Winter Safety Tips

Winterize: Part III

Chicago is one of those towns that are notorious for long, cold winters. We get lots of wind here along with snow and ice storms. Still, there are other places that have colder weather for a long period of time.

With the fierce cold of winter, in addition to walking tips, I am finishing up my Winterize series with general tips for you.

Winter Canine Care Tips

1. Limit your dog's time outside. If the temperature is below freezing (32°F or 0°C) a dog can be susceptible to hypothermia or frostbite.


2. Dress them for the weather. This is especially the case with short-haired dogs. For these dogs, in addition to a dog sweater for indoors, you may want to pick up a dog coat as well for the out dogs. Many of these dogs do not have hair covering their underside.


3. Watch Your Puppy! With the holiday season in full swing, many people receive adorable puppies as a Christmas or Hanukkah gift. Any puppy under six months old will be much more affected by the cold because their immune systems are not fully developed. Any time your puppy is out, your should be out with them.


4. Watch Out for Antifreeze! Antifreeze, is extremely toxic for dogs. Dogs are automatically attracted to its sweet scent and will not think twice about licking it. Many times, it's ingested but the effects on the dog are not noticed until it's too late.
   
   Most antifreeze is made with ethylene glycol. There is another formula made with propylene glycol that is a much safer bet. Sierra Antifreeze has a frequently asked questions page that explains the differences pretty will. However, it's a good bet to keep your dog away from any liquid that has leaked from a car parked outside.


5. Use Pet-Friendly Salt Substitutes! For the last two years, I've bought pet friendly salt substitute during the winter. These are usually called ice melters. They come in smaller packages and cost more than rock salt but works fairly well on melting the ice. The salt is shaped in tiny, rounded pellets compared to the jagged chunks one finds in a bag of rock salt. Safe Paw and Petco are great substitutes that are environmentally friendly too.


6. Keep a towel handy. Just a simple walk down the block will get them pretty wet. Wiping their underside and paws off as soon as you get in will will stop them from licking and get rid of any salt.

I hope you've enjoyed this series of articles. Any feedback would be especially helpful. Thanks again for stopping in.

These are my tips what are yours? I hope you all have a great weekend.

Winter Related Posts

Dog Sweaters
Winterize Part I
Winterize Part II