A local Milton Keynes vets have issued an urgent message to dog owners as temperatures across the city are set to reach 33 degrees today.
Willow Veterinary Centres have shared the warning as Milton Keynes is set to be hotter than Ibiza today.
Posting on social media, the local vets said: "As we head into the hottest day of the year, please leave your dogs cool at home - one day WITHOUT a walk wont kill them but this day WITH a walk my just do!"
"The most common cause of potentially fatal heatstroke in dogs is being exercised by their owners, the largest study of its kind has found."
"A team at Nottingham Trent University and the RVC found that exertion or exercise – which could include dogs walking, playing or running with their owners – was responsible for three-quarters (74%) of heatstroke cases. Many of these cases were in the summer months."
"The majority of heatstroke events were triggered by exercise, with 68% occurring after just walking in the heat."
"Heatstroke can occur all year round in the UK, but the majority of cases are from May to August."
"Breeds such as chow chow, bulldog, French bulldog, greyhound, English springer spaniel, cavalier King Charles spaniel and Staffordshire bull terrier were highly associated with exercise-related heatstroke."
