Keeping Pets Safe during the Winter

Most household pets are of the furry variety, giving them some protection when the weather turns cold.  However, it can become dangerous for them if the temperatures drop too low. There are many things you can do to help keep your pets safe during the winter.

Avoid Salt

Salt should not be used in areas that your pet will frequent.  Road and sidewalk salts are not safe; if your pet gets salt on their paws, they may try to lick them clean, causing injury.

If they get salt on their bodies, wash them with warm water, making sure they are dry before being let out into the cold again.

Give Them Shelter

Make sure that you have provided shelter of some kind for your pets.  A dog house with straw or wood chips spread on the floor can provide warmth and prevent heat loss when they lay on the cold floor.  Draping a tarp over the doorway will help the shelter retain heat from their body.  A garage with a way in and out would make a safe place for dogs and cats alike.

Do not lay blankets down in the shelter.  If they get wet, they will freeze to the floor and cause a dangerous situation for your pet.

There are many heated bowls available at retail outlets that will allow them to have unfrozen water.  Avoid metal bowls; the metal can get quite cold and cause damage to the tongue when the animal drinks.

Consider dressing them in sweaters or booties, as well; many varieties of dog and cat have very short hair that will not provide enough protection from the cold.

Keep Them Dry

If an animal is wet, heat will swiftly be lost from their body in cold air.  Towel or blow-dry their fur before letting them outside.  Make sure to keep the pads of their feet dry.

Warm Engines

Cats and other small animals often crawl into engine compartments of parked vehicles to seek warmth.  Before starting your vehicle, bang on the hood a few times to scare away any animals that might be resting inside.

Fatten Up

Pets burn through a lot of calories to keep warm in the winter, and their diets should be changed to accommodate this.  Seek advice from your veterinarian to see if allowing your pet to have a higher-fat diet will be safe.

How To Know They're In Trouble

Since pets cannot tell you when they are in trouble, learning what to watch for is an important part of keeping your pet safe in the winter months.

Symptoms of hypothermia in pets can include listlessness, inability to move, soft whining or mewling, uncontrollable shivering and burrowing behaviors.  If you suspect they are suffering from hypothermia, wrap them in a warm blanket and take them to the veterinarian immediately.

Frostbite is another danger with pets, and the symptoms are hard to see through their fur.  Their skin will appear gray, white or reddish and could be peeling.  Cracked parts of their paws can also indicate frostbite.

Keeping your pets safe during winter is difficult at times, especially when the temperatures drop and the wind is blowing.  Making sure they have shelter, warmth and food is a critical part of keeping them safe, but the best way, by far, is to let them in until the weather is better.  They cannot tell you when things are wrong.