15/05/2025
🍋We have seen a worrying increase in people suggesting the use of lemon juice to use in dogs with heat stroke🍋
When dogs have heatstroke they can often pant excessively and produce lots of saliva, especially brachycephalic dogs, whose airways can quickly become obstructed, risking aspiration and asphyxiation .
People believe lemon juice will help clear this if they pour/squirt into the mouth, we don't recommend this.
When polled in the Veterinary Voices UK Facebook group, 0 of over 970 veterinary professionals would recommend giving lemon juice!
If you think your dog has heatstroke:
❌ Do not pour lemon juice into its mouth if they are producing excessive phlegm or saliva
❌ Do not attempt to force any liquid into its mouth - you risk causing aspiration
❌ Do not leave wet, cold towels stationary on them. They quickly warm and trap the heat
✅ Do...
✅ Bring your dog inside into a shady, well ventilated, cool room
✅Call your veterinary team and follow their instructions
✅Prepare yourself to promptly transfer to your practice
✅Cool them down by pouring *cold* water on them
✅ Depending on their current condition they may drink small amounts of cool water, don't allow they to lap up huge quantities at once incase they vomit
✅ Travel in a cold, air-conditioned car
✅ According to one study into heat-induced illness in dogs, those actively cooled before arriving at the vets had a lower mortality rate than those not cooled prior to arrival.
❌Please do not do this without veterinary advice
More information on heatstroke and how to manage while transferring to your veterinary team?
See Dr David Marlin and Veterinary Voices UK articles
https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/cool-icy-cold-or-tepid
https://drdavidmarlin.com/managing-dogs-in-hot-weather/
