Keep Your Pet Safe and Healthy This Winter

With the colder weather really setting in for some of us, it’s time to review some tips for how to keep your pet safe and healthy this winter. Every animal has the right to shelter, food, water, and safety during these winter months.

Here are some tips for keeping your pet safe and snug while the weather gets cold outside!

Ensure Shelter Is Given

Many people choose to keep their animals indoors (which is what The Humane Society recommends), however, for some animals, this just isn’t feasible. For instance, with a miniature pony or potbellied pig. Although some people do keep their pigs inside. Anyway, it’s important that if your animals are not inside that shelter is given. For a dog, ideally a shelter should be sitting slightly off the ground and be large and comfortable enough for your dog’s size, yet not so large that the animal can’t stay warm. Provide hay or shavings (even blankets!). For horses, a blanket may be required if its coat has been clipped. Chickens, rabbits, and cats that are outside need to have proper shelter from the wind and cold in these icy winter months.

If proper shelter isn’t given, the animals may seek shelter in dangerous places. For instance, cats and other smaller animals can find shelter in a warm vehicle engine. This is dangerous and you can help avoid this by providing your pet with proper shelter. If you’re concerned a cat or squirrel may be nuzzled up to your car’s engine, bang the hood before starting your car. 

Keep Water from Freezing

Although your pet may not drink as much in the winter, all animals still need access to fresh water even in the cold. There are water bottle heaters and other devices that you may choose to invest in. However, if you’re just putting water out and leaving it while the temperature drops, odds are your pet is going thirsty because their water dish has iced over. 

Plastic is usually recommended because metal can pose a hazard for your pet’s tongue (which can easily stick to frozen metal, as we’ve all seen with people's tongues in Dumb and Dumber). If your pet’s water is freezing, bring your pet inside if possible. If not, secure other ways to ensure they have access to water.

Clean Paws

If you live in a neighborhood, you’ve seen the salt on the sidewalks and other weird chemicals they put on the road to melt the snow. Well, not only is that stuff not great for the environment, but it’s also not great for your pet’s feet! When you take your pet outside or for a walk on sidewalks or roads that have been salted, it’s a good idea to clean your pet’s paws once you get back inside.

The salt left on the animal’s paws can not only irritate the skin, but it could also pose a hazard for when your pet licks his or her paws upon coming inside. Wipe their paws with a warm, damp cloth to get the salt and chemicals off. This will keep your pet safe and keep their paws from getting irritated or them from getting sick. 

Adjust Amount of Food and Exercise

Many animals tend to rest more during the winter, therefore their amount of food and exercise may need to be changed. Talk with your vet about how you can expect your pet’s activity level to change as the temperature drops outside. You may need to adjust their food portions as a result of the reduced activity level. For outside pets, however, they may need more food, as they are losing energy trying to stay warm.

Talk with your vet about how you can still keep your pet active and safe in the colder months and if their amount of food will need to be adjusted. You don’t want your pet to be overweight, but you do want to be sure that he or she is getting the proper nourishment. Also, if your pet has shorter hair, having them wear a sweater could be beneficial for outside playtime. Dr. Judy Torchia of Nippers Corner Pet Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee explains how having pets wear a sweater can help. "Having your pet wear a sweater helps keep their temperature regulated and makes them feel secure. Pets, like humans, do not like to be cold. Shorter haired animals have a harder time keeping warm. Wearing a sweater or jacket makes them happy and helps keep them warm while outside.”

Although some of us prefer the warmer weather, winter doesn’t have to be a time for you and your pet to hibernate. Stay active but keep your pet safe from chemicals. Make sure they stay hydrated and have enough access to water. And if your pet is outside, always provide shelter.

Stay warm this winter!