Cold Weather Tips For Your Pet
Top Ten Cold Weather Tips
Brrrr…it’s cold outside! The following guidelines will help you protect your companion animals when the mercury dips.
1. Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
3. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.
9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.
10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.
Here are some more great tips courtesy of Hollywoodpet.com:
THE MONTH OF OCTOBER was mild and pleasantly autumnal. With November, the season and the climate both changed abruptly. It is suddenly getting cold, time to turn on the furnace, dress warmly, and give some thought to keeping your pet comfortable and safe through the winter months.
Antifreeze poisons pets: This is the time of year when many people add fresh antifreeze to the radiator in the car. Antifreeze (Ethylene Glycol) has a sweet taste that appeals to animals. It is also extremely toxic and can cause deadly kidney damage. Just a half a teaspoon of antifreeze can kill a cat, and a quarter cup can kill a dog.
Prevention Tips: Never pour antifreeze in storm sewers and always sweep up spills immediately with kitty litter. Check your car regularly for radiator leaks. Always store antifreeze containers in areas that are inaccessible to your pets. Keep your pets out of the area when you drain antifreeze from your car. Propylene glycol is a less toxic form of antifreeze and should be used instead of ethylene glycol.
Some common signs of antifreeze poisoning are stumbling, vomiting and depression. If you think your pet may have ingested any amount of antifreeze, bring it to the pet hospital immediately. If it is after hours, take your pet directly to Dove Lewis Emergency Pet Hospital. It is essential that you act quickly to save your pet.
Dogs’ feet can get sore and cold:
The chemicals that people sprinkle on their sidewalks to remove ice are caustic. They can burn the pads of your pets’ feet and are poisonous to pets that lick their feet. When your pet comes indoors, wash off its feet with a wash cloth and dry them with a towel. For long walks on cold concrete, consider getting your dog a pair of booties. Ask yourself, would I want to go outside for a walk in my bare feet now?
Puppies, kittens, and older pets should not be kept outside during cold weather.
Outdoor dogs need shelter:
Dogs that live outside need a doghouse that is water-proof, draft-free, and out of the wind. It should be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around, and lie down and stretch out in, but not too large for the dog to warm with its body heat. It should not be more than a foot longer or 3-inches higher than the dog. Clean wood chips or straw are good insulators and are recommended as a bed for the doghouse. They need to be dry and should be changed frequently.
Food and water:
Make sure that your outdoor pets always have fresh food and water, and that their dishes are not frozen. Don’t use metal food dishes; if they freeze, your pet’s tongue could stick to the dish. (If it’s cold enough to freeze your pet’s food, don’t you think it’s time to invite him into your house?)
Watch for Arthritis:
Cold and wet weather often aggravates arthritis. If your pet seems stiff and sore and has trouble getting up, bring it to the pet hospital for an examination and treatment recommendations.
Protect your dog from rain:
Your dog needs daily exercise, but if you need to wear a raincoat to go out, consider outfitting your dog with a raincoat, too.
Cats and cars:
Outdoor cats have been known to crawl into a car engine in search of warmth. Before you turn on your car engine in the morning, thump on the hood to wake up any cats that may be sleeping on your motor.
Cold floors:
If the floor in your house is too cold for bare human feet, it is probably also too cold and uncomfortable for your pets to sleep on. Provide your pets with rugs to sleep on or their own pet beds. Check the beds daily to make sure they are clean and dry.
There are alot of great sites that give you tips on dealing with the winter weather, here are a few websites: