Winter Know-How Keeps Pets Safe
When temperatures plummet and inclement weather abounds, take extra precautions to protect your furry friend
The howling winds, sliding temperatures and snow or freezing rains that rip through the country this time of year carry the potential for some discomfort and even peril for pets.
"Winter is probably the most potentially dangerous time of year for pets," says Dr. Scott Line, associate editor of the Merck Veterinary Manual and The Merck/Merial Guide for Pet Health. The veterinarian earned his cold-weather stripes while working in Minneapolis a few years ago. The thermometer need not drop into the single digits to be problematic, Line says. Under some circumstances and for some animals, temperatures in the 20s and 30s can be bad news.
The greatest risk is when the temperature plummets not gradually but suddenly - say from the 50s to the teens, as often happens in January in some parts of the country. "It takes much more than a week for an animal to grow a reasonable winter coat," Line says. "The coat grows gradually, over several weeks, and when there's a very sharp dip in temperatures, that can create problems."
So, too, can drenched fur (even among animals with decent winter coats and even when the temperatures aren't frigid), or too long outside without shelter, which quickly can cause frostbite, especially on ear and tail tips.
Avoiding calamity is mostly common sense. But many winter hazards aren't obvious, and even careful pet owners may miss some.
As a first step, it must be understood that not all animals are as well equipped to deal with winter weather as Siberian Huskies. Aging dogs (with slower metabolism); puppies; pets with short hair like Chihuahuas and beagles; dogs with thin body types like greyhounds or great danes, and dogs with heart conditions or other illnesses are at especially high risk outside in the winter, Line says. All can benefit from wearing a doggie sweater, even when temperatures are in the 30s; they shouldn't be left outside for prolonged periods (even if, for example, a dog has been mostly an outside pet all its life, but is now 12 years old); and on walks you should be watchful for shivering or desire to turn around and go home.
Elderly cats or kittens; cats that live primarily inside but can get out and sometimes not get back in; and cats with compromised health are the felines at especially high risk in winter.
Those vulnerable categories of cats and dogs are particularly susceptible to hypothermia, but, in fact, hypothermia can occur in any animal under some circumstances, experts say. And temperatures even a few degrees lower than normal winter temps can set up a pet left outside for extended periods for hypothermia, especially when it's windy.
Hypothermia occurs in animals just as it does with people - the body can't maintain a sufficiently high temperature - often when temps are in the single digits or teens, or when the air is warmer than that, but the dog is wet from rain or snow and sufficient shelter isn't available.
The animal generally shivers violently and then becomes lethargic, eventually lapsing into shock or coma. It is important to get a hypothermic pet inside immediately and warm it gradually, Line says. "And as it is being re-warmed, it is a good idea to take the animal in for veterinarian care," Line says, because additional interventions may be called for.
Frostbite is another danger. It can happen at frigid temperatures to both dogs and cats that can't get to shelter and often requires amputating the affected area,
Other risks to cats revolve around where they go to get warm. Many crawl up into vehicle engines and are badly injured if someone turns on the car. Others will go into a neighbor's shed or garage and get locked in for days or weeks.
Some other tips from Line and from the University of Minnesota School of Veterinary Medicine:
• If you have a mostly outside dog and aren't willing to bring it in for much of the time, you must provide a dry doghouse that's big enough for it to sit and lie down but small enough to hold in body heat. The floor should be raised off the ground and covered with cedar shavings and straw or several blankets. Check the bedding at least twice a day to see if it's damp (which renders it useless), since dogs often haul snow or ice into the doghouse. Turn the doghouse away from the wind, and cover the opening with heavy fabric or oilcloth.
• Make sure fresh, unfrozen water is constantly available, as water consumption is important to maintain body temperatures. Eating snow or ice doesn't accomplish much "because it takes so much energy to consume it that way," Line says, and animals just can't get the volume necessary by licking ice. Providing unfrozen water a couple of times a day isn't sufficient either, he says.
• Don't use metal water or food bowls outside as the pet's tongue can stick to it and freeze.
• Extra food is required for mostly outdoor dogs; it provides the fuel necessary to keep warm.
• De-icers can irritate the pads of pets' feet so steer clear. And if they walk through some, wipe their paws so if they lick them their mouths won't get irritated.
• As goofy as they look boots for dogs can be a good idea. A dog's signal that his feet are uncomfortably cold: lifting up one then another paw in an unusual way, sitting or stopping.
• Some dogs develop ice balls between the toes and in the recesses around the pads, especially dogs with long fur. This is painful, and dogs often stop and chew on the bottoms of their feet, worsening the problem. To help prevent ice balls, trim the hair around the paw and apply some cooking oil, PAM spray or Vaseline between their toes. Remove that substance when you finish the walk so the dog doesn't lick it or track it through the house.
• Keep antifreeze out of the way, as it is lethal if licked.
• Don't leave a pet in a parked car. In cold weather, the inside of a vehicle gets cold and stays cold, not unlike a refrigerator.
What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, training and loving your pet. E-mail Sharon@Pets2008.com.
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