With temperatures plummeting into single digits for most of the upcoming week, pet owners are reminded to keep your animals warm.
Tips for prepping pets for the wintry outdoors include considering a sweater for short haired dogs, limiting their out door time (if it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for pets) providing a warm, dry shelter if pets must be outside, and remembering to include pet supplies in your winter emergency kit.
Humans aren’t the only ones who can suffer from frostbite. Symptoms on pets are anything like discolored skin, they can be cold and hard to touch, the animals are in pain when they’re touched, blisters on their skin, or their skin becomes pale or blackened.
If you believe your pet has frostbite, contact your local vet immediately, move them to a warm, dry area, wrap the pet in a warm towel, but not a heating blanket, and do not rub the frostbitten area.
For cat owners, sometimes they hide in the engine blocks in order to stay warm. Tap the hood before starting your vehicle.
Also remember that when sidewalks are salted, it can injury your pet’s paws. Remember to wipe off their paws with a warm cloth after being outside.