DR PAULINE TAYLOR of Pets Central in Hong Kong answers some readers’ questions about animal welfare over the summer.
Do you have any advice on how I can keep my dogs cool during the hotter months?
This is a very relevant question for me too, as one of my dogs, though fit and active and walked several times a day, easily gets a mild form of heatstroke very quickly on a walk in warm or humid conditions.
I discovered this when she was young, and a repeat episode last week confirmed that I need to be more careful with her every single day. I’m going to make sure there are no walks between the hottest hours of the day and especially during sunny daytime hours.
It’s difficult watching other pet parents jogging on hot days with their dogs cantering along and panting beside them. I always say that heatstroke, and even death from it, can happen very quickly, with your dog taken away from you permanently in front of your eyes.
When it comes to tips, I suggest simply using common sense and exercising your dog during the cooler hours of the day. Keep the home environment at a comfortable temperature of around 20 to 24 degrees Celsius (and note that this is breed-dependent). Always have fresh clean drinking water available – if possible, provide a source of running water, like a fountain, that might encourage drinking. Keep their coats clean and always groomed, ensure there’s plenty of shade even for indoor dogs, and, if possible, give them the chance to swim or cool off with cold water showers.
What are some common skin conditions for animals in the heat?
They are much the same as humans. Overheating leads to dehydration and general itchiness, and even sunburn, friction burns, thermal burns (for example, from water in hosepipes left in the sun), hot spots (moist bacterial areas on the skin), an increase in parasitic diseases (especially fleas and ticks that bite, irritate and spread disease), blocked sweat glands, and pre-cancerous dry skin patches called actinic keratosis – or, worse, fully blown skin cancers.
How much ice cream can my dog have, or should they not eat ice cream at all?
To be safe, you should not allow your dogs to eat traditional ice cream designed for humans. My dogs have always loved licking ice cream cartons, but I’m well aware that it isn’t good for them. Usually made from cow’s milk with a high fat and sugar content, ice cream can lead to upsets in their digestive system with signs of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and in some dogs an even more serious metabolic condition called pancreatitis, which affects the working of the pancreas gland.
The flavour of ice cream is also critical. Dogs have a very low threshold for chocolate, which contains theobromine, a direct toxin for dogs. Theobromine is similar to caffeine; it is very slowly metabolised in dogs and can cause cardiac arrhythmias, epileptic seizures, internal bleeding, heart attacks and eventually death. So, chocolate ice cream is an absolute no!
Nowadays, there are some new brands of dog ice cream made from plantbased ingredients, and other brands advertised exclusively for pets. But with my limited knowledge of their ingredients and manufacturing processes, I am unable to advise if any would be suitable for your pet, or in what quantity.
Can my turtle overheat in summer?
Yes, it can, and it can also die in any “too hot” environment. While they’re often referred to as “cold-blooded”, turtles, like other reptiles, generally maintain a body temperature comparable to their surrounding environment. They cannot internally regulate their body temperature like many mammals can; instead, they use a specialised system based on their adipose tissue, which in some species of turtle can amazingly control their core temperatures to plus-orminus 18 degrees Celsius of the environmental temperature!
About Dr Pauline Taylor (BVM&S MACVSc)
After graduating from Edinburgh University, Dr Taylor began practicing in Scotland, working with farm animals, and has accrued over 30 years of experience in caring for animals in various places including the UK, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
Pets Central operates multiple animal clinics and hospitals in Hong Kong:
North Point Hospital | 2811 8907
Mong Kok Hospital | 2309 2139
Tseung Kwan O Hospital | 2244 6684
Sai Kung Hospital | 2792 0833
Park Island Mobile Clinic | 6223 0903
pets-central.com
This article on how to keep dogs cool in summer and other tips for caring for pets in the heat first appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest mag or an annual subscription, or read the digital version for free now.
