A Scots dog owner has been left heartbroken after her French bulldog tragically died from heatstroke. Chloe Lamond’s pets - Hugo and Mercedes - were taken out in the scorching sun by a dog walker when they both began to fall unwell.
Two-year-old Hugo began foaming at the mouth and heavily panting as temperatures hit 20C on June 5. The dog walker rushed him to the local vets where they gave him adrenaline and performed chest compressions.
Despite their best efforts, Hugo passed away. Owner Chloe, from Livingston, West Lothian, told Edinburgh Live that she hopes other dog owners won't face the same heartache.
She said: “It was a heatwave of 20C that day, but as French bulldogs are short-nosed dogs they don’t do well with heat at the best of times so on hotter days they struggle more.
"Our dog walker took them to a run-free field and there are bits of shade but off the lead, both of the dogs run riot. In Hugo’s case, his body couldn’t cope with the heat anymore.
"I wasn't there but I was told he was panting heavily and was foaming at the mouth. He took a turn for the worst, between our own dog walker and another, compressions were done but he was then taken to the vet.
"Hugo had sadly no heartbeat, chest impressions were done and adrenaline was given but sadly Hugo didn’t respond." Chloe and her family have been left devastated by the loss and she says that "two years wasn't enough to love him".
Chloe added: "While this was going on my other dog Mercedes was left in the dog walker's van. She was heavily panting and was sick. The vet receptionist and a member of the public got Mercedes out of the van and was taken through to be checked.
"Luckily for the fast-acting staff at the vets, Mercedes pulled through and is still with us today."
Mercedes had a scorching temperature of 40.9C and had difficulty breathing. She was given oxygen by the vet and cooled down by fans and water.
Chloe explained that she had both dogs since they were puppies and had no health issues. She is now warning that people need to check dog walker's certificates and those looking after dogs should know the dog's breed and any issues and risks that come with it.
She added: "Heatstroke has signs and symptoms and can come on very quickly and can kill very quickly. I want to raise awareness that this isn't just breed-related and can happen to any dog but especially flat nose breeds.
"Attention is a must when walking dogs in the heat or in this case using a run-free field but really in heat, they shouldn’t be attending to open run fields.
"Adequate care is required to ensure your dog stays cool. Make sure your dog is well hydrated, take time in the shade, and use water to soak and bring their body temp down.
"It's important to look for signs of struggle, dehydration and to make sure breathing isn't laboured. These simple steps can save your pet."
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