WINTERIZING YOUR PET: HOW TO HELP
CHILLY DOGS AND COLD KITTIES
A temperature of 10
degrees Fahrenheit or below is too cold for a pet to withstand, said William
Fortney, doctor of veterinary medicine at the Kansas State University
Veterinary Teaching Hospital. If the pet is very young, old or ill, it will
have even less tolerance for the cold, Fortney said.
He said proper
conditioning for colder temperatures is key to keeping
the pet healthy. If the pet keeps a regular indoor-outdoor schedule throughout
the fall and into winter, it will be better accustomed to cold temperatures.
"If you take the
average dog in the middle of winter and decide that all of a sudden it's going
to be an outside dog, it's not going to adapt well and there will be a lot of
stress on the animal," he said. "Throughout the fall, as it gets
colder and colder, there will be adaptation. The animal will be more used to
the cold, the fur coat may grow a little thicker and the animal may store more
fat to generate heat."
Forming enough
insulation to keep the pet warm in the winter may require an owner to increase
the animal's caloric intake by at least 25 percent. The animal is then able to
generate the necessary body heat, Fortney said. Smaller animals may have a more
difficult time storing a lot of fat and, therefore, may be more vulnerable to
the cold than larger breed dogs.
Dog owners can help
their animal stay warm by providing a dog house that faces south with a flap to
block the wind, Fortney said. The house should be insulated, with care taken to
make sure the dog cannot get to it as insulation contains fiberglass
that can be very irritating to the animal. A small light bulb can provide a
small amount of heat in the dog house. Proper bedding can also provide
additional warmth.
"A popular bedding
choice seems to be straw," Fortney said. "Changing the straw has to
do with it getting wet, not so much with it getting dirty. In really snowy
times it might be a good idea to change straw every two weeks. Otherwise, once
a month is adequate. Old bed spreads are another option. I like them because
you can take them to the laundromat and get them
cleaned and then put them right back in."
Fortney said most cats
would not utilize a cat house. Many people put cat doors on their garage or
crack the garage door so the cats can get inside. He said cats are generally
small enough to find warm places to curl up, like under the porch or in
culverts.
However, seeking a warm
place can create hazards. In a cat's search for warmth, car engines may seem
like a good place to rest. Fortney said people should check under the hoods of
their cars for their cat before starting the motor, which could have fatal
results if the cat were inside.
Antifreeze is a danger
to both dogs and cats and Fortney encourages people to dispose of it properly
when changing it.
"Antifreeze is
extremely poisonous to animals and unfortunately, it has a sweet taste that
animals like," he said. "This is the time of year where people are
changing the antifreeze and not disposing of it properly. We see several
animals a year that die from drinking it."
Fortney said another
wintertime substance that may harm animals is the ice removers put on streets
or sidewalks. Animals may get it caught in their paws and lick it, which can
make them sick. He said it is not fatal, but wiping the pet's feet off is a
good idea.
The physical stress of
cold temperatures can make pets more susceptible to illness or infection. Also,
if an animal gets wet, there is a severe wind chill and the animal is unable to
find shelter, frostbite becomes another hazard.
"Generally the tip
of tails and tips of the ears are most susceptible," Fortney said.
"If an animal gets frostbite, gently warm the area with a wash cloth and
lukewarm water. Then it's a good idea to visit the veterinarian for medical
treatment to avoid infection of the area."
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