KIRKSVILLE, MO -- Winter is around the corner which means cold temperatures are already here. When the temperatures drop it’s important to make sure you stay warm but also to keep your pets in mind as well. If you have an indoor pet, try to limit their time spent outdoors during the winter.
“During the cold weather months it’s not good for any cat to be outside” said Veterinarian David Moore. “Cats can freeze a lot fast than dogs.”
Some other tips Moore recommends is to give your pets fresh water and food periodically throughout the day. If they are left outside for any amount of time, make sure their water dish is not frozen. It is important animals are housed properly outdoors as well.
“If an animal is left outside, it is important to make sure there is a shelter to block the snow and the wind” said Moore. “The shelter should be somewhere off the ground; it should be elevated.
If there is snow on the ground make sure to wipe the paws of their feet when they come inside.
“When they go outside and go to the bathroom, you need to clean their legs off, clean their feet off, because dogs and cats both clean their feet by licking on them so when the dogs brought back in clean off their feet so the salt and everything off of the street is cleaned off of them.”
If your pets are outside at any time during the cold weather months, it is important to make sure they are wearing their tags.
“In a snow storm, cats and dogs both loose their sense of smell and so they become lost. There are more cats and dogs lost in the winter than in any other time so you need to have identification on your animals” said Moore.
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