Heatstroke warning for bulldogs and pugs

Researchers said bulldogs were 14 times more likely to develop heatstroke than Labradors

Flat-faced dogs such as pugs and bulldogs have a higher risk of developing heatstroke, a new study has suggested.

Researchers from Nottingham Trent University and the Royal Veterinary College studied the medical records of 900,000 dogs across the UK.

They concluded bulldogs were 14 times more likely to suffer heatstroke than Labrador retrievers.

French bulldogs, pugs and chow-chows were also identified as high-risk.

Lead researcher Emily Hall said: "It's likely that brachycephalic [flat-faced] dogs overheat due to their intrinsically ineffective cooling mechanisms.

"Dogs pant to cool down - without a nose, panting is simply less effective.

"In fact, brachycephalic dogs may even generate more heat simply gasping to breathe than they lose by panting."

Pugs were another high-risk breed identified

Being above average weight and being over two years old were also some of the factors identified by the researchers as predictors for heatstrokes.

Dogs that were big for their breed, including both obese dogs and large or muscular dogs, had almost one-and-a-half times the risk compared to those that were smaller than the breed average.

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Paula Boyden, veterinary director at the Dogs Trust, said: "These findings show that owners of flat-faced breeds and dogs who are overweight need to keep an especially close eye on their beloved pet during the warm weather as they could be at greater risk.

"The good news is there are lots of things we can do to make sure our dogs stay happy and healthy in hot weather, whether outside or playing indoors as many of us are at the moment."