Cold Weather Tips For Your Pet

We're getting to our coldest point in the year so make sure your little buddies are warm and safe!

Here in the Borderland, we don't get really extreme winters but it still gets cold here. The wind can create quite a chill factor and we do see snow and ice conditions.  Not all that often (and they don't last long) but it happens and usually around this time of the year.

• Get your pet a coat or sweater.  Yeah, they may look kinda gay but they work and Fido won't mind!
• Keep your dog on a leash when it's snowing or icy. A dogs sense of smell weakens in the cold which is why more dogs get lost in winter than any other time.
• Wipe your dog's feet!  All the crap we put out to melt ice and clear roadways (deicers, salt, etc) can irritate his paws or make him sick if he eats it!
• Antifreeze can kill dogs and it's sweet, so they LOVE it.  If you keep your dog and your antifreeze both in the garage, be sure he cannot get to it and that you clean up all spills.  (It doesn't take much to kill him.)
• Never leave a dog or cat in a car alone.  Duh, same rule as summer, but you're avoiding a freezing death as opposed to an overheating death.
• Watch where you put their cages.  Make sure it is set up somewhere warm, not near a window or drafty area.
• If your pet normally lives outside, it's time to bring him in!  Other than a few minutes for him to take care of business, keep 'em inside through the coldest months!  Especially puppies, they're still developing and are not ready for extreme temperatures!

All along the East coast, massive winter storms are happening and all that cold air will eventually push toward us so make sure your furry homies are taken care of!

For more tips, click on these links to visit the humane society and ASPCA sites!