I'm a vet and here are 7 dog breeds who have a high risk of heatstroke - plus how you can tell if your pooch is too hot
- UK TikTok veterinarian Ben the Vet shares animal welfare information online
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With hot weather now finally upon us, a British vet has revealed seven breeds of dogs who struggle with heatstroke.
Content creator @ben.the.vet shared the list in a video on TikTok, where he has more than 200,000 followers.
His videos generally focus on animal welfare information, including how to responsibly care for companion animals, as well as the different health challenges different species and breeds face.
In a recent video, he spoke about how the hot weather can affect dogs, singling out some of the breeds who suffer the most as a result of high temperatures. The evidence-based clip was informed by new research from the Royal Veterinary College which investigated heatstroke in UK dogs.
He also explained why these breeds suffer most, and the physiological qualities they have that makes hot weather so difficult.
UK-based veterinarian Ben the Vet (pictured) revealed seven breeds of dog who are at a high risk of heatstroke
Speaking in the clip, Ben said: 'Some breeds of dog are really not built for hot weather. Here are seven of them.
'Seventh on the list is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They do have short coats, but they are muscly little dogs, and that muscle generates a lot of body heat.'
He added that these dogs can also be prone to stress, making it 'particularly important to keep them nice and chilled' when it's hot.
Moving on to the next breed on his list, Ben said: 'Sixth is the Pomeranian. They have a really thick coat, and they also have quite a short muzzle, which means that they don't lose heat very effectively by panting.'
While discussing Pomeranians, he also busted a myth about animal coats in general, noting: 'It is, by the way, a complete myth that a long coat protects the dog from overheating by trapping air. I don't know who made that up.'
The next three dogs he listed, placing them at fifth, fourth and third on his list respectively were Pugs, Frenches, and the English Bulldog (he described the breeds as the 'trio of flat faces').
According to Ben: '[We] humans...can use our whole body surface area to lose heat by sweating.
'Dogs are reliant on the surface area inside their throat and nose. As they pant, air moves in and out of their nose and throat, and the heat is lost.
The vet revealed where he had sourced the data for his evidence-based video on which dog breeds have the highest risk of heatstroke
'If you have a very short muzzle and you're a dog, you just cannot get rid of that heat quickly enough.'
The second highest risk breed is the Chow Chow, according to Ben, who noted that this breed has '11 times the risk of heat stroke of a Labrador'.
This, he explained is because they have 'a relatively squished face and an extremely thick coat' - a 'perfect recipe for overheating'.
Moving onto the dog ranked number one on the list of heatstroke risk, Ben said: 'At 15 times the risk is the Newfoundland.
'They're just not built for heat. They are massive dogs with thick, dense coats. They were bred to work in cold temperatures, in cold water - not in 30 degrees.'
