Britain’s pet dogs are set to pile on the pounds this summer as anxious owners stop taking them for walks amid fears the scorching heatwave could kill them, experts have warned.
Animal charities warned this month how dogs would burn their paws walking on asphalt as hot as 62C and suffer heatstroke if they were too active.
Owners are also reluctant to take their pets outside because they wanted to avoid the heat, which is forecast to hit 33C on Thursday.
But as the effects of being cooped up become apparent, experts instead urged owners to exercise their pets indoors – using trick such as hiding treats around the house to keep the animals active.
Parched pups could pack on the pounds this summer as scorching temperatures across Britain keep them from exercising
Being stuck indoors and unable to burn off their excess energy meant dogs’ weight could balloon over the course of the increasingly hot summer.
Caroline Reay, from animal charity Blue Cross, said there were concerns around dogs being cooped up at home.
‘It’s too early to tell, but exercise for dogs is the same as exercise for humans, it takes a lot of work to lose weight,’ she told MailOnline.
Ms Reay suggested dogs should instead be kept active with low-intensity indoor games that also tired them out mentally.
‘You don’t want them being too active at home either because you don’t want them to get heatstroke so the best option are non-vigorous games like hiding food for them,’ she said.
Vets were caring for dogs who burned their paws walking on hot surfaces outside, with photos of their blistered paws appearing online
‘You can get rubber toys in which you hide food that they have to get out and that stimulates them but also tires them out mentally and slows their feeding.’
She also recommended feeding dogs less if they weren’t exercising much, and taking them for walks early in the morning or at night if it wasn’t too hot.
Canine charity Dogs Trust said owners needed to be vigilant about making sure their pets didn’t overheat.
‘Dogs won’t necessarily know if they are overheating and might continue to play and dash about in hot temperatures, because they might have such a strong desire to play,’ canine behaviour officer Tamsin Durston said.
‘Just because a dog is chasing a ball and bringing it back, this doesn’t mean their body is physically coping with this activity, and they might be likely to overheat.
‘It’s up to owners to regulate playtime and call time if it gets a bit too energetic.’
Being stuck indoors and unable to burn off their excess energy meant dogs’ weight could balloon over the course of the increasingly hot summer
Dogs Trust suggested turning mealtime into a game by hiding food in boxes, plastic bottles, or wrapped in newspaper.
Vets were caring for dogs who burned their paws walking on hot surfaces outside, with photos of their blistered paws appearing online.
The RSPCA advised signs of burnt paws included limping or refusing to walk, licking or chewing at the feet, pads darker in colour, missing part of pad and blisters, or redness.