Can guinea pigs get heat stroke?

QI know this is a strange time of year to ask this, but I read recently that heat stroke is common in lots of pets, not just dogs in cars. Is this true? I have two cats and two guinea pigs.

AThere has indeed been an article on heat stroke in animals published in an international journal, which was picked up by national newspapers. It was the result of data from thousands of cases seen in veterinary practices.

Surveys like this, along with another from the Royal Veterinary College, have given valuable information on a huge number of conditions treated by vets.

Although warm weather is some way off, it is a good thing to be aware of heat stroke, as it is much better avoided than dealing with it as an emergency.

The recent study collated information on 148 cases of heat stroke, many more than I have ever seen.

Interestingly, only 6.9% were dogs trapped in cars. In fact 73.5% of the heat stroke cases in dogs resulted from exercise in unsuitable weather conditions. Nearly 20% of all animals surveyed collapsed due to hot weather alone. This included 16 cats, eight guinea pigs and a ferret.

Preventative measures will minimise the risk. Provide adequate shade, avoid direct rays from the sun and offer water. Exercise dogs only in the early morning or late evening on hot days.

I recommend a pet health check – and remind yourself of these methods of heat stroke prevention when the weather warms up.

Q

My husband refuses to give up smoking and doesn’t think he is risking the health of our nine-year-old Doberman dog and three-year-old rescue female neutered cat. Is there any evidence of potential harm to our pets from secondhand smoke? It is a really big worry for me.

AThere is a huge amount of research into the effects of secondhand smoke in people, with the obvious one being lung cancer. There are fewer “big data” studies in companion animals.

Cigarette smoke contains many toxic and cancer-causing chemicals. Most smokers know this but still struggle to give up.

From a common sense point of view, subjecting any pet to a smoky atmosphere is very likely harmful for them. There are some case reports of cancer in dogs and cats with a possible link to smoke.

In dogs, cancers of the nasal cavity are more common than lung cancer.

A study from Colorado Veterinary School estimated that long-nosed dogs such as yours had a 250% higher incidence of nasal tumours when living in a smoky atmosphere.

This is presumably due to the nasal cavities trapping the carcinogens when smoke is breathed in.

In cats there are mouth cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, and an intestinal cancer called lymphoma, which are suspected of being linked with secondhand smoke. This is because the cats groom chemicals that have settled in their coats and swallow the dangerous substances.

Apart from cancers, there are other diseases including chronic bronchitis, respiratory infections and asthma that may be more severe in cats and dogs in smoky atmospheres.