When the temperature dips below zero, rules change for pets? outdoor time.? There are a number of important seasonal changes for you to be aware of.
??When it?s below zero, keep your cat inside, they can freeze or become lost. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
??When it?s cold, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
??Don?t let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm?dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
??Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.
??You should also thoroughly wipe off your cat and dog?s legs and stomach when they come in out of the sleet, snow or ice. They can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking their paws, and the paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice. You can put petroleum jelly on dry, cracked paw pads to help them heal.
??Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. For ?outdoor? dogs, they need to have insulated places with warm, dry bedding; plastic dog houses do not keep the cold out.
??It only takes three hours for an animal to freeze to death without shelter, even if they have blankets. If you have barn cats, they must have a warm sheltered place to escape the cold, like protected burrows in haystacks. Check water several times a day since it often freezes outdoors and they can?t get enough moisture from eating snow. There are also plug in pet bowls and heated bedding available.
??It is unlawful to leave a dog or cat outdoors without adequately warm shelter and defrosted water. There will be a first warning and after that you can be charged with animal cruelty and fined $1,000 with imprisonment possible for subsequent convictions. If an animal?s life is endangered they can be seized as well.
??Arctic Circle breeds do well as outside dogs, but do not put a puppy or adult dog outside for extended periods of time. If your pet has been outside for any length of time during very cold weather, watch closely for frost bit paw symptoms such as picking up their feet, whining, and limping.
??Puppies and smaller dogs ? a larger percentage of their body mass is exposed so they get cold easier ? do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, so may not be willing to do their business when it is very cold and you may want to have paper-lined areas indoors if your dog has been paper trained. Older dogs also get cold easier so winter coats for elders, pups and small dogs are recommended.
Source: http://staffordanimalshelter.org/2012/12/the-perils-of-subzero-weather-for-pets/
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