Just a few quick points to keep you and your pets safe this cold, cold winter season.
- Put up the antifreeze!
- Cats & Dogs are attracted to the sweet smell and taste.
- Highly toxic and very high mortality rate due to kidney failure.
- Only 1 teaspoon can be fatal!
- Watch for arthritis.
- Cold damp weather aggravates arthritis, just like in humans.
- Overweight pets are prone to suffering more. Discuss weight loss and pain management with your vet.
- Never use human medications without consulting with your veterinarian first!
- Fur doesn’t equal safe outside!
- Regardless of fur/hair type, all animals need adequate shelter. None are equipped for constant exposure.
- Pets’ paws, ears and abdomen do not have much fur – watch for frostbite
- Cats especially like to seek shelter in the motor of cars. Always check before starting your car!
- Careful packing on the winter pounds
- It’s no laughing matter to allow pets to gain weight during the winter.
- Have an awareness of unnecessary treat giving just like humans snacking too much.
- Never allow candy to be consumed especially if sugar free! “Fake” sugars are dangerous to pets.
- Use common salting sense.
- Pet-friendly driveway salts are great but still require directions being followed carefully.
- Pets with hairy feet will need their paws rinsed and dried with more attention to detail than those with less.
- If your pet licks or chews at his feet normally, then you need to be cleaning paws when coming & going from salted walkways.
We thank you for taking the time to read this list. It is proof of how much you care about your furry family member!
