Cooling vest for Bloodhound with panting issues

Your vet is absolutely right to flag this. Bloodhounds have those magnificent heavy jowls, but that same anatomy makes panting less efficient than in leaner-muzzled breeds — which means they can overheat faster than their relaxed demeanour might suggest. Heatstroke is a real danger here, and a cooling vest gives you an extra layer of protection that doesn't rely on panting at all. Cooling vests work through evaporative cooling — you wet them, and as the moisture evaporates it draws heat away from the body. One thing to know: they work best in lower humidity, so on a muggy British summer day they're less effective than in dry heat. To point you to the right vest, can you tell me roughly how much your Bloodhound weighs, what kind of activity you're talking about — walks, garden time, car trips — and what your usual weather is like?

That detail about his gum colour is really important — that's your vet telling you his cooling system is already working hard to keep up. At 48kg he's a substantial dog, and at seven years old his heat tolerance isn't going to be what it was at two. The fact that he gets absorbed in scent work and ignores how hot he is makes a reliable, well-fitted vest genuinely important rather than just a nice-to-have. What I'd want for a dog like him is something with good coverage across the core, a secure fit that doesn't shift around as he moves his nose along the ground, and a material that holds water for a decent amount of time without being so heavy it adds to his load. Has your vet mentioned any specific features she had in mind, or did she leave the choice to you?

Your vet's given you good steer. For a barrel-chested, heavy dog doing ground-level sniff work, I'd go with the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler. It's a proper evaporative vest — you soak it in cold water, wring it out, and the three-layer construction holds moisture and releases it slowly over time, typically two to four hours depending on conditions. The design wraps around the core rather than just sitting on top, which is exactly what you need for a deep-chested Bloodhound, and the fit is adjustable at the neck and belly so you can get it snug without restricting his movement or breathing. It's sized by girth and length, and at 48kg with a Bloodhound's build you'd almost certainly be looking at an XL — but measure his girth just behind the front legs and check the Ruffwear size chart before ordering, because getting the fit right is what makes it work. It's available on Amazon UK and tends to be well-stocked. Wet it thoroughly before each outing, and on particularly warm days re-wet it halfway through the walk if you can.

In typical southern England summer weather — dry and warm rather than tropical — you'll usually get around two hours of active cooling from a thorough soak. For a moderate walk that's generally fine. If it's above 25°C or you're out longer than that, run it under a tap or pour some water over it. You'll feel it yourself — when the outer layer starts to feel dry rather than damp, it's time to re-wet. On very humid days it won't evaporate as efficiently, so in that weather I'd shorten the walk rather than rely on the vest alone. Keep an eye on his gums as your vet suggested — pale or tacky gums, excessive drooling, or him suddenly slowing down are all signs to stop, get him into shade, and offer water immediately.

Good plan. Measure the girth carefully — that's the key measurement for Ruffwear — and if he's right on the boundary between sizes, go larger so it doesn't compress his chest. Given what your vet observed, I'd start using it any time the temperature is above 20°C and he's going to be active for more than fifteen minutes. You're clearly on top of this, and that early vet advice is going to make a real difference for him.