How Do I Keep My Cat or Dog Safe In Cold Weather?

In this episode of the Pet Question of the Day, Stephanie discusses how to keep your pet safe in cold weather and shares top tips on how to do it!

Hi everyone!

My name is Stephanie Goodman and I am your host of the Furbabies Podcast and the upcoming Furbabies Summit. I’m here with the our Furbaby Question of the Day! How can I keep my furbabies safe during cold weather?

1.First and foremost: Keep your pets inside.

Cats and Dogs are just as susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia as people are. They may have fur but that doesn't preclude them from being affected by the cold and it can happen a lot faster than you think. Yes There are some breeds who are bred for colder climates and can handle cold weather better but they should still not be left outdoors in freezing and sub freezing temperatures. Smaller breeds and animals closer to the ground feel the effects of cold and snow much faster and need to be sheltered indoors. A good rule of thumb to remember is: If you're cold, They're cold. Bring them inside!

2. Keep them dry! If you are providing outdoor shelter for your furbabies here are a few tips. Make sure to pick a dry spot. For the ferals or neighborhood cats outside during the cold, we set up a storage tub with a hole cut into one side and insulate it with straw. I know it's tempting to use towels or blankets but they can get wet and actually cause the animal to freeze to death while sleeping. We definitely don't want that. If you use sweaters or coats on your furbabies make sure to take them off if they get wet. It's easy to get caught up and forget but a wet sweater can drop their temperature really quickly, especially if they have certain medical conditions. Other companies also make insulated houses you can set on your porch or patio for your dogs and cats, and there are even outdoor heat mats you can use. Sometimes a sock full of warmed up rice or a hot water bottle also does the trick. With any heat source make sure you have it on a low setting with something as a buffer so they don't accidentally burn their paws and keep an eye on it.

3. Speaking of paws, Take care of their paws! When you take your dogs outside check their paws when they come back in and wipe them down. Lots of things can hurt their paws in extremely cold weather. They can pick up chemicals like antifreeze or de-icers that are toxic when ingested. We look for pet safe products that aren't poisonous so if our furbabies lick it off while cleaning themselves they're okay. They can also injure their paws from the cold so check for cracked pads or any bleeding. Watch out for accumulation of ice between their paw pads as you're outside as well.

4.Check your cars! Animals will seek shelter in any area they can find to stay warm and dry. Often a cat or kitten will crawl under the hood to get warmth. The problem is when you crank the engine they can be seriously hurt or killed by belts and other moving parts. We make sure to go out and check before starting the engine. How? We bang on the hood, we honk the horn a few times, we even raise the hood to double check if we know there are critters out there at night. These things can alert them and get them to jump on out.

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