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Cold Weather and Your Pet Winter Housing: A properly sized doghouse will allow a dog to comfortably lie down, but no more than that. If the house is too large, your dog will not be able to retain body heat and may develop frostbite on ear tips and tail. Place the doghouse on an insulating material such as styrofoam, and provide a mat on the inside. Remember that your dog will need more calories to keep warm in below freezing temperatures, so be sure that food is available at all times. If you have several dogs housed together, feed them separately to make sure that each one eats. Also, provide a source of fresh, unfrozen water in a heated bucket or bowl. Exercise: Watch out for ice-melting salts, and avoid walking your dog on these surfaces. These salts can irritate paws. If your dog gets salt on its paws, wipe it off when you get home, so your dog doesn't lick it off and get an upset stomach. Use a pet-safe ice melter on your own sidewalks. Some dogs and cats develop ice pellets between their toes when walking in snow - these can become quite painful, and you should help your pet remove them. Watch out for thin ice over ponds and streams - your pet could fall through and become badly chilled. Antifreeze: This substance is very poisonous. It has a sweet taste that is attractive to animals, and only a little bit may be fatal. So clean up any antifreeze spills immediately, or switch to a non-poisonous type such as Prestone LowTox. If your pet does get into some antifreeze, get it to the vet immediately. |
