People are really mad about dogs and heat stroke?

Mine does this too. He's old now and sometimes I struggle to know whether he's sore or is making his feelings known about going a shorter route. He's 13 and knows his own mind!

I read a story on FB about a woman who was walking her husband’s dog, when it dragged her into the local pub, @Lovemyassistancedog. Her dh usually walked the dog, and she realised he’d been using the dog walks as an excuse to nip into the pub for a swift one.

Shopped by his own dog!

My spaniel tries to get me to go to Pets at Home - if we're within a few hundred metres, he'll walk if I'm going in the direction of the store but as soon as I change my trajectory away from the store, he sits down.

Ours does this @lighthouseahoy
She knows all our local routes so well that she starts dragging her feet the moment we turn for home. We're not walking her when it gets above 20, but I still have a fear that someone will think she's an old dog that's suffering, when in fact she's just a belligerent adolescent fighting me to get her own way.

Mine will refuse to move to get their own way on which route we take. You'll see them sit down and refuse to move because she doesn't like to get short changed on her walks, and then trot on happily when I agree. It makes me nervous on a warm day that someone is going to think I am "forcing" a dog to go for a walk, when actually she just doesn't want to go home.

We saw a massive golden retriever refusing to leave goodwoof last year, would take 5 steps and then flop down on the ground, woman would finally coax it up and it would just throw its self down again. Must've done it 30 times or more, it was the best entertainment of the day.

Labs are the best, @bigkahunaburger - extra points if they are flat on their back, all four paws in the air, refusing to move! 😂

Mmm...I find the argument problematic that people would intervene if they saw signs a dog was struggling. I really don't think you can tell unless you are the owner.
For example, my SIL's dogs (staff and a bulldog) literally pant and sound like they are snoring and struggling to breath all the time! Its literally how they always sound. If they went on a walk int he sun someone who didn't know them could think they are panting excessively but thats their norm.
My lab would mid walk literally refuse to move sometimes and just lie down. Nowt to do with heat - this was all year round. Cue passers by laughing at me trying to coax and overweight stubborn lab to get up off the floor!!!!
God he was a prick, but I miss that goofy bastard.

I honestly don't know but between social media and work I think I deal with two or three people per SHIFT that have some sort of medical issue with their dog that is relevant to behave and urgent or indeed life threatening... and they have a million and one reasons why they can't get to a vet -too far, no transport, no money... yadda yadda.

I wish they just wouldn't get a pet - the reason we're down to three dogs and almost certainly when the oldest goes we will not get a puppy is the insurance and veterinary costs - they have gone up enormously and w hilst I afforded basic insurance and vet costs on a much lower income in the past for up to 6 dogs, I can't do it now.

People think it won't happen to them - as they do with pet theft and heat stroke - that magically, their dog won't suffer any injury or illness ever.

I have some sympathy for those who got a pet whilst their life circumstances were very different and for reasons beyond their control, things have changed and that is what things like PDSA and RSPCA vet hospitals/vets should be for.

But for those who can't afford it and never could, before they got the pet... no, all my sympathy goes to the animal.

Now this IS something to get irate about. Why the fuck get a dog if you’re not going to provide it with proper care? I hope it’s not a common occurrence that people don’t bother taking their pets to a vet when they’re clearly not well!

Those are the dogs taken to Vets Now... not all the dogs that died of heatstroke.

Firstly, whilst it does seem like it, Vets Now do not own every vet practice in the UK.

Secondly, and very significantly, many dogs do not get taken to a vets. I know, because I am often the person answering online posts asking what to do with the caveat 'Can't get to a vet/can't afford a vet', even at work where clients are told we are not vets and cannot answer veterinary questions, we are responding to health queries from people we are absolutely certain will NOT follow advice to see a vet..

So a lot of dogs will die in their owners homes and gardens, or out on a walk - some owners will realise what it is, others will come down in the morning to a dead dog and won't make the connection. I've seen many people assume their lethargic, vomiting, fitting dog has eaten something nasty and will 'get over it' when in fact the dog is dying of heat stroke (both whilst working at a vets and as a behaviour consultant offering subsidised or free advice online for charities/rescues).

You could probably quadruple that number of dogs suffering if you take into account these factors.

Exactly, because the 1% won't probably read the social media post or if they did, wouldn't care anyway!

I've walked barefoot on concrete in 34 degrees. It's doable. 34+ on asphalt you want to walk quick when barefoot. I tend to agree with OP that ppl on MN are irrational about exercising dogs in heat and risk in general. There are lots of feral dogs active in asphalt covered very hot cities.

However... a dog (in England that) I walk for someone else (volunteering) was struggling in temps about 24-25 deg C about 1 month ago & not so great last week, too (temp maybe 22-24). A month ago, She kept going slower, vomitted & flopped. I had to carry her about half mile home (like carrying a 2yr old that far, and I'm not used to that right now!!) I suspect that little dog specificallly just can't handle exercise in "heat". She's a little Llasa Apso or SheetZhu... maybe 9yr old. Can be energetic in cold weather but probably generally unfit. Shaved but that didn't seem to stop her easily overheating.

Yes it’s bloody hot. 99% of dog owners know not to take their beloved dogs out in silly temperatures.

Much the same as I imagine 99% of parents know not to leave a baby in the bath on their own.

Shall we post multiple patronising threads about it? Or shall we all just get on with our life’s without being dicks to each other?

@vivainsomnia - I wasn’t talking about approaching individuals - I was talking about the advice on social media, about walking dogs in a heat wave. As I said, whilst it may be OTT, it might make some people stop and think about walking their dog if it’s really hot. To me, the risk of something bad happening if a dog misses a walk is less than if they have a walk in weather that is too hot for them.

I don’t think this is a terribly unreasonable or OTT opinion, nor do I think people are in some way bad for not wanting dogs to get burnt paws or heatstroke. Obviously no-one should be out being a vigilante, posting pictures of people walking their dog, or attacking them in person or online - but that applies to pretty much anything which attracts the online mob mentality.

Sadly I can’t walk more than a few metres, so am highly unlikely to be in the position you describe.

This. We worry about walking our dog at 20 degrees, not because dog would struggle but because we worry some local vigilante will post a photo of us on Facebook. It’s too hot to walk her in the day heat but she’s still in the garden on the “hot” paving - which I walk on barefoot all the time and haven’t burned my soles so far. Our last dog wouldn’t poo in the garden so we’d have to take him to the end of the Road whatever the weather if he needed a poo. Not far and not energetic. Most owners would know their dog and monitor them, adapting to their needs.

The public shaming gets worse and at a lower temp every year. People were shaming others for walking their dog at 20C recently here

It may be that the ‘advice’ on social media can be OTT, but if it prevents some dogs from suffering burnt paws, heat stroke, or even dying, is that really a bad thing?
So in that scenario, you'd tell the person 'do you realise that your dog is burning its paws, and it looks like it's seriously overheating, what are you doing out with your dog in this heat', and you think they'll answer with something like that 'oh really, I didn't realise, I had no idea, thank you for make me aware that my dog could die, I'm going to order a taxi right away, and then take my dog to the vet to be checked. Thank you so much for alerting me to the dangers'

Mmmm, I very much doubt it!

what do you think people should do if they see a dog who is clearly struggling, being walked in a heat wave? What would you do?
Really struggling? As in refusing to walk whilst their owner is pulling at the lead? To be honest, I'm not sure because that's way beyond a heat problem, it's clearly a case of abuse, and that probably happens all year long. Maybe follow them hoping to see where they live and report them.

A dog that looks very tired? Offer the owner some water for the dog, offer to help carry them. Ask them if there's anything I could do to help.

Anything less worrying then that, I'd keep going and mind my business.

@vivainsomnia - what do you think people should do if they see a dog who is clearly struggling, being walked in a heat wave? What would you do?

It may be that the ‘advice’ on social media can be OTT, but if it prevents some dogs from suffering burnt paws, heat stroke, or even dying, is that really a bad thing? I think it is better to be over cautious than not cautious enough - missing a walk when the dog would have been fine isn’t the end of the world, but walking a dog who is suffering in the heat is cruel and is avoidable.

I have 4 very fluffy winter breed dogs, I walked them on Saturday at 7am and Sunday at 7am in the woods and I’m not walking them again until it cools down, we have a huge garden, they are in front of fans and eating ice cubes and generally just sleeping the days away. I think the level of fluff on your breed is a big factor as well as size, I maybe wrong but a big double coated dog would struggle more than a short coated lab? Maybe?

I think it’s a good thing we have awarness around heatstroke, I’ve had dogs for 20+ years but do still see people walking dogs on pavements in this heat and roll my eyes.

So I asked but no answer - are all dog deaths recorded with the cause of death?
I have no idea, but a 0.2% does evidence that it's not half the concern many people are making out to be.

Even if you multiply the numbers it's still a very low percentage. Miles away from the many per practice that you claim.

Whenever I have ever seen anyone kick off about a dog out in the heat, which is extremely rare to be honest, the dog always looks like it is struggling
To be fair too I've never had anyone say anything to me, but then my dog doesn't look like she is struggling at all. If she was, I'd just pick her up and carry her anyway.

No, the warriors are active on Facebook. Every year, as soon as the temp goes over 20, the messages start with 'another idiot walking their dog in the heat, selfish twat', followed by message after message going on about how cruel, selfish, stupid it is. No mention of the dog clearly suffering.

So I asked but no answer - are all dog deaths recorded with the cause of death? I would actually like to know this because it seems very unlikely. And, as I also asked, how many owners don't take their dog suffering heatstroke to the vet for whatever reason and when the dog dies deal with themselves?

There are some terrible dog owners and quite a few don't take them to a vet no matter what happens. A neighbour of mine had a dog who had a stroke last year and the poor thing was obviously suffering. We could hear her whimpering and she could barely stand let alone walk. He never took her to a vet even though me, DH and a few other neighbours told him he should and even offering to take her for him. She died and he buried her in his garden.

I googled to see what the figures were and found out that the figures are not accurate because not all cases are reported
Haha, what I reported came from a published document from Now Vets. You can't say they are not accurate!

The point is that of all the the emergencies they saw that year, overheating accounted for 0.2%.

So no, still don't believe in the many narrative.

The dogs in the hot countries that I lived in were feral and mongrels, so were a bit tougher. They also flopped in the shade during the day and got more energetic at night. My own dog (stray who decided to live with us) lived outside and his fur would get incredibly thick in the winter and then he would shed great tufts of it for the summer so I think they adapt more to the climate if they live outdoors the whole time. He would lie on the cool concrete floor of our garage on very hot days and wouldn’t have gone wandering about.