The eastern part of the nation is in a deep freeze, with snow, blasts of icy air and temperatures stuck far below freezing. In extreme cold there are some important tips to keep in mind to make sure your dog is kept safe.
Below are some great cold weather tips from Dr. Porge Nakovich, she is the director of veterinary medicine at Animal Friends.
TEMPERATURE CHECK: If the temperature drops to zero or below, or the wind chill makes it feel that cold, Nakovich does not take her dogs outside, and she advises that you don’t either.
PAD PROTECTION: When leaving her home, she sprays her dogs’ paws with cooking spray. This prevents ice balls from building up between their pads and gives them some protection from the rock salt, too. When she gets home she rinses off her dogs’ paws.
FROST FREE: If temperatures are hovering above zero, she checks for signs of frostbite. “Dogs shake when they get chilled,” she says. “Their extremities will feel cold. If you come in the house and you notice that their ear tips are swollen and red or absolutely white, those are different degrees of frostbite.
VESTED FOR SAFETY: Because of winter’s shorter days, you may be walking more often in the dark. For safety, consider putting a reflective vest on your dog or use a reflective leash, collar or any of the collar LED lights on the market.
These are just a few of the safety tips, read the article in full to get the entire list from Dr. Nakovich.
