Dog & Cat Heatstroke: Signs and First Aid
Heatstroke kills pets fast, and it is entirely preventable. If your pet is overheating — panting hard, drooling, unsteady — start cooling immediately and head to a vet. Minutes matter.
Warning signs
- Heavy, frantic panting
- Bright red or pale gums
- Thick drool
- Wobbliness, weakness or collapse
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Confusion, glazed eyes
- Seizures (severe)
What NOT to do
- Do NOT use ice-cold water or ice baths — they can worsen it
- Do NOT cover or wrap your pet
- Do NOT force water into the mouth
- Do NOT leave to "cool down on their own"
- Do NOT delay the vet to keep cooling
What to do — step by step
- Move your pet to shade or a cool, airy place right away.
- Start cooling with cool (not ice-cold) water over the body — especially belly, armpits and groin. A fan helps.
- Offer small sips of cool water if your pet is conscious and able to drink — never force it.
- Call your vet now and head there while cooling continues — even a pet that seems to recover needs checking, as internal damage can be delayed.
- Keep cooling on the way, and stop once breathing eases or you reach the vet, to avoid over-cooling.
Background & prevention
Dogs and cats cannot sweat to cool down — they rely on panting, which fails quickly in heat or humidity. Heatstroke can set in within minutes in a hot car, a sunny garden with no shade, or during exercise on a warm day. Flat-faced breeds, overweight, very young, very old and thick-coated pets are at highest risk. The single most important rule worldwide: never leave a pet in a parked car, even briefly. Prevent it by walking in the cool of the day (check the walk-safety tool), always providing shade and water, and watching for early panting.
This is first aid to buy time — it is not a substitute for a vet.
General first-aid information, not veterinary treatment. Always contact your vet or an emergency clinic as soon as possible. Full disclaimer.
Get the Paw Multiverse app
Instant "can my pet eat that?" answers, free calculators & emergency vet help — straight from your home screen. No app store needed.