A GROOMING shop has seen demand for doggy ice cream boom as pet owners scramble to get their paws on summer products during the heatwave.

Billy and Margot’s nutritious iced treats have been flying off the shelves at Niche on Western Road, Brighton and the salon is booked up with pooches struggling to cope with the heat.

“It’s not even just being fully booked, it’s having to turn down people because everyone wants their dog to be cut at the same time when it’s a heatwave, because they suffer a lot more,” owner Fred Marguet said.

Stocks of dog ‘ice cream’ sold out in just three days last week after Fred shared a post on Facebook last Tuesday – four times as fast as it normally would do in summer. More ice cream will arrive first thing tomorrow.

Fred added: “It’s like Christmas, but unexpected. Everything sells out at Christmas, but you never know when there is going to be a heatwave.”

Ice bandanas, Pawsecco freeze pops, cooling mattresses, and beer and prosecco for pets are among the ‘cool’ and quirky items on sale.

Fred also warned of some of the dangers to dogs in summer if they’re not kept cool.

“It’s the fluffy ones that suffer the most, cockapoos, labradoodles, poodles,” said Fred.

“There’s a risk of heatstroke for dogs when it gets really hot. There’s been a case reported in the last ten days of a dog dying from heat stroke.”

He added: “They can get sun-burnt, just like humans. The hot pavement can hurt their paws.”

Fred is planning to celebrate the fourth birthday of his miniature labradoodle, Booba, next week by encouraging people to donate to the Dogs Trust Shoreham Rehoming Centre.

Booba gave Fred the inspiration to create the dog grooming salon and shop, retailing contemporary products for dogs.

He offers natural and beautiful supplies, from food and treats to toys and hygiene products.

Niche continues to support Pride by selling special editions of Lily’s Kitchen dog and cat food, of which 75p from each purchase goes to the charity Stonewall.

Visit: www.niche.dog