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Weather forecast launched for dog owners
"We need to adapt our dog walking routines and general pet care behaviours to meet increasing temperatures" – Brian Faulkner.

The digital tool shows when the temperature is too hot for a dog walk.

A new online weather forecast, the Weather Furcast, has been launched by Petplan to help dog owners in the UK decide when to walk their dogs during hot weather.

The interactive digital tool shows in real time whether the temperature in each region is likely to be safe for walking a dog.

Owners can search for different locations and check whether the weather is safe for dogs of different sizes, with special advice for brachycephalic breeds, which find it harder to regulate body temperature.

The forecast uses a traffic light system to guide dog owners. A green paw signals that it is safe to take a dog for a walk. An amber alert suggests that owners show caution and test the heat of pavement with the back of their hand to check that it’s safe. A red paw tells owners to avoid going out as the temperature could seriously harm their dog.

Alongside the forecast, the web page also contains an online guide for looking after pets in hot weather, covering topics such as how to keep them hydrated, how to protect them from sunburn, and how to respond to insect bites and stings.

A survey of UK dog owners, carried out by GenPop earlier this summer, revealed that although 62 per cent of owners were confident they knew exactly when it was safe to walk their dogs in summer, just 25 per cent identified 23 degrees Celsius as being the temperature at which they should start exercising caution.

Brian Faulkner, veterinary surgeon and Petplan spokesperson, said: “Pet owners across the country have the best intentions when it comes to summer petcare, but in the UK, we’re not yet accustomed to the higher summer temperatures we often now see.

“Despite a summer of intermittent sunshine, owners still need to exercise caution, as even overcast, cloudy weather can be hazardous for dogs. We need to adapt our dog walking routines and general pet care behaviours to meet increasing temperatures, and Petplan’s new Furcast tool aims to help take uncertainty out of the equation.”

 

Images (C) Shutterstock and Petplan

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Germany livestock import ban lifted

The UK government has amended its ban on the import of livestock, meat and dairy products from Germany.

Defra said the decision follows 'rigorous technical assessment' of the measures applied and the current situation. "If the situation changes, we will not hesitate to take necessary action in response to the FMD outbreaks in the European Union to protect our domestic biosecurity," it said.

The ban was implemented in January following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) near Berlin. Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products will remain in place at a country level.