When a hot dog isn’t a healthy dog
Keep a close eye on your pooch during the summer heat—especially if it’s a bulldog. A new study from the U.K. has found that some dog breeds are much more susceptible to heatstroke than others. After analyzing the medical records of 900,000 dogs, researchers discovered that bulldogs were 14 times more likely to develop heatstroke than Labradors. French bulldogs were six times more likely and pugs three times as likely. These flat-faced, or brachycephalic, breeds are more vulnerable because their short snouts make breathing hard.
“Dogs use panting to cool down, which works by passing air over the nasal passages allowing evaporative heat loss,” lead researcher Emily Hall, from Nottingham Trent University, tells NBCNews.com. “Dogs with shorter muzzles have less area to allow heat loss.” But some nonbrachycephalic breeds are also high-risk, including the greyhound, golden retriever, and springer spaniel. Daniel Fletcher, from Cornell University, suggests owners also be careful with dogs that really love to play and “will just go and chase the ball and chase the ball. You don’t realize they are in trouble till it’s too late.”