French Bulldogs and heat: how to keep your dog safe in summer

Why French Bulldogs overheat

Dogs barely sweat. They cool down mainly by panting, which moves air over the moist surfaces of the nose, mouth and airway. A French Bulldog has a shorter airway, often narrower nostrils and a soft palate that takes up more space, so each breath moves less air and removes less heat.

Panting also takes effort. In a dog with restricted airways, hard panting can make the throat swell, which narrows the airway further. That is why a French Bulldog can go from warm to in trouble faster than most breeds. Dogs with clear signs of BOAS are at highest risk; read BOAS explained.

How warm is too warm?

There is no single limit, because humidity, sun, wind and the individual dog all matter. As a rule of thumb, take extra care from around 23–25 °C, and earlier when it is humid or in direct sun. In humid air panting cools far less, so 22 °C and muggy can be harder than 26 °C and dry.

• Under about 20 °C: normal walks, still avoid long sprints.
• About 20–25 °C: walk in the cooler hours, keep play short, offer water often.
• Over about 25 °C or humid: short, slow potty walks only, in shade, early and late.
• Heatwave: stay indoors in a cool room during the day.

Asphalt and sand can be far hotter than the air. If you cannot keep the back of your hand on the ground for seven seconds, it is too hot for paws.

Warning signs, from early to serious

Heat stress builds gradually. Learn the early signs and stop well before the later ones.

• Early: loud or fast panting, wide mouth, seeking shade or lying down on cool floors.
• Rising: thick drool, a dark red or bluish tongue and gums, restlessness, not responding to calls.
• Serious: stumbling, vomiting or diarrhoea, collapse, glassy eyes, very noisy breathing.
• Emergency: seizures or unconsciousness. Call a vet on the way.

First aid for heatstroke

Act at once and get veterinary help even if the dog seems to recover. Heatstroke can cause damage that only shows hours later.

1. Stop all activity and move the dog into shade or a cool room.
2. Cool with cool or lukewarm tap water over the body, especially belly, chest and paws. Do not use ice or ice-cold water, which narrows the blood vessels in the skin and slows cooling.
3. Create airflow with a fan, an open car window or by fanning.
4. Offer small amounts of water to drink, but never force it.
5. Do not cover the dog with a wet towel that stays on; it traps heat.
6. Call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic and keep cooling on the way.

Everyday habits that prevent it

• Walk early in the morning and late in the evening.
• Keep play calm and short in summer, and stop before the dog wants to.
• Carry water and a bowl on every walk.
• Use a harness rather than a collar to keep pressure off the throat.
• Keep your dog lean. Extra weight makes breathing and cooling harder.
• Give access to shade and a cool floor at home, and keep blinds closed on sunny days.

Cars, travel and cooling gear

Never leave a dog in a car, not even for a few minutes with the window open. On a 20 °C day the inside of a parked car can pass 40 °C within half an hour. When you drive, use air conditioning and plan breaks in the shade.

Cooling mats, a damp cooling vest on hot walks and a shallow paddling pool in the shade can help. They support good habits, they do not replace them.

Breathing health starts with breeding

How well a French Bulldog handles heat depends a lot on its airways, and that starts with the parents. We breed for moderate features and open nostrils, and our health page explains how we assess our breeding dogs.