Put sun cream on your cats, vets urge amid fears 27C heatwave will leave pets badly burned
VETS have issued an urgent warning to British pet owners on the hottest day of the year so far: put suncream on your cats.
The bizarre advice comes as temperatures topped 27C in some places, causing animal experts to advise slathering factor 30 on pets’ ears.
As the nation basked in the heatwave, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) said light-coloured pets and those with fine fur were at the highest risk of being burned.
The highest temperature, 27.6C, was clocked in Heathrow in west London.
But the Met Office says it could get even hotter with the potential for thunder in some areas.
Meteorologist Emma Smith predicted a scorching high of 29C in Suffolk today.
Which, when temperatures are so hot, is why the BVA said dog owners needed to be wary.
Breeds with flat faces including pugs and bulldogs are especially prone to breathing difficulties and heatstroke in the searing heat.
One survey said nearly two-thirds of vets reported having to treat animals for heat-related problems last summer.
These issues including heart conditions, heatstroke, and scorched paw pads.
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Daniella Dos Santos, junior vice-president of the BVA, told The Times: “Even the start and end of a summer day can prove uncomfortable for pets if they are kept in direct sunlight.”
The hottest recorded June temperature ever clocked in the UK was 35.6C in 1957 and again in 1976.
But the average temperature this month is expected to be between 16C and 20C.
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