Vets warn pet owners ahead of Britain’s hottest day ever as reindeer struggles in the heat, French bulldog almost dies of heatstroke and squirrels are taken to animal rescue centre suffering from dehydration

• A French bulldog in south west London started fitting despite being in the shade
• Five baby squirrels had to be rushed to a clinic in Jersey due to the severe heat
• Beekeepers say they are ‘rushing around’ trying to stop hives from melting
• And a reindeer was spotted sprawled out under the unrelenting sun in Enfield

Vets are warning animal lovers to take precautions as the UK faces its hottest day on record, with the extreme temperatures already taking their toll on a variety of critters around the nation.

Baby squirrels in Jersey fell victim to the heat wave, with five of the tree-dwelling rodents needing medical treatment at an animal shelter on the Channel Island after being driven out of their nest by the unrelenting sun.

A reindeer in Enfield was spotted sprawled out in the overwhelming heat, reportedly with no shade or water for several days.  

Beekeepers in Anglesey, North Wales, said they are ‘running around like headless chickens’ trying to prepare their hives for 37C forecast heat on Monday.

Katie Haywood, a honeybee farmer, told BBC Radio 4: ‘At the moment we’re pulling beehives off roofs that we’ve removed from chimneys just in case they melt in the heat.

Vets are warning pet owners to take special care of their animals as Britain braces for its hottest day on record, with squirrels, a reindeer and snakes already struggling. Pictured: A reindeer was spotted sprawled out with no shade in Enfield

Vets are warning pet owners and animal lovers to take care of critters of all species as the Met Office issues a ‘Red’ extreme weather warning

Five baby squirrels on the Channel Island of Jersey had to be given veterinary care after being driven out of their nests by the unrelenting sun

‘All the team are running around like headless chickens putting water drinkers into all of our apiaries because our bees really need water.’

And snakes could start springing from their vivariums due to the hot weather, the RSPCA warned, with data from last year showing most escapes were reported to the charity during the summer.

In Stoke-on-Trent last week, a 3.5ft-long corn snake was found on the run, hiding in a wheelie bin, with a surprised resident saying they ‘jumped and screamed’ after lifting the lid and being faced with the fork-tongued escapee.

Meanwhile, the Met Office’s ‘Red’ extreme heat warning has led to five horse races next week – in Beverley, Windsor, Chelmsford City, Southwell and Wolverhampton – being abandoned.       

It comes as a French bulldog in south west London almost died, despite being in the shade, when its body temperature hit 41C.

The three-year-old dog, named Trojan, was rushed to Blue Cross vets in Victoria after he started fitting – despite his owner having left him in a relatively cool spot with plenty of water.

The sweltering pooch was placed on an ice-cold mat and given a saline drip to bring his temperature down. 

Vets are now urging pet owners to keep pets inside over the next few days as the record-breaking heatwave is set to last until Tuesday.

Laura Vico, Blue Cross Senior Veterinary Surgeon said: ‘It was touch and go for Trojan, we desperately needed to cool him down as quickly and as safely as possible.

‘He was panting heavily and shaking uncontrollably so we had to really act fast.

‘Trojan was put on an IV drip of saline, placed on a cold mat, had cooling spray to his ears and paws and given oxygen through a mask.

‘He was also given medication to control the seizures.

‘Over the next few hours his temperature began to drop, but he remained under the care of the vet team at Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria overnight for monitoring.

‘By the morning Trojan was much brighter and walking about so he was well enough to go home, as long as he was kept cool indoors and allowed plenty of rest.’

Relieved owner Marcus said: ‘Despite just sitting in the shade and with plenty of water I was shocked that Trojan overheated to such dangerous levels.

‘He seemed content and was drinking the water but after a while I noticed he was acting strangely so took him home.

‘At home he got worse, he lay down and started shaking so I called Blue Cross for help.

‘I want to warn dog owners of the dangers in this hot weather, especially for flat faced dogs like Trojan.’

Signs of heatstroke include dogs panting excessively, dribbling or collapsing with a seizure.

The animal charity is also warning owners to keep pets away from open windows and balconies after a spate of accidents.

Seven-month-old puppy Bonnie suffered a smashed thigh after plunging 20ft from a first floor balcony when she chased a squirrel.

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