Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard
on people. Sometimes owners forget that their pets are just as accustomed to
the warm shelter of the indoors as they are. Some owners will leave their
animals outside for extended periods of time, thinking that all animals are
adapted to live outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious
illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
* Take your animals for a winter check-up. Your veterinarian can
check to make sure they don't have any medical problems that will make them
more vulnerable to the cold.
* Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the mercury drops. If you
have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you're cold enough to go
inside, they probably are too. If you absolutely must leave them outside for
a significant length of time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter
against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water. Try leaving
out a hot water bottle, wrapped in a towel so it won't burn your pet's skin.
* Some animals can remain outside safely longer in the winter than others.
In some cases, it's just common sense: long-haired breeds like Huskies will
do better in cold weather than short-haired breeds like Dachshunds. Cats and
small dogs that have to wade shoulder-deep in the snow will feel the cold
sooner than larger animals. Your pet's health will also affect how long she
can stay out. Conditions like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and
hormonal imbalances can compromise a pet's ability to regulate her own body
heat. Animals that are not generally in good health shouldn't be exposed to
winter weather for a long period of time. Very young and very old animals
are vulnerable to the cold as well. Regardless of their health, though, no
pets should stay outside for unlimited amounts of time in freezing cold
weather. If you have any questions about how long your pet should be out
this winter, ask your veterinarian.
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* Cats will curl up against almost anything to stay
warm--including car engines. Cats caught in moving engine parts can
be seriously hurt or killed. Before you turn your engine on, check
beneath the car or make a lot of noise by honking the horn or
rapping on the hood. |
* If you live near a pond or lake, be very cautious about letting your
rambunctious dog off the leash. Animals can easily fall through the ice, and
it is very difficult for them to escape on their own. If you must let your
dogs loose near open water, stay with them at all times.
* If you light a fire or plug in a space heater to keep your home toasty
warm, remember that the heat will be as attractive to your pets as to you.
As your dog or cat snuggles up to the warmth, keep an eye out to make sure
that no tails or paws come in contact with flames, heating coils, or hot
surfaces. Pets can either burn themselves or knock a heat source over and
put the entire household in danger.
* It's a good idea to have your furnace checked for carbon monoxide leakage
before you turn it on, both for your pets' health and your own. Carbon
monoxide is odorless and invisible, but it can cause problems ranging from
headaches and fatigue to trouble breathing. Pets generally spend more time
in the home than owners, particularly in the winter, so they are more
vulnerable to monoxide poisoning than the rest of the family.
* Pets that go outside can pick up rock salt, ice, and chemical ice melts in
their foot pads. To keep your pet's pads from getting chapped and raw, wipe
her feet with a washcloth when she comes inside. This will also keep her
from licking the salt off her feet, which could cause an inflammation of her
digestive tract.
| * If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very resourceful
in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or
hide under porches or in dumpsters, window wells, or cellars, and
they can occasionally get trapped. Watch them closely when they are
loose outdoors, and provide them with quality, easily accessible
shelter. |
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* If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very resourceful in their
search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide under porches
or in dumpsters, window wells, or cellars, and they can occasionally get
trapped. Watch them closely when they are loose outdoors, and provide them
with quality, easily accessible shelter.
* Keep an eye on your pet's water. Sometimes owners don't realize that a
water bowl has frozen and their pet can't get anything to drink. Animals
that don't have access to clean, unfrozen water are more likely to drink out
of puddles or gutters, which can be polluted with oil, antifreeze, household
cleaners, and other chemicals.
* Be particularly gentle with elderly and arthritic pets during the winter.
The cold can leave their joints extremely stiff and tender, and they may
become more awkward than usual. Stay directly below these pets when they are
climbing stairs or jumping onto furniture; consider modifying their
environment to make it easier for them to get around. Make sure they have a
thick, soft bed in a warm room for the chilly nights. Also, watch stiff and
arthritic pets if you walk them outside; a bad slip on the ice could be very
painful and cause a significant injury.
* Go ahead and put that sweater on Princess, if she'll put up with it. It
will help a little, but you can't depend on it entirely to keep her warm.
Pets lose most of their body heat from the pads of their feet, their ears,
and their respiratory tract. The best way to guard your animals against the
cold is keeping a close eye on them to make sure they're comfortable.
When you're outside with your pets during the winter, you can watch them for
signs of discomfort with the cold. If they whine, shiver, seem anxious, slow
down or stop moving, or start to look for warm places to burrow, they're
saying they want to get back someplace warm.
You can also keep an eye out for two serious conditions caused by cold
weather. The first and less common of the two is frostbite. Frostbite
happens when an animal's (or a person's) body gets cold and pulls all the
blood from the extremities to the center of the body to stay warm. The
animal's ears, paws, or tail can get cold enough that ice crystals can form
in the tissue and damage it. The tricky thing about frostbite is that it's
not immediately obvious. The tissue doesn't show signs of the damage to it
for several days.
If you suspect your pet may have frostbite, bring her into a warm
environment right away. You can soak her extremities in warm water for about
20 minutes to melt the ice crystals and restore circulation. It's important
that you don't rub the frostbitten tissue, however--the ice crystals can do
a lot of damage to the tissue. Once your pet is warm, wrap her up in some
blankets and take her to the veterinarian. Your veterinarian can assess the
damage and treat your pet for pain or infection if necessary.
Hypothermia, or a body temperature that is below normal, is a condition that
occurs when an animal is not able to keep her body temperature from falling
below normal. It happens when animals spend too much time in cold
temperatures, or when animals with poor health or circulation are exposed to
cold. In mild cases, animals will shiver and show signs of depression,
lethargy, and weakness. As the condition progresses, an animal's muscles
will stiffen, her heart and breathing rates will slow down, and she will
stop responding to stimuli.
If you notice these symptoms, you need to get your pet warm and take her to
your veterinarian. You can wrap her in blankets, possibly with a hot water
bottle or an electric blanket--as always, wrapped in fabric to prevent
against burning the skin. In severe cases, your veterinarian can monitor her
heart rate and blood pressure and give warm fluids through an IV.
Winter can be a beautiful time of year. It can be a dangerous time as well,
but it certainly doesn't have to be. If you take some precautions, you and
your pet can have a fabulous time taking in the icicles, the snow banks, and
the warm, glowing fire at the end of the day.
More Dog Care Tips
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Content provided by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
Visit the AAHA pet owner Web site at
http://www.healthypet.com for more pet care advice and to
find an AAHA-accredited veterinary hospital near you. |
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