As the weather heats up it's important to keep an eye out for your doggo's temperature as they can suffer from all sorts of issues in the heat.

There are things to look out for, and things you can do to help bring their temperature down and allow them to enjoy the sun without suffering...

So, what are the signs that Mr or Mrs Doggo might be overheating? There's the obvious over panting, as we know dogs can't sweat other than through their paws. You should also look out for deep, rapid breathing, excessive drooling, and dry or pale gums.

When out walking in the heat, make sure you take enough water with you. I have an H204k9 bottle which I take with me in the summer - it keeps the water cool, and has a detachable lid that works as a dog water bowl. I normally stop every 15-20 minutes or so to see if the dogs want a drink, depending on the temperature and who looks like they're getting hot! Try and walk in the shade if you can, the woods are great in the summer as the ground is dry and the trees provide plenty of cover. Or if your dog is a swimmer, take them down to the river or lake if you can so they can get their exercise a slightly different way. You could always look into canine hydrotherapy if your doggo really suffers in the sun.

Tilly enjoying a sunny walk earlier in the day to keep her cooler.

You can put clothes soaked in cold water round the head, neck, armpits and paws to cool them down or invest in a cooling coat (do a bit of research first though as some are better than others!). Also don't forget that dogs can get sunburnt too. If your dog has any skin on show, whether it's because they're sunbathing with their stomach out, or have a shaved patch from a recent operation, put a load of SPF 50 on there - just normal human suncream is fine. As Tilly has cushings, most of her skin is on show so we lather her with it, and have also just bought her a cool coat to cover her skin up on walks and cool her down at the same time.

Try not to walk your dogosaur on the pavement if it's REALLY hot - remember if the ground is too hot for your skin, it's too hot for your dog's paws too!

Try giving your dog ice cubes as a treat - some dogs love them - Aslan quite enjoys playing with them... Or if you can stomach it put some blood from any meat you have eaten into an ice tray and give those to him. I quite often put raw meat in Kongs and then put them in the freezer before giving them to my dogs. They're always a hit! You can also try making your own dogosaur ice cream if you fancy it!

For my walks at Jurassic Bark, I always make sure I take my dogosaur water bottle with me, and loop back round to the van if I need a top up, where I always keep at least 2 litres handy. I also have air conditioning in the van so that is on constantly on hot days which really helps the dogs cool down post walk. If it's super hot, I make sure I take them to large bodies of water for a dunk and/ or swim instead of a full on walk, which means they still get out but are able to stay a lot cooler and safer in the sun.

If your dog is really struggling, it might be an idea to avoid walking them, or walk them very early or late in the day instead, and entertain them with brain games around the house instead.

If you want to read more about heat stroke in dogs, check out this article. And remember, if you're concerned, always check with your vets as they will be able to advise you further.