Protecting Your Pets in the Winter
*Indoors is best
There’s no substitute for sharing your own living space with your pet. No matter how cozy you can make things outdoors, pets will be safer and happier living indoors with the family during the winter months. Plan to take them out for supervised exercise and trips to relieve themselves outdoors. This guideline is especially true of cats, shorthair breeds of dogs, puppies, kittens, and elderly or sick pets. If your pet must live outdoors, you may want to consider whether or not your outdoor dog can wear a sweater comfortably, as that may help your pet tolerate the cold. It will help a little, but it won’t replace adequate shelter.
*When Chevrolet (not curiosity) kills the cat
Something for everyone to be mindful of in the winter is a cat’s tendency to climb up inside a car when it’s cold. The engine block is warm, but when those engines are started up, a pet can become injured or even killed by the fan belt. Before you start your car in the morning, if your cat is out or if you know there are neighborhood cats about, some knocks on the hood of the car or a quick honk on the horn before you start your car might be a good idea. It will serve as a wake-up call to any of the local felines who may have taken up residence in your car’s engine overnight.
*Watch those household chemicals in the garage
When we want our pets to be warm in winter, but not in the house, the garage can be a good compromise. Still, we must continue to be cautious. Some chemicals commonly left in garages, such as salt or thawing chemicals for the driveway can be irritating. Antifreeze is deadly.
Perhaps you could use antifreeze that contains propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol is much safer for animals. Clean up chemical spills from your vehicle regularly, and keep any and all chemicals out of reach of your pet. Clean their paws with a wet cloth if chemicals get on their feet, preferably before they lick their paws and end up with irritation in the mouth and stomach as well.
It’s also a good idea to wipe down your dog’s legs and stomach area after going for a walk, since they can pick up chemicals that way too. Anything that gets on their fur will be licked off.
*Beware wind chill
The temperature itself can be tolerable outside, but don’t be fooled. If it’s windy, the temperature can be lowered significantly, and even cost your pet its life. A good shelter for an outdoor pet would be a house that is clean, and large enough to allow your pet to stand up and move around comfortably, but small enough to keep in any body heat your dog or cat will generate. The floor of the shelter should be off the ground a few inches to keep the cold from penetrating through the floor. Add a blanket or some cedar shavings or straw as bedding. Make sure the door is facing away from the prevailing winds in your area, and cover the door of the shelter with a flap of waterproof cloth or heavy plastic
*Special food considerations
Pets will need extra food in the winter time in order to generate enough body heat to stay warm, so don’t skimp on the food for your outdoor dog or cat. Keep the water fresh (not frozen…would you want to lick frozen water outdoors in the winter? Me either.) On that same note, I would discourage the use of metal food and water bowls. A pet’s tongue can stick to cold metal, just like a human’s tongue would. Having no fresh water in their bowls also means that pets will look elsewhere for water to drink, and those “elsewhere” places will be full of contaminants.
*Keep an eye on their behavior
When your pet whines, or shivers, digs at the door, or seems uncomfortable somehow, it’s a good bet they are. Think about what kind of arrangements your family can make to help your pets be more comfortable outdoors, or what you can do about bringing them indoors. If they slow down or stop moving, or become otherwise unresponsive, take action immediately to get them warmer.
*Watch that fire or space heater
If you have to leave them home alone during the day, make sure that any heat sources are safe and your pet will not get burned trying to keep warm. A little pet-proofing will go a long way toward protecting your home and the animals that live there.
*Check with the vet
It’s never a bad idea to take your pet in for a checkup before winter comes. That way, you can be aware of any medical problems that might make life difficult for an animal living outdoors in the cold.
It’s a simple matter to be mindful of your pets’ needs during the colder months, and it will increase their quality of life and what they can give back to the humans in the family as well. Take some care to invest in your pets’ comfort in the colder months.
