How do I keep my dog cool when the power goes off in summer?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Move your dog to the coolest, shaded room, close the curtains, and let it lie on a damp towel or a wet tiled floor. Wet its coat with cool tap water and fan it by hand or with a battery fan, because water plus moving air cools fastest. Keep fresh water out, cancel walks and watch for heatstroke.
If your dog is panting hard, drooling thick saliva, has very red or pale gums, vomits, wobbles or collapses, that is heatstroke: start cooling at once with cold water, then take it to a vet, calling ahead. Flat-faced, heavy, old and thick-coated dogs need this plan first.
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Is my dog overheating right now?
Act on these at once. Heatstroke can kill: in UK vet records, about one in seven dogs seen with heat-related illness died.
If Heavy panting, fast or difficult breathing, low energy
Early signs. Stop all activity, move the dog to the coolest spot, wet its coat and get air moving. PDSA
If Thick, sticky drool, bright red or very pale gums, vomiting or diarrhoea, shaking, weakness
Moderate heatstroke. Pour cold tap water over the whole body, away from the nose and mouth, fan it, and phone the vet while you cool. PDSA
If Collapse, confusion, seizures, bloody diarrhoea, unconsciousness
An emergency. Keep cooling and go to the nearest vet now, in a car with the windows down or the AC on. Call ahead so they are ready. RSPCA (England and Wales)
If You only have towels
Do not drape a wet towel over the dog: it traps heat. Put wet towels under it instead and re-wet them often. RSPCA (England and Wales)
Why is cooling first so important?
Guidance for dogs with heat-related illness says cool first, transport second, and names cold-water immersion and evaporative cooling, meaning water on the coat with air moving over it, as the methods that work best. A VetCompass study of UK dogs seen at vets between 2016 and 2018 found that only about one in five had been cooled before the journey, and that the most common method used was wet towels. The authors say delays in bringing the temperature down make outcomes worse.
PDSA's first aid is the same: move the dog to shade or a cool room, gently pour cold water from the tap over its whole body, keep it away from the nose and mouth, and create a breeze. RSPCA adds that cold water rarely causes shock in an overheated dog. Then go to the vet, because damage inside the body can show up later.
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs seen with heat-related illness that died | About 14% | Scientific Reports (2020)study |
| Cases set off by exercise | 74.2% | Animals (2020)study |
| Cases set off by hot surroundings, such as a hot building | 12.9% | Animals (2020)study |
| Cases from being shut in a vehicle | 5.2% | Animals (2020)study |
| Dogs cooled before the journey to the vet | About 22% of those with a record | Veterinary Sciences (2023), Royal Veterinary Collegestudy |
How do I cool my dog without a fan or AC?
Water plus moving air is the principle. These steps need no electricity, or only a battery.
- Pick the coolest room, away from direct sun, and close curtains or blinds. In a flat this is often an inner room or the bathroom, not a west-facing bedroom. PDSA
- Let your dog lie on bare tiles or stone, or on a damp towel you re-wet in cold water as it warms. PDSA
- Gently wet its body with cool water, and fan it by hand, with a newspaper or a battery or inverter fan. PDSA
- Keep several bowls of fresh water in the shade, in steady pots that cannot tip over. Animal Welfare Board of India
- Put a towel-wrapped ice pack, or a frozen bottle of water in a towel, in its bed. Offer crushed ice rather than solid cubes, which can hurt teeth. PDSA
- A shallow tub of cold water to stand in helps a dog cool its paws. PDSA
- Open windows at night, when it is cooler outside, and keep the home shut against the midday sun. India Meteorological Department
- No walks or play while it is hot. Exercise sets off most heat-related illness in dogs. Animals (2020)study
What should I avoid during a hot power cut?
Do
- Keep your dog with you where you can see it, and check its breathing often. PDSA
- Keep a brushed, mat-free coat: matted fur traps heat. PDSA
- Plan ahead if cuts are common: a battery fan, a spare frozen bottle, and the number of a 24-hour vet. Animal Welfare Board of India
Don’t
- Do not leave your dog in a parked car to use its AC or shade. NDMA's heat wave advice says never leave pets in parked vehicles. India Meteorological Department
- Do not cover the dog with a wet towel; it traps heat. PDSA
- Do not shut the dog on a terrace, balcony or in a closed room with no air. PDSA
- Do not give any human medicine for heat. Only a vet decides treatment. PDSA
Which dogs need the most care in a power cut?
| Why | What to do | |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-faced breeds (Pug, Shih Tzu, Bulldog, French Bulldog) Animals (2020)study | Brachycephalic dogs had higher odds of every type of heat-related illness | Cool them first and early; do not wait for signs |
| Heavy or overweight dogs, and giant breeds Scientific Reports (2020)study | Higher bodyweight and dogs over 50 kg were at greater risk | Keep them still and wet; weight control helps all summer |
| Older dogs and dogs with breathing problems Animals (2020)study | Greatest odds of heatstroke from hot surroundings | Watch them closely during the hottest hours |
| Thick-coated dogs (Husky, Samoyed, German Shepherd) PDSA | Named by PDSA among the dogs most at risk | Brush out loose undercoat; do not shave |
| Puppies PDSA | Very young dogs are named among those most at risk | Short play only, in the coolest room |
When is the heat most dangerous in India?
IMD declares a heat wave in the plains when a station's maximum reaches at least 40 degrees C and is 4.5 to 6.4 degrees above normal, or when the maximum itself is 45 degrees or more; 47 degrees or more is a severe heat wave. Its FAQ notes that power outages are triggered by the high electricity demand for air conditioning during heat waves, so cuts and heat often arrive together. IMD and NDMA advise avoiding the sun between 12 noon and 3 pm and keeping animals in shade with plenty of water.
AWBI's May 2026 circular reminds every person in charge of an animal that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act requires reasonable steps to prevent unnecessary suffering, and lists shade, water and watching for heatstroke signs, with immediate veterinary help if they appear.
What if I am away and the power goes?
A dog home alone in a hot flat during a cut has no one to move it, wet it or notice the signs. If you will be out in the hottest weeks, arrange for someone to be with your dog through the afternoon, and leave written instructions for a cut: the coolest room, where the towels and frozen bottles are, and the vet's number. A Petym sitter follows your dog's plan as you write it, and in an emergency calls you and takes your dog to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list.
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- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Can a dog survive in summer without AC in India?
- Many do, with care: a shaded, cool room, damp towels or tiles to lie on, water on the coat and moving air, plenty of drinking water, and no exercise in the heat. Flat-faced, heavy, old and thick-coated dogs are at higher risk and need closer watching. If signs of heatstroke appear, cool and go to a vet.
Is it safe to put ice on my dog?
- Use cold tap water over the whole body as first aid. PDSA suggests a towel-wrapped ice pack between the thighs and crushed ice rather than solid cubes to chew. Do not wrap the dog in a wet towel, which traps heat. If the dog shows heatstroke signs, cool it and get to a vet.
Does wetting a dog cool it down?
- Yes, especially with air moving over the wet coat. Veterinary guidance names evaporative cooling, water plus air movement, as one of the most effective first aid methods. Wet the body with cool water, keep it away from the nose and mouth, and fan the dog by hand if there is no power.
How do I know if my dog is too hot?
- Heavy panting, fast breathing and tiredness come first. Thick drool, bright red or pale gums, vomiting, shaking and weakness mean moderate heatstroke; collapse, confusion or seizures mean an emergency. Cool your dog straight away with cold water and call your vet.
Should I take my dog to the vet in a power cut?
- If it shows heatstroke signs, yes, after you have started cooling. Cool first, then travel in a car with the windows open or the AC running, and phone ahead so the clinic is ready. Keep a 24-hour vet's number saved before summer.
Keep reading
- Heatstroke in dogsThe signs, the first aid and the dogs at highest risk.
- Summer pet care in India
- Signs your pet needs a vet now
- Pet first aid basics
- How long can you leave a dog alone?
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- PDSA: Heatstroke in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- RSPCA (England and Wales): How to recognise and treat heatstroke in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Helping pets in the heat: vet approved ways to stop your pet from overheating (press release, 22 May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Beat the heat: how to keep your dog cool in summer (blog, 29 July 2021) (opens in a new tab)
- India Meteorological Department: FAQ on heat wave (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Request to ensure care and protection of animals from direct heat during extreme hot weather (4 May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
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- Scientific Reports (2020): Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness in UK dogs (opens in a new tab)
- Animals (2020): Dogs don't die just in hot cars: exertional heat-related illness (opens in a new tab)
- Veterinary Sciences (2023), Royal Veterinary College: Cooling methods used to manage heat-related illness in dogs (opens in a new tab)