Winterizing Your Pet
by R.H. Henderson DVM: Eastside Animal Health Center

As much as I hate to admit it, winter is here and the weather is approaching its worst. We need to remember to check and winterize our pets just as we do our automobiles and homes. A few easy and thoughtful steps could make a bad day a good one for those pets we love.

It is always a good idea to have a health check for your pet at the onset of winter. Some health problems are aggravated by cold winter weather. Problems related to parasites, feet, and hair can make for some uncomfortable winter nights.

For those pets living outside, their shelters should be in good repair and well insulated. Steel drums are not the best of shelters; the steel conducts the heat away and offer little escape from the cold. The shelters should be the appropriated size, not too small and not to large. Ideally they will be sealed against the rain with a door flap and placed facing the south. Finally, it is a great idea to fix them 2-4 inches off the ground and have insulation between the floor and the ground. Then seal this area so that wind, rain and your pet can not get under the shelter.

Cats also need an accessible area that is out of the weather. Be sure, on cold days to check under the hood of your car before you start it. Some cats will climb under the hood to be next to the warm engine when you park. They take a cat nap there and do not hear your return until you start the engine. Just tap on the hood, or open and take a peak if you suspect a guest.  This might save you some money and your cat some discomfort.

While we are talking about cars, clean up all antifreeze drips at once. The standard antifreeze is highly toxic to cats and dogs. In addition, it is very tasty to them so they will consume this product if given the chance. A little puddle the size of a quarter will kill the average cat.

When it is cold, you and your pets need more energy to keep warm. More energy requires more fuel and more fuel comes from more food. Increase the amount of their ration during the real cold times but monitor their weight.

Other things to consider are to keep their coats in good repair. Hair mats will quickly turn into skin diseases left unchecked. Hair mats will not dry and become heavy, mud laden and frozen this time of year. Mud balls between the toes will cause pain and injury to your dogs and cats feet. Frozen ice balls are very painful to our pets and will make them chew their feet until they bleed. This opens the door for infection.

In closing, be aware of rapidly falling temperatures. These will take the heaviest toll on our pets and the older ones will suffer most. On those nights, bring your outside pets indoors if possible. If that is not possible, board them for that night to get them out of the cold.

Have a safe and warm winter.