We are lucky to live in a climate with mild winters. We are
also lucky to live close to so many different terrains – deserts, beaches, and
the mountains! Because many families travel with their pets to snowy places
like Tahoe, I have included some extreme weather tips in this article. Hopefully with a little planning and
precaution, your pet stays warm, happy and healthy this winter.
Outdoor hazards:
Cats in engines – When it’s cold outside, a warm car engine
is a cozy place for outdoor cats to nap.
Consider honking your horn or banging on the hood before turning on the
engine, to prevent injury to an outdoor cat.
Ingestion of antifreeze – Antifreeze has a sweet flavor but is
extremely toxic, causing rapid kidney failure and death. Make sure to clean up all drips in your
garage and driveway and keep bottles closed and out of reach. If you suspect
your pet has ingested antifreeze get them to the vet IMMEDIATELY.
Snow between the toes – If you take your dogs hiking in the
snow keep the hair on their feet short, look into booties to protect their feet,
or slather them up with Crisco to keep the snow and ice from sticking to their
hair.
Hypothermia and frostbite – Prolonged exposure to the
extreme cold can be life threatening. If
your dog has a thin coat, consider getting a jacket or sweater for those cold
days. Take precaution with young and old
dogs in cold weather.
Indoors hazards:
Christmas trees, ornaments and tinsel - Make sure your
Christmas tree is well anchored so it cannot be pulled over by a climbing cat
or rambunctious dog. Keep the power
cords protected from cord chewing pets.
Hang ornaments that resemble toys out of reach. Avoid loose tinsel or ribbon that could be eaten.
Holly, Mistletoe and Poinsettia – These three common holiday
plants can be toxic to pets. Dogs or
cats have to eat a significant amount of these not very tasty plants to get
sick. To be on the safe side, keep them
out of reach from your plant-eating pets.
Chocolate and raisins - Chocolate is toxic to dogs, however
the size of the dog and strength of the chocolate determine whether or not it
will cause a problem. For example dark
chocolate is more likely to be toxic then milk chocolate. Either way, if you think your dog has eaten
chocolate call your veterinarian for advice. Raisins can be toxic to dogs and
cause acute kidney failure. Keep it all
out of reach.
I hope you and your family have a cozy, safe winter!
Dr. Kristel Weaver is a graduate of
the Veterinary School at the University of California, Davis where she received
both a DVM and a Master’s of Preventative Veterinary Medicine (MPVM). She
has been at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care in San Ramon since
2007. She currently lives in Oakland
with her husband and their daughter, Hayley. If you have questions you would like Dr. Weaver to answer for
future articles, please email info@webvets.com
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