Seasonal calendar of dog health: which dangers threaten your dog when

With the first mild days nature awakens, and with it the parasites. Ticks become active from around seven to ten degrees, so often as early as March. The common wood tick sits in tall grass, bushes and leaves and waits there for a host. This shows in our data too: ticks and tick-borne diseases occur around 1.4 times as often in spring as in the annual average. Consistent tick protection from the start of the season is therefore more important than many people think.

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At the same time, plants that are poisonous to dogs sprout in the garden. These include lily of the valley, tulip and daffodil bulbs and crocuses. If your dog likes to dig or eats parts of plants, it is worth a quick look at what is growing in beds and pots.

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Allergies too often show up for the first time in spring. Typical signs are itching, reddened skin and constant licking of the paws, triggered by pollen. If the signs recur, it is best to clarify the cause early with the vet instead of only treating the symptoms.

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What to watch out for with ticks in detail, which diseases they transmit and how to remove them correctly, you can read in the guide on ticks in dogs.

In high summer, heat becomes the most dangerous acute strain for dogs. Unlike humans, dogs can hardly sweat and regulate their temperature almost only through panting. If that is not enough, the body temperature quickly rises to dangerous levels, and heatstroke with permanent organ damage looms. Pure heatstroke cases are rare in our data and cannot be cleanly separated from fever of another cause in the free text, so they do not provide a reliable seasonal pattern. That heat becomes an emergency above all in high summer is nevertheless medically undisputed.

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The most dangerous situations are quickly named. A parked car heats up strongly within a few minutes even at only 20 degrees outside temperature, and a dog never belongs in one. The midday walk in the blazing sun is risky, as is the garden without shade and without fresh water. A simple rule for the ground: hold the back of your hand on the asphalt for seven seconds. If it is too hot for you, it is too hot for the paws. Short-nosed breeds such as the Pug, French and English Bulldog or Boxer are especially at risk, along with seniors, overweight dogs and puppies.

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A second summer danger is often underestimated: swallowed foreign bodies. In the warm months the dog is outside more, and that is exactly when cases pile up with sticks, corn cobs, barbecue leftovers, fruit stones or toy parts. In our analysis, foreign-body cases occur around 1.6 times as often in summer as in the annual average (644 cases in the data set). A swallowed foreign body can block the gastrointestinal tract and quickly become an emergency; typical signs are gagging, repeated vomiting, refusal to eat and a belly that is sensitive to touch.

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How to reliably recognise heatstroke, what you must do in the first minutes and which common mistake makes the situation worse, you can find out in the guide on heatstroke in dogs.

From August, grass mites are at their peak. They are the tiny larvae of the harvest mite, which sit in meadows and lawns and attach themselves to your dog. They become visible as fine orange-red dots, especially between the toes, on the belly, on the ears and on the head. The result is severe itching, and the dog often scratches and licks the affected areas raw. In our data, grass-mite cases are clearly concentrated in late summer and autumn.

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Also typical for autumn are respiratory infections. With the damper, colder weather and increased contact, the risk of coughing rises, from kennel cough to bronchitis. In our analysis, respiratory and coughing cases occur around 1.3 times as often in autumn as in the annual average (641 cases in the data set). A dry, barking cough that lasts several days or comes with fever and listlessness should be checked.

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At the same time, ticks often become active once more in a mild autumn. This second wave is easily underestimated, because many people stop protection early after the summer. Added to this are typical autumn dangers such as acorns, beechnuts and mushrooms, which can lead to vomiting, trembling and stomach ache when eaten.

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What really helps against grass mites and how to recognise the early stage is shown in the guide on grass mites in dogs.

In winter, poisonings are the most striking seasonal danger. In our data they occur a good 1.6 times as often as in the annual average. Antifreeze is especially dangerous. It tastes sweet, many dogs take it voluntarily, and even small amounts are highly toxic. If your dog staggers, drinks strikingly much or vomits and antifreeze is suspected, you drive to the emergency service without delay.

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Around the holidays further risks are added. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is toxic to dogs, dark chocolate especially. Spiced foods, bones from the roast and packaging lying around are also an issue.

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In addition, road salt and grit irritate the paw pads, and small cracks and sore spots are the result. Wash the paws with lukewarm water after the walk and, for sensitive dogs, use paw protection or a caring ointment. Small, short-haired and old dogs also get cold faster and need shorter rounds or a coat in the cold.

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You can go deeper in the guide on poisoning and poison bait in dogs.

Some dangers know no clear season. Ticks can be active in mild weather even in winter, so a residual risk remains all year round. Poison bait is unfortunately laid out all year, in parks, along paths and in meadows. And stomach and intestinal complaints are the most common reason for treatment at all in our data, at around 15 percent of all cases and with no notable seasonal peak.

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With poison bait, attentiveness on the walk and a well-trained recall help; some owners specifically practise anti-poison-bait training. If your dog shows sudden gagging, cramps, heavy drooling or blood, you drive to the emergency service immediately and do not give anything on your own initiative.

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You can go deeper with ticks in dogs and with poisoning and poison bait in dogs.

Some situations are genuine emergencies and tolerate no delay. These include persistent vomiting, cramps, a clouding of consciousness, heavy panting with staggering, a bloated belly or suspected poisoning. In these cases every minute counts.

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If you are unsure whether the situation is really acute, FirstVet's telemedicine helps for an initial assessment. In an emergency it does not replace the trip to the practice, but it helps to judge whether you should set off immediately. When in doubt, the rule is always: better one trip too many to the vet than one too late.

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A small first-aid kit at home and on the go never hurts. You will find the individual steps for an emergency in the guide on first aid for dogs.

The following analyses are based on Dalma's claims database, so on real, anonymised treatment cases of insured dogs in the German market. Period January 2024 to May 2026, around 69,848 cases, of which around 31,795 with a reimbursement from 50 euros upwards for the cost analysis. Only aggregated values are shown, no individual cases. The amounts are reimbursed benefits, not the practice's gross invoice.

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Contrary to what is often assumed, there is no single expensive season. The reimbursed amount is around 84 euros at the median and around 144 euros on average, and this average is almost the same across all seasons, moving between around 140 and 147 euros. Individual cases reach almost 4,800 euros. The most common reason for treatment across the whole year is stomach and intestines. The message is clear: there is no quiet phase in which nothing happens, so continuous protection pays off all year round.

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• around 84 euros median and around 144 euros average per reimbursed case
• up to almost 4,800 euros in the most expensive individual case
• an almost identical average across all seasons, around 140 to 147 euros
• around 69,848 treatment cases as the data basis, dog, Germany

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What changes with the season is not the level of the costs, but the type of danger. The following table shows which topics occur above average in which season, each compared with the annual average:

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How to read this: The comparison is calculated against the distribution of all cases over the year, so that the growth of the portfolio does not distort the season. For grass mites the case count is small, so the pattern should be read as a tendency. We deliberately list pure heatstroke cases here without a seasonal figure, because they cannot be cleanly separated from fever of another cause in the free text. That heat is dangerous above all in high summer is nevertheless medically undisputed. The seasonal analysis uses all cases, the cost values the cases from 50 euros upwards.

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That way, in an emergency, care stays in the foreground, not the invoice. Dalma reimburses up to 4 times the GOT rate and covers emergency-service surcharges for night, weekend and holidays against proof. You choose a reimbursement of 80 or 100 percent and an annual benefit limit from 1,500 euros to unlimited.

Which dangers threaten my dog in summer?

In summer, heat and heatstroke are the biggest acute risk, along with hot asphalt and swallowed foreign bodies, which increase markedly in the data in the warm months. All year round, ticks and poison bait remain relevant.

Which dangers threaten my dog in autumn?

In autumn, grass mites are at their peak, along with respiratory infections, which occur around 1.3 times as often in our data as in the annual average, and a second wave of ticks in mild weather. Acorns, beechnuts and mushrooms can also cause complaints when eaten.

When are ticks and grass mites active?

Ticks are active from spring to autumn, and in mild weather even in winter. Grass mites are at their peak above all in late summer and autumn, roughly from August to October.

In which season are vet costs highest?

They are spread fairly evenly over the year. According to Dalma's claims database, the reimbursed amount is around 84 euros at the median and around 144 euros on average, with only small differences between the seasons. What changes seasonally is above all the type of danger, not the level of the costs.

What poisoning dangers are there in winter?

Above all sweet-tasting antifreeze, along with chocolate and bones around the holidays. In the data, poisonings occur a good 1.6 times as often in winter as in the annual average. Road salt additionally irritates the paws.

Does Dalma cover the costs for seasonal emergencies?

Yes, within the chosen package, including emergency-service surcharges against proof and up to 4 times the GOT rate. You choose the reimbursement and annual benefit limit to suit your dog.

• Dalma consumer information
• Dalma table of benefits
• Internal Dalma DE claims database, dog, January 2024 to May 2026, around 69,848 treatment cases (aggregated analysis, reproducibly documented)