(DISCLAIMER: We are dog trainers and pet sitters. Any tips or information in these blogs are things we have found helpful in our years of experience. We are not veterinarians and any questions about health or nutrition should be directed to your veterinarian.)
Greetings Pawty fans! I’m Heather and I’m a Dog Trainer/Caregiver for Who Wants to Pawty LLC. I am thrilled to be writing for the Pawty Blog. As anyone who knows me knows, I can talk for hours about pets. Since we’re enjoying some lovely winter weather, I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk about winter safety for your pets.
Extremely cold temperatures are just as dangerous for your pets as they are for people. Frostbite and hypothermia can happen in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to protect your pets during the winter months.
The first is pretty simple, don’t leave your pets outside for long periods of time. If your dog is anything like mine, they probably don’t want to be outside for longer than they have to be when the wind chill is -25º F. You can also put a jacket or a sweater on your pet to help keep them warm, especially if they still like to go for walks in the winter. To protect your dog’s paws from cold sidewalks and salt, you can put boots on them. Besides keeping their paws warm and providing traction in icy conditions, boots provide entertainment for the humans as you watch them get used to walking in them. There are the YouTube videos to prove it.
Speaking of salt, be sure to use a pet-safe brand of sidewalk salt. The chemicals in traditional salt can make your pet sick and cause irritation to the paw pads.
Anti-freeze will keep your car from freezing but it is extremely toxic to your pets. Check underneath your car frequently and clean up any anti-freeze leaks. Keep bottles of anti-freeze far out of reach of your pets. If you think your pet may have ingested anti-freeze they need to be seen by a veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. If your regular veterinarian isn’t available, they need to be taken to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital. It only takes a small amount of anti-freeze to make them very sick.
Sadly, not all pets have warm homes to live in. Stray dogs or cats will often hide under cars or in the wheel wells to try to escape the cold. Small kittens or mice may even crawl up under the hood. Before you drive, check to be sure that an animal isn’t using your car as shelter from the cold.
Now that you have these tips to help keep your pets safe, in an upcoming blog I will talk about how to keep your dog entertained when it’s too cold to play outside.
-Heather Hummel
Dog Trainer/Caregiver
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CUTE LITTLE “ELWOOD” THE DOG SPORTING HIS SWEATER AND BOOTS!