Winter Needs For Outside Pets
Provide proper shelter, warmth, food, water, and exercise for dogs and cats during
the winter months.
With the winter season quickly approaching
it is time to think about pets that spend a majority of their time outside.
Dogs are pack animals and should be considered
a part of the family. It is my opinion that if the dog is going to spend it's life
in the back yard or in a pen or worse yet at the end of a chain, then what is the
purpose in owning the dog? That being said, there are always going to be outside
dogs and these dogs need special care during the winter months.
Temperature – If the temperature drops
below freezing, please bring the animals inside, whether they are cats, dogs, rabbits,
whatever. If its below freezing and the animals do not have proper shelter they
could freeze to death. (I've seen it and it's not pretty). If the animals are absolutely
not allowed in the house then consider setting aside a special place for them to
winter in the garage or a barn. If they are in the garage keep in mind that animals
are also susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Arctic breeds – Many breeds of dogs can
be traced back to the arctic, in some ways these breeds are going to be better equipped
to handle the cold weather because they will have a thick undercoat to act as insulation.
I can not possibly name all the breeds that can be considered arctic but some include:
Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Husky, Alaskan Malamute, American Eskimo Dog, Akita,
Finnish Spitz, Norwegian Elkhound, Shiba Inu, Chow Chow, and Black Russian Terrier.
Owning an arctic dog does not mean you do not have to provide a warm shelter. These
dogs need shelter during the winter too.
Shelter – If you own an arctic breed of
dog it will still need a warm shelter to retire to. This shelter should be sturdy,
with a floor. The floor should be 1 – 2" off the ground. The cold ground can literally
suck the warmth out of your dog's body. By elevating the floor of the shelter and
building the walls so that they touch the ground, you leave a pocket of air under
the doghouse that can act as insulation. The roof can be peaked and shingled. Size
matters,. Your doghouse walls should be 1 ½ times longer then the dog and 1 ½ times
taller then the dog, measuring from the ground to the shoulders. If the doghouse
is made too big, the air inside will not fully warm and the dog will use a lot of
energy trying to stay warm.
Warmth - All animals that are going to
spend the winter outside need warmth. I know some dog owners who keep their dogs
outside and provide wonderfully for them. Most of these people own hunting dogs
or are very active and spend a lot of time with their dogs. These dog owners are
over achievers and have heated doghouses Heated doghouses are definitely the way
to go for outside dogs but take care not to use portable heaters as a heat source.
They can burn your pet or start a fire. Bedding will also be needed. Straw and cedar
can lead to allergy problems so I would stick with rugs and blankets that can be
laundered.
If the temperature drops and your pet is
shivering then it is time to come inside. Older pets of any breed are more at risk
for freezing then younger pets. Older dogs also suffer with arthritis which can
be more troubling during the winter.
Watch for frostbite, usually on ear tips,
tail, and foot pads. Symptoms to look for include: ice on the body, shivering, affected
tissues become red, then pale, then black. Seek help from a veterinarian if you
suspect frostbite.
Some short haired breeds or companion dog
breeds lack an undercoat and will need a doggy sweater if they are going outside
for any length of time. Longer haired dogs should have the coat trimmed around their
paws so ice and snow does not collect around the toes and pads. The coat should
be brushed daily and checked for mats; a matted coat does not insulate as well as
a healthy coat.
Food and Water – During the winter an outside
pet may require more calories in order to maintain a healthy weight. It takes more
calories to stay warm so watch carefully, take your pet to the veterinarian for
weight checks if necessary. An older dog or cat will not be able to withstand the
cold as well as a younger animal so especially watch for weight loss in senior pets.
Water should be provided in plastic bowls
and kept ice free. If your water dish is metal the animals tongue could get stuck
to the side. Remember being told not to stick your tongue to the flag pole?
Heated water bowls can be purchased at
pet stores and on the web
Play and Exercise – Outside pets need to play and exercise during
the winter as well as when it is warm outside. Many times owners become fair weathered
and stop exercising their pets during the winter months.
Don't forget your furry friends during the winter, many health concerns can be found
during play and exercise – watch how your pet moves, is it limping? Limping and
slow to move from a down position to a standing position and vice versa, and a hesitancy
to go up and down stairs could indicate joint problems. Many times joint problems
can be helped with medications prescribed by a veterinarian, don't let your pet
suffer in silence.
Also watch your pet for weight loss. Outside pets need a fat covering to act as
insulation against the cold.
Spending more time with your pet will allow you to notice changes in your pets appearance
and the way it moves and catch health problems sooner rather than later.
Additional Information – Keep pets away from rock salt as it can
burn their paws. If your pet does walk through rock salt, wash its feet with warm
soapy water immediately.
Keep pets away from antifreeze; a very small amount will kill dogs and cats. If
you see your pet swallow antifreeze get it to your veterinarian immediately. The
sooner treatment is started the less damage is done to your pet's kidneys. If treatment
is not provided your pet will die.
Cats like to find warm places to curl up and nap. Unfortunately during the winter
many cats find their way into the hood of automobiles. During the winter, hit the
hood of your vehicle several times to wake and scare the animal from the engine.
Let;s face it, cats live longer as inside pets.
As economy falters, more people giving up pets
Owners are having to decide between animal care and bare necessities
A growing number of Americans are giving
up their dogs and cats to animal shelters as the emotional bonds between people
and pets get tested by the economy.
From the Malvern, Pa., man who turned his
two dogs over in order to help pay for his mother's cancer treatments to the New
York woman who euthanized her cat rather than keeping it alive with expensive medications,
rising economic anxieties make it increasingly difficult for some pet owners to
justify spending $1,000 a year or more on pet food, veterinary services and other
costs.
The population growth at animal shelters
in Connecticut, Nebraska, Texas, Utah and other states shows how the weak economy
is also shrinking the pool of potential adopters. And it coincides with a drop-off
in government funding and charitable donations.
The effect has been cramped quarters for
dogs and cats, a faster rate of shelters euthanizing animals and some shelters turning
away people looking to surrender pets, according to interviews with several shelters
and animal advocates. Of the estimated 6 million to 8 million dogs and cats sent
to animal shelters every year, half are euthanized and the rest adopted, according
to the Humane Society of the United States.
"It's definitely discouraging for us," said
Adam Goldfarb, a Humane Society spokesman. "One of our major goals is to develop
and celebrate the bond between people and animals. It's so tragic when families
reach a point when they can't afford to care for their pets."
With two children, a husband on disability
and a difficult job search of her
own, 23-year-old Mel Bail of Worcester, Mass., had begun feeding leftovers from
family meals to her three cats — Rory, Ozzy and Mudpie — before recently deciding
to give them up.
"When I couldn't pay my gas bill, I knew
I had to find another home for the cats," Bail said.
But it wasn't easy to find a shelter that
would accept them. "They're completely full," said Bail, who ultimately turned to
online classified ads to find homes for Rory, Ozzy and Mudpie.
There is no nationwide data being collected
on the reasons dogs and cats are being abandoned by their owners, but shelter managers
and advocates for animals say the trend is undeniable — and probably a bigger phenomenon
than they are aware of.
"People are embarrassed to admit that's
why they're giving up their pets," said Betsy McFarland, the Humane Society's director
of communications for companion animals.
An Associated Press-Petside.com poll found
that one in seven owners nationwide reported reduced spending on their pets during
the past year's recession. Of those cutting back, more than a quarter said they
have seriously considered giving up their pet.
The average annual cost of owning a dog
is about $1,400, while the average annual cost of a cat is about $1,000, according
to a survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association. The survey suggests
there are some 231 million pets — excluding fish — in more than 71 million homes
in America.
In Omaha, Neb., the Nebraska Humane Society's
shelter began tracking for the first time this year those pets given up because
of financial constraints. Through mid-November, more than 275 pets were given up
because their owners said they couldn't afford to keep them.
Among them are two 9-year-old miniature
schnauzers, dropped off anonymously with a note that said their owners could no
longer afford to keep them.
Humane Society spokeswoman Pam Wiese said
the obedience-trained purebreds came into the shelter up-to-date on vaccinations
and dental care and were well-groomed.
"It is really sad, because for these people,
it is not an excuse. They are absolutely stuck, and they need to downsize and there
is no one to take the pets," she said. "You can tell these have been much-loved
pets."
In New York, Erin Farrell-Talbot recently
made the decision to euthanize her 15-year-old cat, Buki, when she was told within
days of losing her job that he would need thousands of dollars in treatment and
medications costing $65 a month to live.
"When it came down to whether I was going
to charge food for the month of September or give medicine to my cat, that was a
clear decision for me," Farrell-Talbot said. "It was horrible. It killed us."
The Animal Humane Association in Albuquerque,
N.M., saw 69 dogs and cats turned over through September because the owners couldn't
afford to keep them. That compares with 48 in the same period in 2007 — a 44 percent
increase, said executive director Peggy Weigle.
In response, Weigle's shelter began a program
to open its emergency pet shelter — normally reserved for battered women needing
a place to keep their pets for a while — to those suffering financially. So far
this year 45 pets have been taken in through the emergency program, compared with
eight the previous year.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Virginia Beach, Va., recently
began a program called Help Out Pets Everywhere (HOPE) to provide food, medical care and temporary homes for pets belonging to families
with financial difficulties. Eighteen applications were received within the first
week.
The program received 18 applications within
its first week. Some of those people have never experienced hardship until now,
and therefore, neither have their pets, McNally said.
"It's been devastating," said Amy McNally,
a spokeswoman for the program. "For somebody to say, 'I can't afford to feed my
dog' — it's a humbling time."
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