WINTERIZING YOUR PETS

Winterizing Your Pets: Ten Tips « speakingforspot.com

 This is me with Shadow, my foster dog years ago (he recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge).    It was snowing and I knew he could only stay outside a short time.    He was healing from a lot of surgery, so he needed extra care-- and not staying in the cold too long.  

 Jazzy Belle looks like she is telling her mom that is' cold out there!    I guess it was!

 The winter can be rough on pets.     The link above is done by a vet who writes "Speaking for spot"-- it's a great blog to read.    She talks about how important it is to winterize out pets.

 Abner doesn't have trouble with arthritis, but many of our pets do.    The cold weather can make it worse.

 I have all of mine (who are older) on Dasuquin, a glucosamine supplement.    It really helps them.

 King Henry Teddy Bear was older (he also crossed the Rainbow Bridge last year) and I know his mom took extra care during the cold weather.

 Lulu and her buddy love the snow-- for a short while.  It's cold out there!    I don't have cats, but they may seek comfort from a warm engine in a car.    Make sure there are no cats in the engine or wheel areas before you drive off.    (tapping on the hood should wake them up if they are asleep)

 Anti-freeze is very toxic to animals.   It has a sweet taste that draws them to it-- I know there are new ones that don't taste as good, but make sure there is no anti-freeze that your pets (or other animals) can get to.  

 When dogs are out a short time, they may not need extra covering-- these two are playing hard, so they are fine as long as they aren't out a long time.    (If you see an animal left outside in extreme cold, please contract your animal control.  In many area, this is illegal and the animal is suffering.)

 Most of us have coats for our dogs if we live in areas where the weather is cold.    Lulu, above, is running too fast to get cold!    And she's only out a few minutes (I know her mom is watching her carefully.)

 After they've been out, make sure they have plenty of water to keep hydrated.  

 It's good for dogs to get exercise during the cold weather months.   We might tend to just keep them inside, but mine usually love to get outside and check things out.  

 Oh, time to come in!  

 If you walk your dog near any water area, be very cautious.   There are stories on the news of animals being rescued after falling into a cold pond, sometimes, breaking through the ice.   Just keep a wide area between you, your pet and the water.  

 When you walk your dog in the winter, salt on the sidewalks can be very hard on dogs' paws.   And if they lick their paws, it's even worse.    Some of the things put down on sidewalks can be toxic.  Make sure you thoroughly clean your pets' paws when you come in, or see if they'll wear little socks or boots.

 Don't let  your dog overeat in the winter.   Like us, they may just want to lay around and stay inside and snack, but we all need to get exercise, fresh air and eat sensibly.    (I'm talking to myself, too!)

Take care of yourself and your pets when it's cold.   It's okay to enjoy the quiet and cold of winter by taking a nap, too.     In fact, that sounds like a great idea right now!