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Seasonal Tips
Please follow these
guidelines to protect your
companion animal when the temperature drops.
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Keep your cat inside.
Outdoors, cats can freeze, become lost or
stolen, or be injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are
exposed to fatal infectious diseases, including rabies.
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During the winter, outdoor
cats sometimes choose to
sleep under the hoods of cars, where it is warmer. Then, when the
motor
is started, the cat can be injured or killed in the fan belt. To prevent
this,
bang loudly on the hood of your car and wait a few seconds
before starting the engine, to give a cat a chance to escape.
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Never let your dog off the
leash on snow or ice, especially
during a snowstorm. Dogs frequently lose their scent in snow and
ice and easily become lost. They may panic in a snowstorm
and run away. More dogs are lost during the winter than
during any other season.
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Thoroughly wipe off your
dog's legs and stomach when
she comes in out of the rain, snow or ice. Check her sensitive paw
pads,
which may bleed from snow or ice encrusted in them. Also, salt,
antifreeze
or other chemicals could hurt your dog if she ingests them while licking her
paws.
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If you own a short-haired
breed, consider getting a warm
coat or sweater for your dog. Look for one with a high collar or
turtleneck that covers your dog from the base of her tail on top
and to the belly underneath. While this may seem like a luxury,
it is a necessity for many dogs.
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Never leave your dog or cat
alone in a car during cold weather.
A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold.
Your companion animal could freeze to death.
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If your dog is sensitive to
the cold due to age, illness or breed
type, take him outdoors only long enough to relieve himself.
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Puppies do not tolerate the
cold as well as adult dogs and
may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If necessary,
paper train your puppy inside if he appears to be sensitive to the weather.
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If your dog spends a lot of
time engaged in outdoor
activities, increase his supply of food, particularly protein,
to keep his fur thick and healthy.
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Antifreeze, even in very
tiny doses, is a lethal poison for dogs
and cats. Because of its sweet taste, animals are attracted to it.
Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle.
To prevent accidental poisonings, more and more people are
using animal-friendly products that contain propylene glycol rather
than
the traditional products containing ethylene glycol. Call your
veterinarian
or The ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center
(ASPCA/NAPCC) if you suspect your animal has been poisoned.
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Never shave your dog down
to the skin in winter.
Leave the coat in a longer style, which provides more warmth.
Remember that such a style will require more frequent brushing
due to dry winter air and static electricity. When you bathe your
dog, make sure she is completely dry before you take her out for a walk.
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Make sure your companion
animal has a warm place to
sleep far away from all drafts and off the floor, such as in a dog
or cat bed or basket with a warm blanket or pillow in it.
This information can
help you care for your
companion animal when the mercury rises
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Overheating (heat
prostration) can kill an animal. Never leave
an animal alone in a vehicle, since even with the windows
open,
a parked car, truck or van can quickly become a furnace.
Parking
in shade offers little protection, as the sun shifts during the
day.
When traveling, carry a gallon thermos filled with fresh, cold
water.
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In extremely hot
weather, don't leave your dog standing on the street,
and keep walks to a minimum. He is much closer to the hot
asphalt
and his body can heat up quickly. His paws can burn since they
are
not protected by shoes.
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Please be sensitive
to old and overweight animals in hot weather.
Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs (especially bulldogs,
Pekingese,
Boston terriers, Lhasa apsos and shih tzus) and those with heart
or
lung diseases should be kept indoors in air-conditioning as
much
as possible.
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Avoid walking your
dog in areas that you suspect have been sprayed
with insecticides or other chemicals, as poisonings increase during
the
summer when gardens, lawns and trees are sprayed. These
chemicals
can sicken or kill an animal. Call your veterinarian or The
ASPCA
National Animal Poison Control Center (ASPCA/NAPCC) if you
suspect your animal has been poisoned.
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A clean coat can help
to prevent summer skin problems, so keep your
dog or cat well groomed. If he has a heavy coat, shaving your
dog's
hair to a 1-inch length will help prevent overheating. Don't shave
a
dog's hair down to the skin; this robs him of protection from the
sun.
A cat should be brushed frequently to keep his coat tangle-free.
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Take your companion
animal to the veterinarian for a spring or early
summer checkup, including a test for heartworm if your dog isn't
on
year-round preventative medication. Have the doctor recommend
a
safe, effective flea and tick control program.
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Never let your animal
run loose. This is how an animal can contract
a fatal disease, including rabies, or be injured, killed or
stolen.
Be sure there are no open, unscreened windows or doors through
which your animal can fall or jump.
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"Make a friend for life!"