Winter is a time for bundling up and keeping warm but, that also means keeping your pets warm too! When you think of weather safety with your pets, you may naturally think of leaving animals in hot cars during summer. But did you know that cold weather poses a serious threat to your animal as well?

A fur coat does not mean a warm pet. Be aware of your pet’s tolerance for cold weather! Hypothermia is a possibility for animals so it’s best to keep your pet indoors as much as possible. When outside, check on your pets regularly, and if they are outside for long periods, make sure they have covered shelter with plenty of food and water. Blankets and thick towels are a great way to help keep your animal warm after being outside.

While certain hardy breeds with long, thick coats, such as adult Malamutes and German Shepherds, may fair better in the cold, most breeds cannot adapt to the elements and need sweaters for insulation and limited exposure time.

The skin on your pet—particularly his ears, nose, footpads, tail, and any exposed areas such as the belly—can freeze in as few as 20 minutes in sub-zero temperatures. If it’s too cold for you to be outside, it’s too cold for most domestic animals. No matter what the breed, puppies, senior animals, those with arthritis or other frailties should never be out longer than necessary in winter, as per the American Veterinary Association (AVA). According to the SPCA, in cold weather a car’s interior acts as a refrigerator or freezer, so leaving an animal in a vehicle is not recommended.

Here are some simple tips through which you can protect your pet in this chilly weather:

1. Protect your animals from exposure to freezing temperatures

Generally, small pets, thin-haired pets, older arthritic pets, and sick pets need to be indoors when the temperatures drop. Larger, thick coat dogs may be able to stay out in the cold longer but even they need to come inside. If they must be outside then they should have a fully enclosed space to go into. They should have warm bedding off of the cold ground and it should protect them from the wind and moisture.

Animals exposed to cold, dry air, rain, or snow can suffer from chapped paws and itchy, flaking skin. Without proper protection, animals can suffer hypothermia, especially when temperatures drop below 20 degrees F.  Here are some signs your pet needs to be brought inside from the cold:

• Shivering
• Holding up a paw
• Anxiety
• Searching for warmth
• Whining
• Weakness
• Slowing down
• Lack of mental alertness

2. Watch for Hypothermia.

Stay watchful of your pets when taking them outside for exercise. Signs of hypothermia:

• Pale skin
• Lethargy
• Strong Shivering
• Weakness
• Difficulty breathing
• Low heart rate

When temperatures are below 45 degrees F be alert to signs of hypothermia. Use winter gear if you can when taking your pets outside, especially dogs with thin coats, older dogs, and smaller dogs. Bring a towel on long walks to clean off stinging, irritated paws. After each walk, wash and dry your pet’s feet and stomach to remove ice, salt, and chemicals. Check for cracks in paw pads or redness between toes. And, never shave your dog down to the skin in winter.  A simple trim is ok.

3. Protect Paw Pads.

Pets can get severe paw irritation from extremely cold temperatures and chemicals in ice-melting agents. To protect their paws you can massage petroleum jelly or other paw protectants into paw pads. Booties are even better coverage and also prevent sand and salt from getting lodged between bare toes and irritating.

4. Keep Your Pets Safe from Antifreeze and ice-melting agents.

Antifreeze

Pets can become poisoned from antifreeze. Unfortunately, both dogs and cats are attracted to antifreeze and will often lick it up. If they lick up anti-freeze it is an immediate medical emergency. Antifreeze can cause kidney failure and death in pets even if as little as 1 teaspoon is consumed. If you suspect your pet has ingested anti-freeze bring them to us immediately. The sooner you get your pet to us, the better their chances are for survival. Note: antifreeze that contains propylene glycol is safer than antifreeze with ethylene glycol. In any case, thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle so there is no chance of poisoning. Be sure to check your car radiator regularly and repair leaks right away. Don’t let your pet roam where they may have access to antifreeze.

Anti-freeze poisoning stages:

Stage 1 (occurs 30 minutes to 12 hours after ingestion):  The animal will have difficulty walking or may stagger (similar to alcohol poisoning), euphoria or delirium, vomiting, seizures, and excessive thirst and urination.

Stage 2 (occurs within 12-24 hours after ingestion):  This stage can be misleading. Symptoms at this point may seem to resolve, but severe damage to the kidneys is progressing. In any case, you do not want to wait until this stage to bring your pet to a vet. And realize that even if symptoms subside, they will get worse and your pet will decline to stage 3.

Stage 3 (occurs in cats within 12 to 24 hours after ingestion, and dogs, within 36 to 72 hours):  Severe acute kidney failure is occurring. Symptoms may include loss of appetite, lethargy, weakness, drooling, foul breath (which is from kidney failure), vomiting, diarrhea, a rapid heart rate, depression, seizures, fainting, and coma.

Ice-melting agents

If your pet eats snow or drinks a small amount of melted snow containing ice-melting agents it can irritate their mouths. If they swallow enough it can be very poisonous to them. The chemicals in ice-melting agents cause an electrolyte imbalance and can result in seizures, increased heart rate, and death. If a pet develops drooling, vomiting, seizures, or other symptoms, get them to us right away.

If there are outdoor cats or dogs, either owned pets or community cats or dogs in your area, remember that they need protection from the elements as well as food and water. It’s easy to give them hands. 

If you encounter a pet left in the cold, politely let the owner know you’re concerned. Some people genuinely don’t know the risk that cold weather poses to their pets or livestock and will be quick to correct any problems you address.