Winter Safety and Health

This week’s educational topic will focus on winter safety for your pet. As the temperature begins to drop, special considerations should be made to make sure that your pet dog, cat, or small mammal is protected against the wind, cold, snow, and other wintertime hazards. Stay tuned this week to learn important medical information, and learn a few tips to keep your pet healthy, happy, and warm this winter.

HYPOTHERMIA

Hypothermia is a concern during the winter. Hypothermia is defined as an inappropriately low body temperature due to prolonged exposure to the cold, or inadequately heated shelter. All dogs and cats, even arctic breeds or long haired breeds, are susceptible to hypothermia.

A dog or cats normal body temperature should be between 100.5-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. A drop in temperature any lower than 95 degrees Fahrenheit warrants immediate attention by a veterinarian.

Warning signs: Pay attention to your dog or cats physical behavior. Lethargy, shivering, weakness, muscle twitching, unresponsiveness/stiffness, trouble breathing, cold extremities, and pale gums are all signs of hypothermia in a dog or cat.

What to do: If you believe your dog or cat is suffering from hypothermia immediately remove them from the cold. Bring them inside, place them within a number of blankets, and begin to try and raise their body temperature. Never place hot water bottles or electric heating pads directly against a dog or cats skin, always wrap them in a towel first. If your pet’s temperature drops below 95 or is not raising back up with your efforts call your veterinarian immediately.

Prevention: Many dogs find themselves within a dog house or garage during the winter time because they have “always been an outdoor dog.” However, during extremely cold weather ALL dogs should be brought indoors, or placed within an insulated warmed garage/basement etc.

If your dog must be kept outdoors, it is your responsibility to provide an appropriate shelter. It should be sturdy, insulated, facing away from the wind, and have a large flap of plastic on the front to act as a door. It should be large enough for your dog to stand up and turn around, so it can lie comfortably and maintain its body heat. DO NOT place blankets in the shelter if your dog will track in snow. Melted snow can freeze into ice (try straw instead) and cause hypothermia. Keep a thermometer in any outdoor area to monitor the temperature. Remember any animal out in the cold will require MORE food then normal, as their body works harder than normal to keep them warm.

Consider making your indoor/outdoor kitty an indoor only kitty during the winter months. Make sure a space is available to them to seek shelter on a porch, through a kitty door, kitty house, or garage. If your cat does go outside in the winter time, make sure they come in at night.

The following animals should never be outside for any significant length of time: Short haired breeds, toy breeds, geriatric animals, sick/immune-compromised animals, puppies, and kittens. These animals are at a significant risk for hypothermia as they do not have a normal ability to regulate their body temperature. If they do go outside, consider sweaters, protective booties, and other clothing to keep them warm.


Frostbite Awareness and Prevention

Dogs and cats exposed to extremely cold temperatures and wind chills for short or long periods of time can suffer from frostbite. Frostbite will affect extremities first. Cold weather causes vasoconstriction. This means that your pet’s body will constrict vessels in its extremities (tail, paws, scrotum, ears) to increase blood flow to vital organs such as brain, heart, and lungs. This leads to a decreased blood flow to susceptible areas. Pay close attention to your cat’s or dog’s ears, feet, scrotum, tail, and underside. Check for cold body parts, blue or pale skin tissue (black in severe cases) and decreased functionality (difficulty walking, using their tail, ears etc).

Symptoms:
If you notice any symptoms of frostbite immediately remove your pet from cold weather. Begin to warm them and contact your veterinarian immediately. Restoring good blood flow to all areas of the body is critical. Lasting damage is possible, and in extreme cases amputation may be necessary.

Prevention:
Minimize the risk of frostbite by being conscious of cold temperatures, wind-chill, and the length of time your pet spends outdoors. Remember they do not wear protective clothing like we do, unless you provide extra protection for them! Consider looking into winter clothing for pets, boots for their feet, and restricting their time outside to short periods. Do not assume your pet is safe because they are an arctic breed or have a long coat. Our pets rely on us to be responsible for their heath, and make appropriate decisions for them.


Anti-freeze and Winter Salts

Anti-freeze Toxicity:
During the winter months certain health hazards are more commonly seen. A prevalent cause of serious illness is the ingestion of anti-freeze. Anti-freeze is a commonly used chemical cryo-protectant for your car that is used more frequently in the winter months. When ingested anti-freeze is toxic and can lead to serious consequences for your dog or cat such as renal failure (kidney failure) and death if not treated.

Anti-freeze tends to be especially appealing for animals as many formulas often taste sweet. The main ingredient in many formulas, ethylene glycol, is severely toxic to dogs, an even more so to cats. Anti-freeze that has leaked from your car, has leaked from bottles, or is found in puddles around the neighborhood all exist as potential threats to your companion animals.

Prevention:
Some of the newer formulations contain the ingredient propylene glycol, which is not toxic to pets. Prevent ethylene glycol toxicity by making sure all chemicals are stored in areas not accessible to animals in the garage or surrounding areas. Invest in an anti-freeze solution with propylene glycol versus ethylene glycol to prevent toxicity.

Symptoms:
Symptoms of anti-freeze toxicity include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, neurological symptoms such as muscle spasms, inability to walk correctly, and urinating inappropriately. If you have any concern of ingestion, or have witnessed ingestion contact your veterinarian immediately. Treatment can be successful if instituted shortly after ingestion. Untreated ethylene glycol toxicity is often fatal, or can result in serious long term medical consequences.

Winter Salts
Pets that walk outdoors during the winter months may also become exposed to toxic ice salts and anti-freeze by licking their paws. Consider investing in boots for your pet to prevent toxic substance build up on their paws. Also consider washing your pet’s feet off anytime after they have been outside to reduce the chance of ingestion. Contact your veterinarian to learn more about toxic substances our companion animals are commonly exposed to in the winter months.

Winter Car Safety:
Most pet owners are aware that leaving your dog or cat in the car in hot weather can be dangerous. However, many people may not know leaving your pet dog or cat in the car during the cold winter months is equally dangerous. A car can quickly turn into a cold metal box for your pet, and if left for any extended period of time can result in death. In very cold weather, never leave your dog or cat alone in the car for any length of time longer than a few minutes no matter their breed or fur length!

Small Mammals:
Although not as frequently represented, small mammals can suffer the same consequences of winter dangers as cats and dogs. If you own a small mammal such as a rabbit that spends time outside during the summer, take caution in the winter. Small mammals are susceptible to hypothermia, frostbite, and toxicity. If you normally house your small mammal outside or in a garage or basement during the warmer months, you will need to provide a warmer environment for them during the winter months. Contact your veterinarian to learn more about appropriate environments for your small mammal. They rely on your responsible pet care to make sure they are safe, healthy, happy, and WARM all year round. There are a number of house friendly environments, or alternations that can be made to barns, garages or basement housing to make sure it is safe for your small mammal to live during the cold months!

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call our hospital at 518-725-8117 to speak with a licensed veterinary technician or veterinarian.

Dr. Santspree