Keeping pets safe in the winter a priority for local veterinarian

ELORA – In the summer, pet owners look out for blistering hot days and parasitic ticks, but what should owners know going into the colder months?

Doctor of veterinary medicine Melissa Cirinna, who works at Wellington Veterinary Services, spoke with the Advertiser about how pet owners should approach the coming winter months.

“If you don’t want to be [outside] for more than five or 10 minutes in that really cold weather, your pet probably shouldn’t be either,” she said.

Ensuring urination and defecation times are short can help keep pets safe and comfortable.

If the pet is typically an outdoor animal and “it’s getting below freezing we want to encourage them to have a dry, safe and warm place to come into,” Cirinna added.

For the more adventurous cats and dogs who prefer to be outdoors, “it’s important to provide them with heated water bowls because they need access to fresh water,” she said.

Owners can also provide insulated houses or insulate an area outside with straw.

“Just so they have somewhere warm to be,” Cirinna said.

Time for a walk

When it’s time for a walk, pet owners should be cautious of sidewalk salt and the damage it can do on to paw pads. 

“We don’t have control over what our cities put on our sidewalks so using dog boots, if your dog will tolerate them, is a great idea,” she said. 

Removing the dog boots once home is ideal as they shouldn’t be on a pet’s foot for too long. 

Boots must also be dry when used so having multiple pairs is best.

“For those doggies that won’t wear boots … I would recommend always making sure you’re washing their paws as soon as they come in from outside,” Cirinna noted.

Pet-safe salts are available for purchase or if one wishes to avoid it entirely, use sand or cat litter.

Other walk attire can include a dry jacket, especially for short-coated dogs. 

“Some of our northern breeds such as our huskies, our malamutes, probably don’t need a jacket because they do have those big hair coats,” she said. 

Exerting energy

Long walks may need to be paused due to colder temperatures, but Cirinna has a solution for keeping pets entertained and stimulated.

“I love the idea of puzzles and training,” she said. “There’s been studies that show working our dog’s brain … for say 10 to 15 minutes can be just as good as taking them for a half-hour to hour-long walk.” 

Serving meals or treats in a food puzzle or practicing a new trick everyday acts as ways to stimulate their brains. 

Common injuries

“We get a lot of paw injuries,” Cirinna said. 

A dog’s paw pads can be “quite soft” and if they run on hard ice or “crunchy snow,” an injury can occur. 

In terms of illness, she’s noticed an increase in upper respiratory illnesses due to immune systems being lowered.

Lastly, Cirinna hopes pet owners keep in mind “our little guys that are close to the ground can’t necessarily manage the deep snow.”

“I like to create a path to the backyard and then [tamp down] an area in the snow,” she said.

Other safety tips according to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association include:

– frozen ponds and lakes may not be able to support the weight of dogs and falling through into frigid water is a common and fatal situation;

– cars can provide some protection from the environment but can become very cold for pets if left for long periods of time;

– heating pads and blankets may keep pets warm but if they fall asleep on unprotected heat sources, thermal burns can occur;

– toxins in commonly used products such as antifreeze (ethylene glycol) should be used with extra precaution; and

– holiday risks including decorations being ingested, as well as dangerous foods such as chocolate, and fire hazards with Christmas lights and candles.