Heatwave warning for the UK - How to combine lots of little measures to save lives.

Wiebke

Wiebke

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
95,849
Reaction score
93,874
Points
3,466
Location
Coventry UK
As every year, please take the time to read our most comprehensive Hot Weather guide.

It is the combination of lots of little things that make the biggest difference, starting with some easy tricks for keeping your rooms as cool as possible.

If your piggies are plastered to wrapped-up frozen water bottles, they are actually already overheated. Your aim is to not let things get that far, or even risk heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Incidentally, our tips can also help you to keep your home cooler with some easy, no or low cost measures. :)

Here is our guide which you may want to bookmark for quick access in the case of overheating: Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike

This link is a good way of finding lots of questions and practical experiences from forum members for a range of different settings from inner city flats to countryside homes: Hot weather warning for the UK - Member questions and heatwave feedback

But you are always welcome to ask any questions or give feedback of your own experiences and personal tweaks of your own in this thread here. Our members can help you with practical advice and how-to tips. We always like to extend the range of our tips and experiences in order to save more lives.
 
It's going to be 30C here tomorrow they are saying and I'm worried. The good part is that I've got the experience of several heatwaves behind me and I know what to do to keep the piggies as comfortable as possible (and I've been re-reading the above links). But on the other hand, Toffee is an old man now and Spice is not really back to normal after her spay surgery so I'm worried about them. I can only do my best but I'm feeling very apprehensive.
 
LondonLady said:
It's going to be 30C here tomorrow they are saying and I'm worried. The good part is that I've got the experience of several heatwaves behind me and I know what to do to keep the piggies as comfortable as possible (and I've been re-reading the above links). But on the other hand, Toffee is an old man now and Spice is not really back to normal after her spay surgery so I'm worried about them. I can only do my best but I'm feeling very apprehensive.
Click to expand...

Piggies get gradually used to hotter conditions; it is the sudden heat spikes that are generally the more devastating - and underestimating what heat traps hutches, uninsulated shed and lawn time or open windows in the way of a full sunheated breeze are.

That said, I am sharing your concerns re. my own elderlies. I tend to lose at least one or two despite my best efforts; often in the wake of hot weather or sudden heat spikes when the extra stress on the body is tipping an already rather fragile balance. Short of running very expensive air conditioning there is only so much you can do; even if keeping temperatures around 9-10 C below outside temperatures without using electricity is an achievement in itself in a dual aspect lounge that sun from early morning until close to sunset on it at this time of the year.
The piggies themselves are not plastered to a frozen bottle.
 
We are a very colourful house at the moment, with fabric offcuts, dust sheets, cardboard & bed sheets in the windows.
We are enjoying the cooler temperatures inside.
The temperature next to our piggies today started at 20.5C and has finished the day at 22.8C.
The loft room on the other hand is 🥵🔥.

Hope everyone is staying cool.

IMG_1887.webp
 
Wiebke said:
Piggies get gradually used to hotter conditions; it is the sudden heat spikes that are generally the more devastating - and underestimating what heat traps hutches, uninsulated shed and lawn time or open windows in the way of a full sunheated breeze are.

That said, I am sharing your concerns re. my own elderlies. I tend to lose at least one or two despite my best efforts; often in the wake of hot weather or sudden heat spikes when the extra stress on the body is tipping an already rather fragile balance. Short of running very expensive air conditioning there is only so much you can do; even if keeping temperatures around 9-10 C below outside temperatures without using electricity is an achievement in itself in a dual aspect lounge that sun from early morning until close to sunset on it at this time of the year.
The piggies themselves are not plastered to a frozen bottle.
Click to expand...
I was glad to read that I’m not the only person concerned about my piggies in this heat. Following all advice to keep them cool but still, they just are not 100% themselves when it’s warm. They are both seniors and I’m worried sick 😥
 
VickiA said:
I know that I’m struggling in this heat. Always good to be up to date with the recommendations for keeping piggies cool in this heat.
Click to expand...
Yes indeed! My two are okay albeit a bit less active than usual. I don’t blame them, this heat is awful! Hope everyone else’s piggies are coping okay :(
 
We had a few spots of rain this morning but it didn't come to much and it was horribly humid. The breeze has suddenly gone cooler and is very welcome coming in the open windows (not near the piggies). I just looked outside and it's drizzling quite steadily, hoping we will get some real rain soon to water the garden. The piggies have all coped well despite 3 of them being elderly. I have to admit I was/am worried about them, thank goodness for a north facing, always cool living room!
 
In view of the humidity, added to by some discrete spitting of rain, I think I have done well to keep the piggy lounge to 24 C again, to clean 3 more cages, wash another 4 loads of piggy stuff and wrestle soaked sheets in front of the roadside windows. With a broken hip recovery and my cancer treatment, this has been another day of really pushing it.

No love for hot, and especially not hot and humid days here! The piggies are in better shape than me. :(
 
Hope it passes soon too, it feels even hotter than the temperature says doesn’t it, must be the humidity. Sorry your breathing is affected too 😔bring on autumn!
 
We have done everything we can, and are still not feeling ready for today, both of us have to go too work. Luckily I can whizz home at lunchtime & check on our Guinea pigs and, swap over frozen ice pads.
Thinking of everyone trying to keep themselves & their furry friends cool today.
 
It's awful isn't it. I thought I was doing well last week but I'm really struggling today. The piggies room is still cooler (relatively speaking) than the rest of the flat but it's hotter than it should be and I don't know what more I can do.
 
Piggy room curtains are closed and a blanket is pegged on top. Then a blind is hung on top of that. The room is 24 at the moment. I have a fan in the room facing away from them and cooled snugglesafes which the boys are using. Hopefully things will cool down soon.

Also every curtain is closed in the house.

Hope everyone’s piggies are doing well in this heat.

IMG_0840.webp
IMG_0839.webp
 
Yes, I was pegging up damp sheets at 6am. I also don't know what more to do. The ice rotation is on and the fan is going. I think there will be a mass celebration of responsible pet owners when the corner is turned. I didn't expect it to go on for tomorrow as well, grim 🙁 Poor Truffle has half his fur off after an atrocious hair cut. But we have no choice. Persian cats and long haired piggies have to divest to survive ☀️
 
weepweeps said:
Piggy room curtains are closed and a blanket is pegged on top. Then a blind is hung on top of that. The room is 24 at the moment. I have a fan in the room facing away from them and cooled snugglesafes which the boys are using. Hopefully things will cool down soon.

Also every curtain is closed in the house.

Hope everyone’s piggies are doing well in this heat.

View attachment 271473
View attachment 271474
Click to expand...
Perfect demo of how to use a cooled snugglesafe. At this moment I wish they did human ones!
 
It’s stifling today. Our dining room has been redecorated ready to house foster piggies later in the year. I went out yesterday to buy new curtains for the room and the OH was baffled by my insistence they had to have a blackout lining. But this afternoon the new curtains with blackout lining are hanging, fully closed and doing a sterling job keeping the temperature down in our south facing room. Every little helps with this heat wave
 
It's over 26° upstairs at the moment, thankfully much cooler downstairs. I have to have the window open to vape, my landlord and I had a disagreement over whether it was better to vape outside or not vape at all after I opened the bedroom door and the smoke alarm went off again. The smoke alarm is now sitting in the kitchen, it's warmer outside than it even is up here, I'm not going out there if I don't have to. I'm very glad the guinea pigs are downstairs though, they'd be in serious trouble up here 😕
 
VickiA said:
At this moment I wish they did human ones!
Click to expand...
I was taking cold water bottles (hot water bottles filled with cold water) to bed and placing them under specific body parts like a foot and a knee overnight. Unfortunately since allergic shock reaction, I seem to be getting itchy with contact to all sorts of stuff including my hot water bottles, so I go to bed with cold, wet cloths wrapped round a foot and a knee instead.
 
Crept up to 25.5 in the piggie room today. The boys have ice pods and have been mostly ignoring them, apart from Eddie having a nap on one earlier, so I’m taking that to mean they’re okay

Keeping a close eye on Tofu though, as he’s older and a little frail. Hoping it’s cooler tomorrow! Had a hard time getting the dog to stay comfortable as well as the humans!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top