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Keep Indoor and Outdoor Animals Safe in Cold Weather

When the weather dips, you want to take extra precautions to ensure pets and livestock remain healthy by following simple guidelines:

• Keep pets indoors when the temperature drops - Bring your pets indoors when the temperature dips below 40 degrees. Most dogs and all cats, are safer indoors, except when taken out for exercise. Short-coated dogs may feel more comfortable wearing a sweater during walks. Many pets are social animals and happiest when they are indoors with you and your family.
• When left outdoors, protect them from windchill - If your pet is an outdoor pet, they must be protected by a dry, draft-free shelter that is large enough to allow comfortable sitting but small enough to hold in body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The house should be turned to face away from the wind, and the doorway should be covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic. These guidelines are recommended for small livestock such as sheep and goats. Rabbits kept in outside hutches also need protection from the wind and should be provided with a nesting box with extra bedding of straw or shavings.
• Pets and livestock who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter - Keeping warm depletes energy. Check with your vet on how to best modify food intake to compensate for the expended energy.
• Routinely check your pet's water dish - Make certain the water is fresh and unfrozen. Use plastic food and water bowls rather than metal; when the temperature is low, your pet's tongue can stick and freeze to metal.
• Check your car in the morning - Warm engines in parked cars attract cats and small wildlife, which may crawl up under the hood. To avoid injuring any hidden animals, bang on your car's hood to scare them away before starting your engine.
• Keep antifreeze (and all household chemicals) away from animals - Antifreeze is a deadly poison, but it has a sweet taste that may attract animals and children. Wipe up spills and store antifreeze (and all household chemicals) out of reach. Better yet, use antifreeze-coolant made with propylene glycol; if swallowed in small amounts, it will not hurt pets, wildlife, or your family.
  
  Guidelines have been adapted with permission from The Humane Society of the United States.

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