Keeping pets warm throughout the winter
Kake
(KAKE) WICHITA, Kan. – If you don't take the right measures for yourself and your dogs, dealing with these severe temps may be painful.
It's probably too chilly for your pets to be outside if it's too cold for you.
If a dog has to go outdoors for a restroom break, make it quick, according to Kayla Horsley, a vet staff member at Caring Hands Humane Society in Newton.
She suggests wrapping them in a sweatshirt or wearing boots to keep them warm.
She advised that while bringing dogs for walks in the winter, they should clean their feet and tummy to avoid any non-pet-friendly salt on the pavements. Ingesting it, she suggested, might be deadly for dogs.
During the winter, people should be on the watch for cats as well.
"When you go out and start your car in the morning, just sort of bashing on the hood a couple of times or if you get in your car, blow your horn before you really start it," Horsley said. "That way, if a cat has taken refuge beneath the hood, they'll be able to flee before you start your automobile."
If an animal must be outside, she recommends providing them with a shelter with four robust walls and enough straw to keep them warm. Extra food and water will be beneficial because animals burn it off more quickly in the winter to remain warm.
She said that if you observe a pet outside without shelter, food, or water, you should contact the police or animal control.
Animal Control in Sedgwick County may be reached at 316-660-7070.
Details: https://www.kake.com/story/45575486/protecting-pets-during-cold-months
