Brrr! It's Cold:
How can you protect your furry companion?
The cold winter weather will be upon us soon. As we try diligently to keep ourselves warm, let us not forget about
our pets. How can we keep them not only warm, but safe? Did you know that some
of the methods we use to keep ourselves safe can be quite harmful to our
pets? For instance, most of us will put salt (ice melt) down to keep our
driveways free of ice and to reduce the chances of us slipping and
falling. However, this salt is quite harmful to our pets. Not only can the salt
irritate their paws, it can cause diarrhea, excessive thirst and low blood
pressure if ingested. Two ways to combat this danger are to use a an ice melt
product that is made without any salt and to use a protective spray on
your dogs paws. Safe Melt is an ice melt made without any salt and Pro
Paw is a protective spray. Another way to protect your dog’s paws is by using
dog boots. You read that correctly. Dogs, too, can wear boots in the snow. Below
is a list of tips for keeping your dogs and cats safe this winter:
- Keep cats indoors. They
can freeze outside.
- Never let your dog off
leash in the snow or ice--dogs can lose their scent in the snow and ice
and become lost. Additionally, they may eat snow with ice melt in it.
- Thoroughly wipe off your
dogs legs, stomach, and paws after walks. Be sure to remove snow and ice
trapped between paw pads to prevent irritation and the ingestation of ice
melt or antifreeze.
- Consider getting
short-haired dogs, elderly dogs, and puppies a coat or sweater. Some
breeds don't tolerate the cold well. These breeds may require a coat or
sweater.(Affected breeds include: Greyhounds, Dobermans, Boxers, etc.)
- Elderly dogs, ill dogs,
breeds sensitive to the cold and puppies should limit outdoor time to
potty breaks.
- Never shave your dog down
to the skin in the winter
- Make sure your dogs and
cats have a warm place to sleep away from drafts.
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