Remember Your Pets While The Cold Weather Remains
January 19, 2010 by
Filed under Dogs as Pets
As this cold wintery snap continues to grip us all please make sure you take special care of your pets kept inside and out, as well as keeping a close eye on your garden guests too; because even with natural fur coats most animals will be struggling right now. It’s good to take extra precautions and know where your local animal hospital is or an emergency vet.
It’s pretty obvious that a husky will fare better in the cold than a chihuahua, but bear in mind that animals need time to adapt to temperature changes, just as people do. It makes sense that a husky from America isn’t going to be as resistant to the cold as a native hound from Alaska.
Ive never been a fan of pets wearing clothes but for dogs with thin coats, the very young or old, or even those pets on long-term medication e.g. for arthritis, they may benefit from a highly-visible fluorescent coat. Of cause extreme weather means doing whatever it takes so I would advice adding a warm jacket.
Always make sure it’s big enough so if in doubt go bigger rather than smaller. Make sure it’s large enough and if in doubt go slightly bigger. Easier to clean than traditional baskets these boxes should be positioned well-away from doors as the slightest draught will turn your dog – who’s closer to the ground into a miserable bag of shivering bones.
Chemicals used to thaw the roads and walkways for example salt can cause irritation to paws and make them crack. And, if ingested, these chemicals can be downright dangerous and you would need to take your pet to a vet referrals centre. Putting boots on your pet will solve the problem however most pets do not like their feet being covered so it can be tricky. Boots are one way to solve the problem but most dogs don’t like to wear them and good luck trying to get them on your cat! A great tip to stop the build up of ice on the paws is to add some baby oil to the paws before you leave. And to prevent ice build-up on paws, rub a little baby oil on and between the pads before going outside.