Dog owners are being urged to take care as temperatures in the UK soar during the July heatwave.

The hot weather can prove fatal for dogs, putting them at greater risk of heart failure, and serious injury and death.

Vets and the RSPCA have both urgently advised pet owners to stop walking dogs in the heat as even short walks can increase the risk of illness.

But there are nine dogs breeds in particular that are at an increased risk of heatstroke, experts have warned.

Purebred dogs have twice the risk of crossbreeds, but - according to experts - the nine dog breeds most at risk are varied, reports BirminghamLive.

Chow chow dogs lead the way, with a 17 times greater risk, followed by the bulldog at 14 times more likely to suffer heatstroke.

French bullog and French mastiffs complete the top five with greyhounds, followed by King Charles spaniels, pugs, English springer spaniels, and then golden retrievers.

Emergency animal care provider Vets Now also warned rising temperatures could increase the risk of heat stroke in dogs.

The vet service sees a spike in callouts as the weather warms up and has warned that temperatures above 20C put dogs at risk, and that survival rates for dogs with heat stroke is just 50%.

The warnings come after a week of flash flooding in the south east of England, causing disruption to transport in London.

One devastated pet owner spoke out this week saying her French bulldog had tragically died after a brief walk - despite showing no signs of illness after the walk was completed.