With temperatures set to hit record highs around the county, we want to make sure the dogs of Ireland stay cool, safe and happy!

Although most of us will be looking forward to the good weather, our dogs can struggle when the mercury suddenly rises. Dogs can’t cool themselves down as efficiently as humans and are more susceptible to heatstroke. That’s why it’s so important that we take extra care of our pets during this heatwave.

During hot weather we always recommend you walk your dog early in the morning, or late in the evening after the sun sets and only if it’s cool enough to do so. A missed walk won’t be fatal to your dog but walking in hot temperatures could be. If it’s simply too hot out to go for a walk, we have lots of other cool activities you and your dog can do at home instead!

• Have a pool paw-ty! - Get the paddling pool, or even a large basin, out and fill it with ankle deep water. Your dog may hop straight in, but if not, you can encourage them to by getting in yourself or sprinkling a few of their favourite treats in.
• Go bobbing for apple (pieces) – Chop up pieces of apple (core and seeds removed) and pop them into a large bowl/basin/paddling pool for your dog to fish out. This also works well with blueberries, chopped carrot, peas or kibble.
• Make an ice-lick – Freeze some treats in water and let your dog lick the ice to get them out.
• Freeze their toys – you can wet and freeze your dogs favourite rope toy or soft toy. They’ll love chewing on the crunchy texture and it will help to cool and hydrate them too.
• Whip up a Cocker-Tail – Blend frozen fruit (like strawberries, blueberries, pineapple or mango pieces) with some xylitol-free peanut butter and water for a cooling treat that’s hard to beat!
• Have an indoor sniffari – if it’s cooler indoors, you can set-up a sniffari throughout the house. Hide some scented things like herbs, flowers, seaweed, leaves, or even some fur from other animals in different spots around the house and help your dog to sniff them out.
• Play some Muffin Tin Munchies – Sprinkle some kibble or dog treats into a muffin tin, cover with tennis balls or even balled up socks and let your dog get the treats out from under them.

As always, please supervise your dog while they're enjoying any of the above activities, and if you have any concerns about what your dog can or cannot eat, please speak to your vet.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you keep it calm and cool to avoid raising your dog’s excitement levels and body temperature too high. After you’ve had some fun, you can lay out a damp towel for them to lie on and cool-off. Just remember to re-wet it for them as it can dry out quickly in the heat. Also always make sure they have some where cool and shady to lie, both indoors and outdoors, and that they have access to plenty of cool, fresh water. It’s always #CoolToBeKind!

Most importantly though, please watch out for the signs of heatstroke and if you think your dog is showing any symptoms, contact your local vet immediately.