Baby, it's cold outside!

Winter in Northeast Wyoming (ok, all of Wyoming) can be unpredictable. Just last week, we were basking in the sun and enjoying low to mid 50s. Yet this morning we awoke to a high of 14 with winds gusting to 30 mph. And it’s going to be like that all week. Just makes you want to snuggle up with your furry friends and sip hot coco all day, doesn’t it? While you’re snuggling, take a moment or two to learn how the cold weather we’re experiencing right now can be hard on your pets—whether you have them indoors, or outside.

Yesterday, December 2, Fur Kids Foundation posted this on Facebook:

It's going to begin to turn cold tonight. Please, if you have outdoor animals consider letting them come inside when it's bitterly cold outside – especially at night. If you are unable to let your pets in, provide them adequate shelter, food and water. You can add hay to their doghouses or shelter as insulation that will help keep them warm. Their water will freeze so be sure to check on that often. A cold pet burns more calories to stay warm so feed them more than usual. And as always, if you see a pet outside without shelter in these extreme temperatures please call Animal Control.

These are great tips—even newly opened Gillette Pet Vet Clinic owners thought so. But, here are three others we wanted to bring up:

1. Check for cat cargo: When the mercury dips, chilly cats often look for a warm place to curl up—this includes under the hoods of cars where they can be seriously injured or killed when the car starts. If you know of outdoor kitties in your neighborhood, evict them from your car by banging on the hood of your car loudly a few times before you start it. The noise should scare away any dozing felines.
2. Wipe their paws: Ice salt can cause irritation to paws and skin, and if ingested can be mildly poisonous to dogs. You can purchase pet-friendly ice melt (that contains no salt) at the Gillette Petco for $14.99 and $29.99 (for a 25 pound jug). And, after walking your pet, make sure to wipe their tummy, legs and paws with a damp cloth to remove any potential salt they picked up while exercising.
3. Add a layer: If your dog has a short coat (for example boxers, greyhounds, pitbulls or whippets) or seems bothered by the chilly weather, consider a sweater or dog coat. Some pet owners also use booties to protect their pooches’ feet. Coats and booties can be purchased at nearly all the feed and pet stores in Gillette and range in cost. Or, check out this tutorial on how to make your own dog sweater from an old sweater.
   

We’ve also found a few other winterizing your pet ideas you may want to consider:

• ASPCA Pet Care: Cold Weather Tips
  
• AVMA: Cold Weather Pet Safety
  
• The Horse: Cold Weather Horse Care Tips
  
• Humane Society of the United States: Protect Your Pet During Winter and Cold Weather
  
• Pet Health Network: Brr! Cold Weather Pet Tips by Dr. Justine Lee
  

And, since we live in Windy Wyoming, we wanted to make sure you saw this paragraph on wind chill from the Pet Health Network’s post:

An important consideration as temperatures drop is wind chill. Wind chill, which is always lower than air temperature, is the perceived decrease in temperature felt due to the effects of wind and airflow. Keep in mind that the temperature alone shouldn’t guide you on cold weather threats, but rather, the overall temperature after accounting for wind chill should be what guides you. So if it’s 30°F out and you want to go walk your dog, go for it. Just keep in mind that it may feel colder than that and your pet may need some extra protection (e.g., booties or dog sweater/jacket).

We'll leave you with this fun infographic from LVS; click on the graphic (or here) for a larger, PDF version. Stay warm out there!

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