Dog Heatstroke First Aid: What to Do in an Emergency

If you think your dog may have heatstroke, stop the activity or heat exposure and start cooling them immediately. Contact a vet as soon as possible and arrange urgent veterinary assessment.

Do not wait until you reach the veterinary practice before starting first aid. Current UK guidance follows the principle cool first, transport second: begin cooling promptly, then transport your dog to the vet in a cool, well-ventilated vehicle.

If You Think Your Dog Has Heatstroke, Do This Now

1. Stop further heating. Stop exercise and move your dog out of direct sun, a hot vehicle, warm room or other hot environment.
2. Move them somewhere cooler. Use shade if that is the best option available, but a cool, well-ventilated indoor space is preferable when practical.
3. Start cooling immediately. Use water that is cooler than your dog’s body and increase airflow where possible.
4. Keep water away from the nose and mouth. This is especially important if your dog is weak, collapsed or unconscious.
5. Offer drinking water, but don’t force them to drink.
6. Contact your vet or nearest emergency vet as soon as possible. If another person is with you, they can call while you start cooling.
7. Transport your dog once cooling has begun, using air conditioning or good ventilation where possible. Continue appropriate cooling during the journey if it can be done safely.

If your dog has collapsed, is struggling to breathe, is having a seizure or is unconscious, treat the situation as an emergency.

How to Cool a Dog With Suspected Heatstroke

The important thing is to start cooling rather than losing time searching for a perfect cooling method.

Current UK advice has moved away from the old warning that cold water should always be avoided because it could cause “shock”. Water cooler than the dog can remove heat effectively, and delaying cooling can allow heat-related injury to progress.

The most appropriate method can depend on the dog.

Young, healthy and conscious dogs

For a young, otherwise healthy dog that is conscious and comfortable around water, current UK guidance supports cold-water immersion where it can be done safely.

A suitable paddling pool, bath or similar source of water may be used, keeping the dog’s head above the water at all times.

If immersion isn’t practical, continuously pouring or dousing the body with cold water is an alternative. Keep water away from the nose and mouth and create airflow with a fan, breeze or air conditioning where possible.

Older dogs or dogs with health problems

For older dogs and dogs with underlying health problems, a gentler approach using water over the body combined with moving air may be more appropriate.

Dogs Trust advises spraying older dogs or dogs with health conditions with room-temperature water, avoiding the face, and combining this with airflow from a breeze, fan or air conditioning.

If your dog has a known heart, breathing or other significant medical condition, tell the vet when you call.

What if you don’t have cold water?

Use the water you have, provided it is cooler than the dog.

Don’t delay first aid because you cannot find chilled water, ice or a particular piece of cooling equipment. Move the dog out of the heat, wet the body with suitable available water and create airflow if possible.

The priority is to begin removing heat.

What Should You Avoid When Cooling a Dog With Heatstroke?

Some intuitive responses can delay effective cooling or make it harder for heat to escape.

Do	Don’t
Stop exercise or heat exposure immediately	Wait to see whether the dog recovers without cooling
Start cooling before transport	Delay cooling until you reach the vet
Wet the body with suitable cool water	Pour water over the dog’s nose or mouth
Use airflow to help cooling	Cover the dog with a wet towel
Offer drinking water	Force the dog to drink
Contact a vet promptly	Assume apparent improvement means veterinary care is unnecessary

Don’t wrap an overheated dog in a wet towel

Although wet towels sound cooling, don’t cover an overheated dog with one. A wet covering can trap heat against the body.

A damp or cold surface underneath a dog is different from wrapping or covering the dog. The important point is to leave the body exposed so heat can escape.

Don’t delay cooling because you’re worried about “shock”

Advice to avoid cold water completely is now outdated.

Current UK animal-welfare guidance supports rapid cooling, including cold-water immersion for suitable young, healthy and conscious dogs.

The safest practical approach is therefore not to leave a seriously overheated dog untreated while trying to cool them very slowly.

Don’t force water into your dog’s mouth

Offer fresh drinking water, but let your dog drink voluntarily.

Never pour water into the mouth of a weak, collapsed or unconscious dog. There is a risk that they could inhale it.

Don’t rely on cooling products

A cooling mat, vest, fan or other product does not replace heatstroke first aid or veterinary care.

If heatstroke is suspected, concentrate on stopping further heating, actively cooling the dog and getting veterinary help.

When Should You Call the Vet?

Contact a vet as soon as you suspect heatstroke.

If someone else is available, ask them to call while you start cooling. Otherwise, begin immediate cooling and contact the vet as quickly as practical.

Tell the veterinary team:

• what your dog was doing before becoming unwell;
• how long they may have been exposed to heat or exercising;
• the symptoms you have noticed;
• what cooling you have already started;
• whether your dog has collapsed or had a seizure;
• your dog’s age and any relevant health conditions.

The vet can then advise you on continued cooling and transport.

Don’t spend valuable time trying to decide exactly how severe the heatstroke is before calling.

Should My Dog Still See a Vet If They Seem Better?

Yes. If you have suspected heatstroke, don’t cancel veterinary assessment simply because your dog appears to improve after cooling.

Cooling can make a dog look considerably better, but that does not necessarily show whether heat exposure has caused other problems.

Follow the veterinary team’s advice even if your dog’s panting slows, they become more alert or they appear closer to normal.

How Do I Know If My Dog Has Heatstroke?

Heatstroke cannot be diagnosed from one symptom alone, and dogs don’t necessarily develop signs in the same order.

Warning signs can include:

• unusually heavy or continuous panting;
• difficulty breathing or a change in breathing;
• excessive drooling;
• weakness or marked lethargy;
• wobbliness or poor coordination;
• confusion or disorientation;
• vomiting or diarrhoea;
• collapse;
• seizures;
• loss of consciousness.

Collapse, seizures, loss of consciousness or serious breathing difficulty are particularly concerning.

If heat exposure or exercise has occurred and your dog is showing concerning signs, don’t wait for every possible symptom to appear before taking action.

For a more detailed guide to recognising the progression of heat-related illness, see Dog Heatstroke Symptoms: Early Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore.

Why Does Heatstroke Need Immediate First Aid?

Dogs rely heavily on panting to lose excess body heat. If they generate or absorb heat faster than they can release it, their body temperature can continue to rise.

This can happen during exercise as well as through environmental heat.

If you have taken your dog’s temperature, our Dog Heatstroke Temperature Chart & Dangerous Body Temperatures explains how to interpret normal, elevated and critically high readings — but don’t delay cooling to take a temperature.

The longer significant overheating continues, the greater the opportunity for serious heat-related illness to develop. That is why current first-aid advice prioritises stopping further heating and beginning cooling promptly rather than simply putting the dog in a vehicle and waiting until arrival at the veterinary practice.

For more on the speed at which a heat-related emergency can progress, see How Quickly Can Heatstroke Kill a Dog?

Can You Treat Dog Heatstroke at Home?

You can — and should — start first aid wherever the emergency occurs, including at home.

But that is different from trying to manage suspected heatstroke entirely at home without veterinary advice.

Think of the distinction this way:

First aid starts immediately. Veterinary treatment follows when heatstroke is suspected.

Cooling your dog at home, in the garden, on a walk or beside the car is intended to reduce ongoing heat exposure while veterinary help is being arranged. It is not a substitute for professional assessment.

What Will the Vet Do for a Dog With Heatstroke?

Veterinary treatment depends on how badly the dog has been affected.

The veterinary team will assess your dog and may continue controlled cooling and provide supportive treatment and monitoring. Depending on the dog’s condition, this can include intravenous fluids and investigation or treatment of complications caused by severe overheating.

The important distinction is that first aid removes heat and helps limit further harm; veterinary care assesses and treats the dog as a patient.

Do not attempt veterinary procedures or give human medicines at home unless a vet has specifically instructed you to do so.

For the wider picture of causes, symptoms, treatment, recovery and prevention, read Dog Heatstroke: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention (Complete Guide).

Can Dogs Get Heatstroke Indoors?

Yes. Heatstroke is not limited to sunny walks or dogs left outdoors.

A dog can overheat in a warm or poorly ventilated indoor environment, particularly if heat becomes trapped or the dog already has difficulty regulating body temperature.

Conservatories, enclosed rooms and other spaces can become hot even when the dog is not in direct sunshine.

The same emergency principle applies: stop further heating, move the dog somewhere cooler, begin cooling and contact a vet if heatstroke is suspected.

See Can Dogs Get Heatstroke Indoors? for a closer look at indoor risks and the situations that can cause them.

Which Dogs Are More Vulnerable to Heatstroke?

Any dog can develop heat-related illness, but risk isn’t identical for every dog.

Extra caution is appropriate for:

• brachycephalic or flat-faced dogs such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and English Bulldogs;
• older dogs;
• puppies;
• overweight or unfit dogs;
• dogs with breathing difficulties;
• dogs with heart, respiratory or other relevant medical conditions;
• some larger dogs and breeds with characteristics associated with greater heat-related illness risk.

The environment and activity matter too. Humidity, poor ventilation, direct sunshine, strenuous exercise and prolonged heat exposure can all make cooling more difficult.

These factors affect risk rather than providing a diagnosis or a guarantee that a particular dog will or won’t develop heatstroke.

For a fuller comparison of vulnerability factors, see Dog Breeds Most at Risk of Heatstroke.

How Can You Reduce the Risk of Heatstroke Happening Again?

Prevention starts with recognising that a dog’s heat risk depends on the conditions, activity and individual dog together.

Practical precautions include:

• avoiding strenuous exercise during hot or humid conditions;
• walking at cooler times when conditions are suitable;
• providing unrestricted access to fresh drinking water;
• providing genuinely cool, well-ventilated resting areas;
• avoiding hot, poorly ventilated enclosed spaces;
• never assuming shade alone makes very hot conditions safe;
• watching your dog rather than relying solely on a temperature reading;
• taking extra care with dogs known to be more vulnerable to heat.

If your dog begins struggling during exercise, stop rather than trying to complete the planned walk or activity.

For a dedicated prevention plan, see Dog Heatstroke Prevention: How to Keep Your Dog Safe.

The Key Thing to Remember

If you suspect heatstroke, the priority is simple:

Begin cooling promptly rather than waiting until you reach the veterinary practice. Keep water away from the nose and mouth, don’t wrap the dog in a wet towel, and don’t force them to drink.

Most importantly, don’t assume that a dog who looks better after cooling no longer needs veterinary advice.