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While it\u2019s true that they wear fur coats all of the time, animals can still suffer from weather-related injury and illness.<\/p>\nWinter has arrived, and with its entrance comes a whole new set of concerns for taking care of your pets.\u00a0 While it\u2019s true that they wear fur coats all of the time, animals can still suffer from weather-related injury and illness.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s best to keep your pet indoors during the coldest part of the year, if possible.\u00a0 Cats especially can freeze to death, or they are killed while trying to find warmth, such as under the hood of a car.\u00a0 If you do keep an animal outdoors, be sure that it has adequate shelter out of the wind and moisture.\u00a0 Also make sure that it has access to fresh, non-frozen water at all times.\u00a0 Animals that are trying to keep warm outdoors will also need extra calories to do so.<\/p>\n
Never shave a pet that will be spending any time outdoors.\u00a0 Short-haired animals may even benefit from wearing a sweater or coat when outside.\u00a0 Very young and very old animals will have a lesser ability to keep themselves warm and should spend limited time in the cold.<\/p>\n
Inside or out, be sure that your pet has a warm, comfy place to snuggle up.\u00a0 Tiled or uncarpeted areas are often chilly!\u00a0 Also, take care around space heaters and fireplaces, which can be a hazard for cold or curious pets.<\/p>\n
Wipe your pet down after it comes in from the outdoors to remove any moisture or harmful chemicals, such as antifreeze, or rock salt from its coat and paws.\u00a0 You should pay close attention to your pet\u2019s paws as they may become chapped or even cut on icy, uneven ground.\u00a0 Animals that have long hair in between their paw pads may need to have the area trimmed to prevent ice and snow from accumulating.<\/p>\n
Overall, it is probably best to keep your pet indoors as much as possible during cold snaps.\u00a0 Pets can suffer frostbite and hypothermia just as people can.\u00a0 Long, unsupervised time outdoors increases the likelihood of these things occurring.\u00a0 Play it safe and keep your pet warm this winter!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Winter has arrived, and with its entrance comes a whole new set of concerns for taking care of your pets.\u00a0 While it\u2019s true that they wear fur coats all of the time, animals can still suffer from weather-related injury and illness. It\u2019s best to keep your pet indoors during the coldest part of the year, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[224,228,394,656],"class_list":["post-172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seasonal-pet-care","tag-emergency-care","tag-emergency-veterinarians-in-mi","tag-oakland-veterinary-referral-service","tag-responsible-pet-ownership"],"yoast_head":"\n