South Bellmore Veterinary Group

3 simple steps to take care of your pets during cold seasons

Your role as a pet owner during the winter season is to make sure that your pets were protected, have a comfortable shelter, and were receiving ample warmth. The rage of tough weather conditions can be life-threatening and the intense colds and drop in temperatures can definitely affect both humans and animals. But do not fear such difficult times because with proper preparation, you and your pet can survive it, and to help you on this regard, South Bellmore Veterinary Group will share a few basic steps to remember in order to better safeguard the well-being of your pets in menacing weather conditions.

Here are the following steps in taking care of your pets during cold seasons:

Step 1: Ensure shelter for your pets

Don't let your pets stay outside for too long especially during extreme cold weather conditions. See to it that all of them particularly the short-haired animals are inside your house and are receiving comfort and warmth. Whenever the temperature drops to a freezing level, cats will seek shelter, so make sure that your cats are well-protected inside as well. When it comes to your pet dogs living outside, ensure that their shelter is sturdy and draft-free. However, make the space small enough to keep their body temperature in, but make it possible for your pet dogs to still move around. Make a cover to the entrance of the shelter too and gather straw or cedar shavings inside for a good insulation.

Step 2: Check the electrical cords

Even the cords of the devices that were only used to warm water bowls are still needed to be checked. Make certain that they're in a good condition and are safe from dangers. You need to put some thought on your heat lamps as well, thus place them in a spot that is far from dry bedding materials to prevent accidents from happening such as starting a fire.

Step 3: Collect all the things necessary for your pet's emergency kit

Emergencies and accidents are very likely to happen particularly during times of dangerous weather conditions like strong and intense winter storms. South Bellmore Veterinary Group requires you to be prepared in advance and gather all the things needed for your pet's emergency kit. Basic needs always come first so store at least a three-day supply of both food and water, and it would be better to store foods in not just any container but on airtight and waterproof ones.

Keep the medicines and medical records of your pets in a safe pouch or bag along with other important documents such as your pet's adoption papers, registration information, and its vaccination documents. You can also discuss the matter of microchipping to your veterinarian to have your pets in a recovery database.

Buy enough materials needed for your pet's first aid kit such as cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape, bandage scissors, latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol, saline solution, antibiotic ointment, and flea and tick prevention. Don't forget to include a reference book about your pet's first aid so that you can perform it properly at crucial times. Other things to include in your pet's emergency kit are collar/harness with ID tag, rabies tag, a leash, and a crate/pet carrier.

You might be surprised to the fact that a photo of you and your pet is also included on the list of your pet's emergency kit. The reason to this is simple, for example, in case you've become separated with your pet during an evacuation, with the use of the picture, you can quickly document an ownership and get the help of other people as well. But include other important details too such as your pet's gender, age, breed, color, and species.

Tough weather conditions can bring fear or stress to your pets, so to help them calm down by bringing their favorite items with them where it could be a toy or a bunch of treats. Maintain the cleanliness of your pets as well so bring ample newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach to ensure the proper sanitation of your pet's litter box. Learn about the proper bedding and habitat materials for your exotic pets and make sure to meet their needs.

As mentioned earlier, it is your duty to keep your pets warm and safe during cold seasons, so buy added clothing for them such as sweaters to give them more comfort, especially for the short-haired animals. Melting the snow or ice outside your house requires rock salt or other chemicals, so remember to wipe your pet's paws with a damp cloth to avoid getting their pads irritated with such substances.

Other pets can live by themselves but with extreme cold, they need to find shelter so South Bellmore Veterinary Group suggests that if you found an abandoned animal in your area, immediately contact the animal welfare group in your neighborhood or the local authorities to give attention to those poor animals.