Brrrr.
That pretty much sums up how I felt on the seven-minute walk from my apartment to the subway station this morning. The cooler weather is now here, and sadly it’s only going to get colder.
As chilled as I was (granted, I’m kind of a wimp with the weather), I can only imagine how the two cats I passed on my walk were feeling. I could at least stick my paws in my pockets.
Here are some ways to ensure your pet stays warm during the cooler days of fall and the even more frigid ones of winter.
• Check the weather before letting your pet out. The danger threshold for animals is about –10 to –15 C. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if it’s too cold for you to stay outside for long, then it’s too cold for your pet as well.
• Never leave your pet alone in your vehicle. While you car will temporarily retain the warmth from the heater after you turn the engine off, it will soon start to feel like a fridge to your friend.
• Give Spot an extra coat. Short-haired and smaller dog breeds are particularly mindful of the cold, so before heading out for a walk, throw a sweater on him. (You may even want to start this now, just to get him used to wearing it before the real bad weather hits.) For short-hairs you may even want to add booties to the outfit: they’ll provide insulation and prevent salt from getting stuck in the paws.
While we can't promise that your dog will love wearing a sweater, it will keep him nice and warm (image by Howard O. Young via Flickr).
• Wipe your dog’s belly and paws when you come back in from a walk. This will remove any possible dangers – such as salt – that he may have picked up on your jaunt. (Salt can irritate the footpads and make your dog sick should he decide to lick his paws clean.)
• If your dog is an outdoor enthusiast, make sure he continues to eat well. The ASPCA recommends you up his protein intake to help keep both him and his coat extra healthy.
• Schedule a checkup with the vet. Some medical conditions may make your pet more sensitive to the cold. According to the TLC Pet Hospital, diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease “can compromise a pet’s ability to regulate her own body heat.”
Moving indoors…
• Keep your pet’s bed or cage away from anywhere in the house where there's a draft. He likes a warm place to rest his head as much as you do.
• Be aware of the risk that fireplaces and space heaters can pose. The more the mercury dips, the more you’ll be tempted to curl up by the warmth of a fire or plug in some extra heat. Just make sure to keep an extra eye on Fido and Fluffy so a tail doesn’t inadvertently swish through a flame or a fluffy body ends up trying to cuddle the space heater.
Do you let your pet out during the colder months? Will your pooch be sporting a stylish sweater this winter?
