Summer sounds idyllic if you work with animals. Long days outdoors, the kind of weather that makes being outside feel like a privilege rather than a job requirement. The reality is a bit more complicated.
For anyone working with animals in warm weather, whether you’re a dog walker, a farm worker, a zoo keeper or an equine professional, heat is a genuine hazard. It affects your animals, it affects you, and managing it well is a core professional skill that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
The heatstroke risk is bigger than you think
Most people associate dog heatstroke with hot cars. The reality is quite different. Research by the Royal Veterinary College, analysing the records of over 900,000 UK dogs, found that exercise was responsible for 74% of heatstroke cases. Walking, running and playing in warm weather is a far greater risk than being left in a vehicle. As a professional dog walker or animal handler, that statistic should sit at the front of your mind every time you take dogs out in warm weather.
The same research found that one in seven dogs affected by heat-related illness died from the condition. These are preventable deaths, and preventing them is part of your professional responsibility.
Understanding heat stress in animals
Different species have very different relationships with heat, and understanding the specific needs of the animals you work with is essential.
Dogs cool themselves primarily through panting and through the pads of their feet. Signs of heat stress include heavy panting, drooling, lethargy, vomiting, and in severe cases collapse or seizure. Prevention is always better than treatment. Walk dogs early in the morning or in the evening during hot weather. Check pavement temperature with your hand before walking. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paws.
Horses struggle with heat and humidity combined. Signs of heat stress include excessive sweating, rapid breathing, elevated heart rate and reluctance to move. Ensure access to shade and fresh water at all times. Electrolyte supplements may be appropriate during very hot periods. Know how to cool a horse down safely if needed, including hosing with cool rather than cold water and moving to shade.
Farm livestock, particularly pigs and poultry, are highly vulnerable to heat. Pigs cannot sweat and rely on wallowing and shade to regulate temperature. Poultry can deteriorate rapidly in hot conditions. Adequate ventilation, shade and water access are critical.
Looking after yourself
It sounds obvious, but heat exhaustion and heatstroke are genuine risks for outdoor animal workers, and they’re underreported in this sector.
You are often so focused on the welfare of your animals that your own needs come second. This is understandable but it is also a problem. A professional who becomes unwell cannot care for their animals properly.
Drink water consistently throughout the day, not just when you feel thirsty. Wear appropriate clothing, lightweight and breathable, and use sun protection. Take breaks in shade when possible. Know the signs of heat exhaustion in yourself: dizziness, nausea, headache, rapid heartbeat, heavy sweating. If you experience these, stop, move to a cool area, drink water and seek help if symptoms don’t improve quickly.
Planning for hot weather
Good hot weather management is about planning ahead rather than reacting. Review your protocols before summer arrives, not during a heatwave.
Check that water sources are functioning and sufficient. Review shelter and shade provision for all animals in your care. Adjust working hours where possible to avoid the hottest parts of the day. Make sure any staff or volunteers you work with know the signs of heat stress in both animals and people.
Hot weather is part of the job. Managing it well is what separates a good animal professional from a great one.