Winterizing your Pets

Winter is on the way and Mom and Dad are getting ready.   The oil man came with his big truck and put oil in our tank and another man is coming to clean the furnace so we will have a nice warm house when it gets cold outside.  We have the storm windows in place and the snow blower has new spark plugs and clean fuel.

It gets very cold in New England and cold weather can be hard on pets so Mom and Dad make sure Dixie and I are safe and can enjoy the winter months.  Winter is especially hard on puppies and seniors so if you are a puppy or a senior, or if you have a medical condition like diabetes, you need to limit the time you spend out of doors.  I know it’s fun to play in the snow but you can get tired really easy, so be careful.

Dogs with short hair also need to be careful and not stay outside too long.  Dixie is a mix of short hair breeds and she has never seen snow so Mom is going to buy her a coat or sweater to wear when she goes out.  This should be fun to see since Dixie doesn’t even like to wear a collar.  Hee, hee.

When playing or exercising outside we need to be careful that the snow doesn’t get in between our toes and turn to ice.  Make sure your humans check your feet when you come inside and if there is any ice, make sure they make it go away.  Some dogs wear boots to keep their feet dry.

Speaking of ice, if you live near a pond or any kind of water, do not go out on the ice.  It can break and you could fall in and get died. 

People don’t like to have ice on their stairs or sidewalks so they put down this ice melting stuff.  That ice melting stuff is dangerous if dogs or cats lick it.   If you get it on your paws, don’t lick it off.  Wait until you are back in the house and let your human get if off with a moist cloth.  There is ice melting stuff that is especially made for households with pets so make sure your humans buy that kind.

Another thing that can make a pet sick or died is called Antifreeze.  Antifreeze is something that people put into their cars so the car works in the winter.  They tell me that Antifreeze is sweet and tastes good but it has a poison called Propylene Glycol in it which is very, very bad.  People can buy Antifreeze without Propylene Glycol in it which is much safer.

I know most of you are house dogs but if you know any dogs that live outside, let them know that they need to be extra careful.  They should have some kind of shelter to keep them out of the wind and snow.  A dog house that is big enough to turn around in but small enough to keep their body heat in is a good choice.  The floor covered with hay or a nice blanket and a blanket over the door helps too. 

An outside dog needs extra food during the winter and having unfrozen water available is a challenge.  There are special water dishes that help keep water unfrozen.

I love coming in the house and cuddling in my warm bed after an afternoon playing in the snow.  I’m looking forward to showing Dixie how to bury her nose in the snow and chase snowballs.

What are some of you favorite things to do in the wintertime?

Your North Country friend,

Zava

 

P.S. Shameless self-promotion.  One of my favorite things about winter is Christmas!  That's when we all get presents.  Our Santa Paws is one of my favorite Christmas gift baskets