It is still fall, yes, it is still fall, but these chilly mornings have reminded me that winter is coming. My frosty windows make that morning rush just a little more harried as I forget to start my vet truck to defrost early enough and run around yelling at my husband, “Where is the window scraper?!” as he replies, “The kid was using it as a pirate’s sword!” So it’s gone for good. If you’re anything like me and you have to start now to prepare for a winter that might not come until March (because we’re in Missouri and we can’t be sure), then here are some tips to start thinking about now: 1.) Start checking your vehicle for critters - When it’s cold out and you have outdoor pets, or even if you’re taking them out for a potty break that they just don’t want to go out in the cold for, make sure you check your car for pets. Dogs like to lay around under a warm car and cats like to burrow inside a warm car, finding little tunnels into the very depths of an engine in the hopes to hop a ride to a warmer climate. That’s what they think you do all day at work. They think you drive to a warm beach and drink Mai Tais all day. Make sure you have a visual of your pets before moving your vehicle. If you don’t have a visual, call for them first or honk the horn. That may force Whiskers out from under your hood with an attitude, but better safe than sorry. 2.) Check their tails and ears for frostbite - If you take them out a lot or they are just like my Great Pyrenees and think cold weather is a gift from God sent down just for them, make sure you check them every once in awhile for frostbite. Their ears and the tip of their tail are especially susceptible, so take a peek to make sure they’re holding up against the outdoors. Skin tissue will become bright red, and then a pale color if they are getting frostbite. It can be hard to detect, and sometimes may reach a black color (deadening of tissue) before you notice. Contact your veterinarian if you notice any of these symptoms. 3.) Wipe their paws thoroughly - Foot pads can also get frostbite, but the main concern for the more durable foot pads is icing and salt. Pets can get ice and snow stuck in their paws that can cause damage to their pads. Also, the road and sidewalk salt used throughout the winter can build up on their foot pads causing irritation and damage. Set up a routine when they come in to wipe down their foot pads with a wet cloth and also use that time to check their paws for injury or irritation. 4.) Get their outdoor housing up-to-date - If they are an outdoor pet or have an extra outdoor space, make sure it’s ready for winter. It needs to be off the ground an inch or two, and most dog houses already have this built in, but it keeps water, ice, and snow from building up beneath it which will make their warm space much colder. Make sure the opening is also out of the wind so they can snuggle up comfortably. That being said, if it’s freezing outside, just let them inside your home. If they watch you in the window with hot chocolate and warm cookies straight out of the oven, while they are shivering as the great blizzard of 2019 bears down on them, you’ll regret it later. They’ll find something to tear up, most likely your snow boots. 5.) Check the water bowl - Make sure their water bowl isn’t frozen. Better yet, get them a heated water bowl. It’s less hassle and you won’t have to replace the bowl three times during the winter after you left frozen water in it overnight and it exploded. 6.) Keep the decorations out of their reach - There are a lot of decorations that come with cooler weather. It gives us something to do since we don’t want to step foot outside. Decorations like holly, poinsettias, glass ornaments, and small plastic decorations can be dangerous for your pet. Make sure things are out of reach (and when I say out of reach, I mean out of the house because it’s probably shiny, so they’ll find a way to get it). 7.) Know your pet - Before you let your pet spend any time outside, get to know their signs of being too cold. Each pet can react differently to time outdoors. For example, my Great Pyrenees is going to hold up much better than a Chihuahua. Also, keep in mind that older animals and animals with underlying illnesses or health conditions (i.e: heart disease, diabetes, or kidney disease) do not handle the cold temperatures as well. But they have to go out sometime, so recognize the signs of shivering, frostbite, and ice packed paws to know when it’s appropriate for your pet to warm up. This is also good advice for costumes or holiday outfits. Know your pet. If Whiskers won’t even put on his collar without a claw fight, that’s probably a good sign that he doesn’t want that Wise Men costume, for sure. You’ve got plenty of time, I think, but technically tomorrow it could snow or it could feel like Jamaica. Plan now and you may not need all these tips at all. It might just snow once in late March. Then you can get Whiskers that kitty bikini you’ve always wanted.
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Jessica Stroupe, DVM
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August 2017
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