Heatwave alerts and advice

Son Espace SantéBreederShelterBoarding

The app warns you before a heatwave in your region and regularly sends you advice sheets suited to your pets' species. Both services are free and you can turn them off at any time.

Heatwave alerts

Every day, the app checks the weather forecast for your area. If a heatwave is forecast in the coming days, you get an alert so you have time to get organised: fresh water, shade, walk times, transport to the vet.

What you receive

  • A notification on your phone ("Heatwave expected tomorrow", "the day after tomorrow" or "in X days") with the forecast maximum temperature, the place and the dates.
  • An email with the alert and the essential steps to take.
  • A link to the app's Heatwave tips page.

The message adapts to your profile: it mentions your pet's name if you only have one, and gives instructions tailored to breeders (puppies, nursing mothers), shelters (outings, water, kennel ventilation) or boarding facilities (warning the owners of vulnerable boarders).

When an alert is sent

  • The alert goes out when the forecast predicts at least 3 consecutive days of intense heat, day and night, within the following five days (starting tomorrow).
  • The thresholds depend on the country of your address. In France, it takes at least 33 °C during the day and 20 °C at night.
  • You receive only one alert per episode, even if several of your zones are affected (the message then gives the number of zones), and at most one alert every 5 days.

Choosing the monitored zone

The app monitors:

  • the main alert location you have chosen;
  • the alert zones you have drawn on the community map (see Community map);
  • failing both, the town of your profile address.

Without any of this information, you will not receive heatwave alerts.

Setting up alerts in Son Espace Santé

  1. Open the menu, then Profile.
  2. Tap the Alerts tab.
  3. Under Weather alerts, turn Receive heatwave push notifications and Receive heatwave emails on or off.
  4. Under Main alert location, tap Choose a location (or Edit): use Use my current location or search for a town.
  5. The Your community map alert zones block lists the zones also being monitored, with a Manage zones on the map link.

If no zone is set up, the screen says so: "you will not receive heatwave alerts".

From the maps (all apps)

When you allow location access on the community map or the vets map and no alert zone has been set yet, the app asks you once: "Receive heatwave alerts for this area?". Answer Yes, alert me to save your position as an alert zone, or No, thanks.

The "Heatwave tips" page

This page goes over the steps that protect your pets during intense heat:

  • fresh water everywhere, changed often;
  • shade and a well-ventilated room;
  • outings early in the morning or late in the evening, never between 11 am and 6 pm;
  • never leave an animal alone in a car, even with the windows partly open;
  • cool surfaces to rest on;
  • extra vigilance for short-nosed breeds, seniors and the very young;
  • your vet's number close at hand.
Emergency signs: extreme panting, excessive drooling, vomiting, staggering, very red gums, collapse. Cool the animal down with damp cloths (no ice), give water in small amounts and go to a vet immediately.

Advice sheets

The Advice & prevention section brings together over a hundred practical sheets to care for, protect and understand your pets: toxic plants, processionary caterpillars, ticks, puppy socialisation, litter, nutrition, car safety…

Receiving advice

  • The app occasionally sends you a notification that opens an advice sheet, at most one a week, mid-morning.
  • Sheets are chosen according to your pets' species (dog, cat, horse, rabbit…) and the season: heat in summer, antifreeze in winter, fireworks at the end of the year…
  • Topics on hazard prevention and health are sent first.

Reading a sheet

Each sheet has a title, a summary, the detailed content and, at the bottom, an On the same topic list to keep reading. The Back button in the action bar takes you back to the previous screen.

The advice home page lets you filter sheets by species (Dogs, Cats, Horses, Rabbits) and by category: Danger, Health, Behaviour, Nutrition, Well-being, Care, Safety.

Stopping advice

  • At the bottom of a sheet, tap Stop receiving these notifications.
  • Or, in Son Espace Santé: menu, Profile, Alerts tab, Receive advice and alerts switch.
Tip: Advice sheets do not replace your vet's opinion. If you have any doubt about your pet's health, call your vet. You will find their contact details under Vets.

Frequently asked questions

I did not receive an alert even though it is very hot.

The alert warns of an upcoming episode lasting at least three days: it is not sent for a single hot day or during an episode already reported. Also check that an alert zone is set and that the app's notifications are allowed on your phone.

Are advice notifications sent at night?

No, they go out mid-morning, in your time zone.