To protect your pet during the cold months, please follow these safety tips:
- Keep your pet’s coat well groomed. Matted fur won’t properly protect your pet from the cold.
- Regularly check your pet’s water to make sure it isn’t frozen. When your pet is outside, make sure there is plenty of fresh drinking water available. Animals can’t burn calories without a fresh supply of water and if they can’t burn calories, they can’t keep warm. Also, use a tip-resistant, ceramic or hard plastic water bowl rather than a metal one, as your pet’s tongue can stick and freeze to cold metal.
- Use a damp towel to wipe your pet’s feet and underside. Ice-melting chemicals can irritate and burn the pads of your pet’s feet and will cause serious injury if ingested. Another way to protect your dog’s feet is to spray the pads of their feet with cooking spray or you can purchase boots for your pet.
- Provide a dry, draft-free doghouse if you must keep your dog outside for any period of time. It should be large enough to allow your dog to sit and lay down comfortably, but small enough to hold in his body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The doghouse should be turned to face away from the wind and the doorway should be covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic.
- Keep an eye on the temperature. When it falls below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll need to keep all of your pets indoors. Shorthaired dogs, cats and puppies should be kept indoors when the temperature dips below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.. Adapted from http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/winter-tips.pdf
To protect your pet during the cold months, please follow these safety tips:
