Lidl is launching £4.99 pet essential that will keep your dog cool while relaxing on the patio this summer

The Sun

18 hours ago

AS temperatures continue to soar, it can be difficult for your pooch to spend time outside.
However, a budget-friendly Lidl buy can help to keep your dog cool all summer long.
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You can help your furry friend relax in the hot weather with this handy item.
Simply place it on your patio or outdoor area and your pup is sure to be drawn to it.
The Zoofari Rectangular Dog Cooling Mat will be available for £4.99 from the middle aisle.
Made with recycled materials, this handy mat requires no additional cooling.
Simply lay out the mat and don't worry about placing it in your fridge or freezer beforehand.
This item doesn't need an power or extra water to keep your pet cool this summer.
In fact, you don't even need to switch it on, just have your dog lie down on it.
According to manufacturers, the mat provides a "cooling effect for several hours when there's dog body contact".
And it will even be ready to use again by your pooch after "just a short break".
The product has been described as "versatile" and can be used on beds and in kennels.
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This mat measures 50 centimetres by 90 centimetres and can be easily stored after rolling.
And as with most Lidl middle aisle buys, this item comes with a three-year warranty.
The cooling mat will hit the middle aisle from Sunday, June 22.
The animal experts at the USPCA broke down the importance of keeping your pets cool and comfortable during the summer.
"Dogs can develop heat stroke quickly and can be fatal," they explained.
Dog breeds most susceptible to overheating
In general, there are six groups of dogs who struggle most in hot weather...
Firstly, those with underlying health problems. Dogs can't sweat like we can, so rely largely on panting to cool down. However, if they have airway or lung impairments, or suffer from fluid balance or hydration issues, then this is more difficult, and their ability to lose heat is reduced, meaning they are at a higher risk of heat-stroke.
Overweight animals find it harder to ventilate, and their core temperature rises faster than you'd expect for a lean dog.
Very young dogs or very old dogs are also at increased risk of heatstroke, and these owners should be even more cautious in hot weather.
Dogs with very thick coats, who are adapted to a colder climate. Dogs such as the Husky or Malamute - and even the Chow Chow - have been bred to keep heat in. However, this comes at the price of being less well able to cope in hot weather. Their thick double coats effectively trap heat, making it the equivalent of us going out in the July heat wearing a fur coat and thermal underwear: they get very hot, very quickly. This problem can be alleviated by clipping (NOT shaving), however, the coat can take a long time to grow back. In a heatwave, though, if you're struggling to keep your dog cool, I'd personally rather have a dog with a thinner coat who's alive than a luxuriously coated dog in the morgue.
Short-nosed, or brachycephalic, breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs. These dogs have been bred to look "cute", with big eyes and flat faces. Unfortunately, the result of this has been a narrowing of the airways and a profusion of soft tissue in the nasal chambers and pharynx - we call this Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome, and it profoundly affects their ability to pant and lose heat. Like a dog with any other respiratory disease, most members of these breeds are highly prone to heatstroke, and as they are often overweight as well, are at very high risk in hot weather.
"It is vital that owners ensure their dog has access to water and cool shaded areas to rest at all times.
"It's also important you monitor your dog throughout the day to check changes in their behaviour."
They recommended making use of cooling mats to ensure your pooch doesn't overheat.
"A cooling mat is great in order to lower your dogs temperature," they explained.
"The cooling pad absorbs heat from the dogs body and releases it into the environment."
Aldi is also selling a budget buy that will help keep your pooch cool this summer.