To ask for urgent advice re puppy

[asthmashmasthma]

Our gorgeous puppy is 8 months old. It's the first time we've encountered this problem so looking for urgent advice. He is too hot and is panting exessively. We haven't taken him out much today but we live in a new build small house that gets wayyy to hot in this weather. It constantly reaches 30 degrees plus inside. I also can't open windows due to DS being in hospital with an asthma attack this weekend due to pollen so things are really blooming difficult in this heat. This might sound stupid but I know when the Dc have had temperatures we've always been told not to put a cold wet flannel on them to cool them down. Is this the same with dogs or can I put a wet towel down in his bed for him? Sorry if this sounds really stupid we've just never had this problem before!

A wet bandana around his neck or a wet towel to lie on will help a lot.

I'd put him in the bath and hose him down with tepid water for at least ten minutes.

Sorry if I missed it - what breed is he?

We use a cool mat for our saluki as she isn't keen on the heat. You can get them fairly cheaply.

Also can you take his temp?

Yes a cool wet towel in his bed, cold but not freezing cold water for drinking, do you have a fan you could use on him? You can get cool pads to put in his bed if the warmer weather continues. Take him out early morning and later at night when it’s cooler and don’t let him run/jump about too much.

Thank you for the quick advice!
@QuestionableMouse he is a Jack Russell x pug.
I will get a wet towel ready for him and give him a quick cool bath now before we go to bed

Forgot to mention I have also just ordered cooling mats off Amazon which are due in the morning so it should only be tonight that we are worrying about. I feel awful for not opening the windows but my son (5) had an asthma attack on Saturday due to pollen so I can't risk it

Is he showing signs of heatstroke/dehydration? You can Google and find these and lots of vets will put them on their social media in hot weather. If he's just panting a lot I would make sure he's got a cool surface to lie on, water available and don't do anything that will get him excited/exercise him. You could give him a wash down with a tepid (not cold) wash cloth.

If he's showing signs of dehydration or heatstroke then you need to ring a vet.

A bowl of ice in front of a fan works really well for cooling the air temperature

Is he drooling, vomiting or are his gums a strange colour? Id any of those things, pour cool tap water on him to cool him down.

The wet towel is a great idea and if you can afford to get one for the future it a washable cool may be the best for your pup , we've got a cool soft sleep brand one, there's no gel inside them and the material is ice cold to touch, my dog loves it

You need to figure something out because you all can't live in such a hot, closed house. It's unhealthy for everyone.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/heatstroke

I've put a cold wet towel in his bed and we've just washed him down with cool water. He's not too distressed just panting more than normal so hopefully these measures should be enough.
@QuestionableMouse we are hoping to get an air con unit in the next day or two but just trying to figure out the money for it first. I know it's not ideal and trust me we are all aware of how bad it is today, we are sweltering in this heat. But the drs at the hospital told us in no uncertain terms we can't open the windows at night due to add having such bad asthma at the moment and that will always be my first concern

DS not add

Surely your house isn’t 30 degrees today? Are you sure there isn’t another issue with your dog?

@Tulipvase my thermostat is currently showing 29.5. We have excessive insulation (from when we moved in) which means it's great in the winter as we barely ever use our heating but in the summer it's an actual nightmare!

@Tulipvase we are a mid terrace 2 bedroom new build so that might explain it

Sounds like air-conditioning is going to be essential for all of you, not just the dog.

Wow. We are also in a terrace but it’s Victorian. Ours is 21.7 currently. However our bedrooms in the loft are a different story so I feel your pain.

I hope your dog gets comfortable soon.

How puggy is the dog? If he is very flat faced it may be an ongoing problem.

We have a Frenchie, but she is not very flat faced, she has a decent snout and nostrils, so can breathe quite well, but we are still vigilant in hot weather.

She has a cool mat, but prefers to lie on the laminate flooring.

We also keep our bedroom curtains closed on very hot days to keep the sun out of the room, it helps to keep the temperature in our bedroom down and she often sleeps in there as it's cooler. We have a fan in there too and if I spot her in there I turn the fan on.

If she is up and about I will often drop a treat into her water bowl. She ends up drinking a lot of water trying to get the treat.

Never walk a flat face in the middle of the day in hot weather. I try to be out and back by 8.00 a.m. or going out around 8 p.m. and if I think it's still too hot on those really uncomfortable days, then she doesn't get a walk that day.

I haven't done this myself, but you could try laying a damp teatowel over him to bring his temperature down.

But if in any doubt - call the vet. Flat faces can go past the point of no return quite quickly.

Put him in the garden where it will be cooler than in the house?

Is he drinking enough ? Encourage mine in the heat by sticking in the sink & running the tap to drink from.
If you can make a DIY pool in garden (washing up bowl etc) & chuck a couple of balls / toys in
Carrot baton ice lollies is a cheap healthy one as well ot make ice cream with mashed banana & peanut butter

Cool their paws down by dipping in water, and a fan combined with spraying a water mist may help until the air con arrives. A walk now it has cooled down outside would be good. Don't walk in the heat of the day, but if there's somewhere nearby you could take them for a swim - my dog's favourite thing in the world is swimming

We hose ours down in the heat.