Winter Weather Returns

By Rainier Veterinary Hospital About Us, Cats, Dogs, Pet Safety, Preventive Care, Resources cat, cat health, dog, dog health, emergency, ice, pet safety, prevention, snow, treatments, veterinary

Looks like the next round of winter weather is knocking on our door. Are you and your pet ready? To that end, we felt this was a good opportunity to share some important cold weather pet tips for you and your pet. Details follow:

It is critically important that you be sure to keep your pets from eating any of the salt or snow (especially the slushy snow) outside in parking lots that may have been treated with ice melt. Wipe their paws as soon as they get inside with a damp cloth or baby wipes and make sure you minimize their paw licking until the paws are completely clean.
While pet-safe ice melts are always preferred, they have been in immediate short supply during this recent snow blast. Available standard ice melts may act as a chemical irritant that may cause gastrointestinal distress if ingested and/or act as a topical irritant to paw pads and skin. It is safer to assume that melts you come across are not pet safe.
Consider investing in some doggy boots to protect your dog from getting snow, (and rock salt remnants), lodged between their paws.
Clean all boots when you enter your home. (Wash and dry your pet’s paws too.)
When out and about, keep a close eye on your pet to make sure they don’t have access to road salt or stagnant pools of water.
Do not allow them to drink from slush water or puddles.
Stay away from heavily treated roads and sidewalks.
After your walk, make sure you have lots of fresh, clean water on hand to prevent your dog from becoming dehydrated.
If your dog seems cold after a walk, cover him with a towel or blanket. You can also use a blow dryer on a low setting, but don’t heat his paw pads, as they could burn. Instead, heat up some rice in a sock (place against your wrist to ensure it’s not too hot). If you know your dog gets cold easily, stock up in advance on sweaters, coats and booties.
Be sure to keep an eye out for antifreeze spills as it is deadly to humans and pets alike.
Cats like to hide in warm places, including car engines. Before you start your car, be sure to knock on the hood or honk your horn to make sure a cat is not using your car to keep warm. Fan belts and other moving parts of an engine can seriously injure a pet.
If you have street or feral cats in your neighborhood and want to help them during this cold weather blast, drop the team at Alley Cat Project a note at info@alleycatproject.org. They will do their best to send volunteers to your area to assist or give you handy tips for setting up a warming box.
During the cold winter months, many people use space heaters and wood-burning stoves to heat their homes. Do not allow unsupervised pets in areas with space heaters that could be knocked over by your pet.
Is your pet up-to-date on their wellness exams? Cold weather may worsen some medical conditions or chronic conditions may make it hard for your pet to deal with the colder weather. Check with your family veterinarian on whether now is a good time for your pet to be seen.