Don't Freeze Your Pet

Don't let your pet turn out like "Snodog". He's cold, wet, and miserable. Dogs bred for this weather, like Samoyeds, Huskies, and Chows, can be left out for a few hours into the 20s' or lower. Others, especially the short-haired ones, need a warm shelter. Some dogs put out a lot of heat and can keep a bowl of water in their house ice-free, but only if heat leakage is minimized. An insulated pad on the floor and some kind of flap or door helps.

Exercise care when letting a warm house dog out in sub-freezing weather. Make sure their foot pads have a few moments to cool down before they hit the ice, otherwise, they could leave some skin stuck to the sidewalk.

Does your pet have a loose hair or dandruff problem in the winter? Check out a humidifier for the house. Chances are you are dry also.

Some people think that cats are not a problem in the winter. Cats should always be left indoors. Outdoor cats are a health problem for everybody, any time, any season. There is no shelter that is adequate for an animal that prefers to roam at will. In general, a cat will prefer the indoors in winter. However, an untrained outdoor cat is sure to leave a mess when confined indoors. Once the cat is accustomed to the indoors, leave it there.