WINTER HEALTH ADVISORIES

The winter months bring a lot of fun and holiday spirit, hot chocolate, warm fires, and playing in the ice and snow just to name a few. But this time of year also has many potential hazards/concerns for your pets, so we wanted to make sure your were aware of these and that they did not get lost in the busy-ness if the holidays:

Hypothermia/Frostbite:  Even though many breeds are well suited for the cold (typical"sled dog" varieties come to mind) the assumption should never be made that they will be "just fine" left outside for extended periods of time. Just like humans, animals need proper protection from the elements, especially the cold. Exposure to cold temperatures can cause a severely dangerous drop in body temperature (hypothermia) which can predispose them to infection, pneumonia, or other conditions. Extended periods of cold can also cause frostbite to their extremities (ears, nose, tail tip, feet, etc.). The frostbite can cause permanent damage to the tissue in these areas. This damage can lead to death of the tissue which then can become infected. This infection can spread and damage more tissue and eventually be life threatening (e.g. gangrene). Regular access to the indoors is the best for them, but if that is not possible, it is imperative  that they have access to a shelter that protects them from wind, rain, snow, and ice. It should also be well insulated and have plenty of warm bedding as well.

Burns: This concern may seem totally off base, but some pets who are not used to fireplaces, space heaters, or heat lamps may burn themselves when they get too close. Also, please do not use these items as a source of heat for your outside pets as it is a burn hazard for them then as well.

Dehydration: This may sound confusing but there are a lot of dogs that suffer from dehydration in the winter because even though they may have adequate shelter, if their water freezes, then they have no water to drink. if this goes on for enough time, they can actually suffer a significant dehydration. Please be sure to check the water frequently, or place it in a warming bowl or highly insulated container.

Insufficient food: Many dogs that spend extra time outside will need an increase in calorie content as they may burn more energy trying to maintain their body temperature.

Foot care: Breeds that are more suited to the cold or who spend a lot of time out in the cold, are prone to getting ice balls in the fur between their toes. Over time these can bruise the tender tissue of the pads and cause them to limp. Check them frequently for these ice balls. Also trimming extremely thick fur from between the toes can help as well.

Environmental toxins: the deicers and salts used for clearing roads and sidewalks can be very irritating to the pads of the feet. This irritation may cause them to lick at their feet a lot more than usual. this in turn can cause them to ingest these salts and chemicals which can harm many organ systems, the gut being just one obvious victim. Tyr washing the feet off after outings with a warm washcloth to prevent this.

Antifreeze: As winter approaches, many people will be changing their antifreeze. The antifreeze actually has a sweet taste to it so many animals are drawn to the taste. It only takes a few laps of this chemical for toxicity to develop.If this spills on the ground, clean it up promptly as these chemicals are very toxic and can cause acidosis in the short term and kidney failure in the long term.

Arthritis: Please remember that cold and wet conditions make arthritis symptoms much worse, so take any precautions you can and check with your vet to see if your pet needs any medication to help with the discomfort.

Engine injuries: Cats seeking warmth outside will often crawl under neath cars or into their engines to take advantage of a newly shut off engine. This can expose them to burns from the engine parts. Also if they fall asleep in the car and then you start the engine, the sudden turning of the fan blade and belts can cause severe injury as well.

Ice injuries: We have at this clinic seen at least 3 torn cruciate ligaments in large breed dogs that were running and playing on an icy road. They get going too fast and cannot compensate for the ice. When they slip and slide, it is very easy for them to tear this ligament. This can only be fixed by surgery and it is not cheap!

Icy pools, ponds, and lakes: Although it rarely gets cold enough in our area for such a body of water to "freeze over," the temperature of these waters is still low enough to cause rapid hypothermia should your pet jump or fall into these. Please be careful with them around water.

These are just a few of the concerns and hazards the winter months bring. For other such timely concerns, check our sections for specific months as well.