Although Winter can be a fun time spending time with family, celebrating the holidays, and the kids having snow days, it can also be a hazard to our precious fur babies.
The Winter months bring in frigid temperatures that can be harmful to pets. Keep reading to learn about 6 hazards that can harm your pet in the colder months.
Cold Temperatures
The most obvious hazard to pets in the Winter is the cold temperatures. Just like humans, your dog or cat can get frostbite or hypothermia if left outside for too long. Make sure you are keeping your walks and outside time to a minimum when it gets too cold!
Long-haired pets aren’t usually affected by the cold temperatures as much as short-haired pets. It may be a good idea to get a coat or sweater if your furry friend is short-haired, just to make sure they are staying comfortable while outside.
Car Hoods & Engines
Cats are known to curl up inside car hoods and engines in order to stay warm when it’s cold. If you start your vehicle while the cat’s stuck inside, they could get seriously injured or killed.
In the colder months, do a quick tap on the hood of your vehicle or honk your horn before starting it. That way if a cat is curled up inside your hood, it has time to get out without being injured.
If you have a pet cat that you allow outdoors, maybe keep them inside when it’s cold so that they can stay out of harm's way and don’t have a chance of being hurt.
Ice-Melting Salt
If you take your pet on walks around town during the Winter, chances are they are walking all over that ice-melting salt that is spread over the sidewalks. Although the salt is good at melting the ice, it is harmful to our pets.
This salt is irritating to their paws and toxic if ingested. When you get home from your walk, wipe your dog’s paws off and make sure they are showing no signs of illness. If they are vomiting or seem weak, call your veterinarian right away.
Antifreeze
For some reason, pets seem to love the taste of our vehicle’s antifreeze. They smell it leaking and begin licking it up, not knowing that it’s actually very poisonous to them.
If you notice your car leaking anything during the cooler months, wipe it up immediately so that your pet can’t get to it first! Antifreeze can be extremely deadly to your pets.
Holiday Plants
Everyone loves putting out the beautiful poinsettia and mistletoe for the holidays, but did you know that those festive plants are toxic to cats and dogs? If you plan on having any holiday plants in your home make sure they are out of reach of your pets.
You can even buy artificial holiday plants to be safe, if you insist on having them out to be seen.
Frozen Bodies of Water
If you live near a lake or body of water, be extra careful when taking your pet outside! If your pet falls in, they can get hypothermia real quick. You can also get hypothermia quickly from cold water if you have to jump in after your pet.
It’s best to steer clear from bodies of water during the Winter. You never know what can happen if your pet accidentally falls in, that would be a very scary situation.
Conclusion
When the colder weather comes in, so do the hazards to your pets. Winter can be harmful to pets if not taken care of properly. The cold weather can cause frostbite and hypothermia, cats can get stuck in vehicle engines, and ice-melting salt can be toxic to your pets.
Know the dangers of Winter and how they can affect your pet. Look out for animals trying to keep warm and do your best to help them!
