Winter can bring beautiful, snow-covered scenery and fun for people and pets alike. However, our time spent sledding and building snowmen should not sidetrack us from the sometimes dangerous circumstances of the season. During the colder weather, it is important to think about the vulnerability of our four-legged friends. As the temperature drops, it is important we highlight various safety precautions to ensure their wellbeing throughout these shivery months. Continue reading to pick up a few winter safety tips for your pet!
Watch the Coat
Our furry friends’ coats provide them warmth so, you should not shave or make large trims to their fur. With long-haired pets, small trims to the coat prevents ice, salt crystals, and other unwanted particles from drying out their skin. With short-haired animals, their current coat may not be enough to keep them warm, so the best option is to purchase them a sweater. When doing so, make sure the coat covers everything from the base of your pet’s tail up to the neck.
Stay Indoors
Certainly, your pets need fresh air and must go on walks semi-frequently in order to stay healthy. This winter safety tip provides caution for your pets. If it is too cold for you to go outside, it is likely the same for your pet. When going outside, your pets are exposed to dry, cold air and precipitation that injures their paws and skin. The dry air causes them to flake, chap, and itch. Watch out for any ice-melting agents on your pets’ paw, as they contain poisonous chemicals that can be licked off by your pet. Of course you should still be taking your pet outside, just not as often.
Fill Up Their Plates
Animals will be expending more energy to stay warm, so feeding them a bit more will give them the extra calories they need to maintain their body heat. To keep this winter safety tip short, fill up your pet’s bowl a bit more and keep them well hydrated.
Leashes are a Necessity
Frozen lakes are beautiful to look at but extremely risky to trek. In some cases, pet owners will be taking their furry friends near frozen bodies of water, and their pets will sometimes attempt to run across it. If that pet plunges into the water, it would be an unimaginably harmful situation. In that scenario, the crucial knowledge of ice safety tips would come incredibly handy, but to avoid that to begin with, leash up your pet!
These are just a handful of many winter safety tips to keep in mind during these frigid times. Nevertheless, that should not take away from the many opportunities for fun and enjoyment that these months can offer you and your pet. It is essential to protect your little friends and ensure their comfortability when in your care. If anything should happen that requires professional attention from animal experts, contact Cherrelyn Animal Hospital at 303-532-1258.
