How does the heatwave affect pets? Safety tips every owner needs

As heatwaves stretch longer and hit harder each year, it's not just people struggling to cope. Pets, dogs and cats alike, are far more vulnerable to extreme heat than most owners realise, and the signs of trouble can escalate quickly if they go unnoticed.

Vets say heat-related emergencies tend to spike in the first heatwave of the season, before owners have re-adjusted their routines, and again during sudden temperature jumps rather than steady, expected heat. Most cases are also entirely preventable, which is really the point: a handful of small changes to how and when you walk, hydrate, and shelter your pet can make the difference between a manageable summer and an emergency vet visit.

Why heat hits pets harder

Dogs and cats don't cool down the way humans do. Neither sweats effectively through the skin, relying instead on panting, or in a cat's case, mostly on seeking out cooler surfaces and grooming, since saliva evaporation offers some cooling too. That makes some animals far more exposed than others.

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"Extreme heat affects pets, especially those who can't cool down as easily, like brachycephalic breeds," says Anjali Kalachand, pet nutritionist and co-founder of A Petter Life.

Brachycephalic breeds, dogs with short, flat snouts like pugs, bulldogs, and boxers, have narrower airways to begin with, which makes panting a much less efficient cooling method for them. The same applies to flat-faced cat breeds like Persians and Himalayans.

Senior pets, very young animals, overweight pets, and those with existing heart or respiratory conditions, cats included, are similarly at higher risk. Indoor cats aren't exempt either; without decent airflow or air conditioning, a shut-up room can get dangerously hot even if the cat never steps outside.

The warning signs, and what to do if you see them

In dogs, heat exhaustion often starts subtly: excessive panting, drooling, lethargy, or a reluctance to move. In cats, the signals look a little different, and panting itself is one of them. Cats don't normally pant to cool down, so if a cat is panting at all, that's already worth paying attention to. Other early cat-specific signs include repeatedly seeking out tile floors or sinks, unusually heavy grooming, and warm ears.

If either species progresses toward heatstroke, the symptoms converge and escalate fast: bright red or purple gums, vomiting, disorientation, wobbly movement, or collapse. Heatstroke is a genuine emergency in both cats and dogs. Body temperature can climb to dangerous levels within minutes, and without intervention it can cause organ damage or death.

If you notice these signs, the priority is to cool your pet down immediately and calmly, not with ice-cold water, which can cause shock in both dogs and cats, but with cool (not freezing) water on the paws, ears, and belly, and by moving them somewhere shaded or air-conditioned right away. Offer small amounts of water rather than letting them gulp large quantities at once. Then get to a vet as fast as possible, even if the pet seems to be recovering, since internal damage isn't always visible from the outside.

How to actually keep pets safe through a heatwave

The good news is that most heat-related emergencies are preventable with a few consistent habits, some universal, some breed or species-specific.

Don't shave your pet's coat, even though it may seem like it helps. "Their coat acts as a shield for their skin against strong sun rays," Kalachand explains, pointing to dog breeds people are often tempted to shave in summer, like German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Huskies, and Cocker Spaniels, along with other long-haired breeds. A coat actually helps regulate temperature and protects the skin underneath from sunburn, so shaving it off can do more harm than good.

Keep hydration constant and appealing, not just available. Kalachand recommends setting out plenty of water bowls around the house, and adding frozen treats into the mix, frozen bone broth in particular, which she notes is palatable for most pets and also good for their joints and gut. Cats are notoriously poor about drinking enough water on their own, so a pet fountain or a bit of wet food mixed in can help push their intake up during hot weeks.

Time outdoor activity carefully. For dogs, avoid walking in direct sunlight altogether where possible, sticking to walks before sunrise and after sunset instead. If a midday pee break is unavoidable, check the pavement temperature first. "Always do a check where you put your hand down on the pavement and check the temperature," Kalachand says, since a pet's paw pads can burn just as easily as bare skin on hot asphalt. For cats who go outdoors, the same logic applies: restrict their time out to the cooler parts of the day, and make sure any outdoor access, like a catio, is skipped entirely on the hottest days.

And never leave a pet in a parked car, even for a few minutes with the windows cracked. This goes for cats as much as dogs, and it's worth also checking enclosed spaces at home before using them (sheds, garages, and clothes dryers in particular) since cats often seek out small, enclosed spots to nap in that can heat up dangerously fast.