stage, size and condition and buy the best quality food you can afford. You often need less good-quality food than the cheaper varieties, so buying cheap is often a false economy anyway.

Some puppies aren’t used to eating dry foods, so if you choose biscuits but your puppy is resisting, make it more palatable to begin with by soaking it in a little water to soften it and bring out the flavours, or mixing it with a little tinned food. You can gradually reduce this until they’re fully weaned and used to the biscuits.

Semi-moist and tinned foods

Again there are lots of choices when it comes to tinned food, and these also vary in quality.

Choose a specialist food that’s nutritionally complete, and the best you can afford. It will end up saving you money in the long term as your pet will be much stronger and healthier for it.

Home-made food

We don’t advise home cooked diets, as whilst the intentions are always good it’s really difficult to make sure they have the right nutritional content.

Puppies need the best diet possible as they grow, and even a slight imbalance can harm their development and mean they don’t put down the strongest cornerstones for their adult lives.

Treats

There are a wide variety of prepared and natural treats on the market which vary hugely in quality. Some commercial treats have lots of sugar, colourings, milk products and fat in them. Even ‘doggy chocs’ or ‘low fat yoghurt drops’ can contain sugars or lactose (milk sugar) so always check the ingredients label.

Good quality prepared treats have been developed with dogs dietary needs in mind. However, all treats should be given sparingly, never more than 15% of the total calorie intake.

If used regularly reduce the amount of main meal food your dog is receiving in order to avoid obesity. Some chew treats have proven ability to help prevent dental diseases, but again check the label to ensure you are getting a genuine product.

Real chocolate is poisonous to dogs and can cause liver damage and even be fatal, so never give your dog any chocolate, or leave any lying around for it to find and eat, especially at Christmas time.

Avoid giving your dog any sweet biscuits or sugary treats which are bad for its teeth as well as its waistline, and can cause sugar ‘highs’ and ‘lows’. Stick to prepared treats and desiccated liver tablets.

All Vaccines, Parasite Treatment, Health Checks & much more, covered.

The Vista Pet Club offers you an easy way to remember and budget for vaccinations and parasite control and includes your annual check-up. As a member, you can also benefit from a discount on food, nail clips and many other routine care treatments, so it is a brilliant gift to your pet and you.

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