Adapted from DSPCA

Human animals aren’t the only ones who want to stay indoors and wrap up warm during the cold winter months! We can sometimes forget that domesticated animals are not adapted to live outside under any and all weather conditions. When it gets too cold outside, we need to take some precautions to keep our companions healthy.

Dogs & Cats

• Don’t forget to make sure your companion has access to plenty of fresh drinking water and food. Feed your pet more in the cold weather. They will burn calories more quickly. In order to stay warm they need more food.
• Of course, the best thing for the winter months would be to keep your pet inside. If that is not feasible, their winter home needs to be protected from the elements. It should be at least insulated. If you can have it heated, that is even better. It should also have some kind of door to protect it from the wind, rain, snow and sleet. And the floor needs to be off the ground or else it will be damp all the time. Provide plenty of thick bedding for them to snuggle into.
• Dog kennels should be lined with old rugs and linen to help keep your pooch comfortable and warm. If you don’t have a protected area where your dog can sleep, it’s vital you bring them inside during the wet and windy weather.
• In extreme temperatures we recommend you always keep your companions indoors.
• Your pet’s health needs to be taken into consideration when the weather gets cold. Pets with diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease or hormone imbalances may have difficulty staying warm. Any pet that is not in good health should not remain outside for long, neither should very young or old pets. Arthritic pets need special consideration is the cold weather. Be sure they have a warm place to spend the night with plenty of blankets. If you walk them, be careful of icy areas. A fall may be very painful or cause injury.
• Your dog still needs to be taken for their walk, regardless of the weather conditions. It’s a good idea to wear warm and reflective clothing (High Visibilty Jacket), so that cars and people on bikes can see you – and it’s just as important for your dog too. Get a reflective collar and lead, and a winter coat for your dog so that they can easily be seen when out on an evening walk.
• Remember that you still have to pick up their poo even in the dark, so a torch and bags are a must.
• Make sure that your cat has a proper cat safety collar on, especially one with reflective pieces on it.
• Never let your dog off the lead on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm – dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost.
• More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
• Thoroughly wipe off your feline and/or canine companion’s legs and stomach when they come in out of the sleet, snow or ice. They can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking their paws, and their paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice. Watch for dog’s and cat’s paws becoming impacted with snow – this can cause discomfort.
• Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry them before taking them out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting them a coat with a high collar, with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly.
• However, putting a coat or sweater on your pet may help some, but probably not as much as you think. Pets loose a lot of heat through the pads of their feet, their ears and from breathing. So don’t assume that your pet will be fine simply because you’ve provided them with an extra layer.
• If you pet starts to whine, shake, shiver, become anxious, slow down or look for someplace to burrow into, they may be trying to tell you that they are cold and want to go inside.
• Frostbitten skin may be red or gray. It may peel or loose its hair. If frostbite occurs, apply a warm, moist towel to the area until the skin looks normal. Contact your veterinarian for further instructions. Ice crystals may have formed under the skin. For this reason, do not rub the skin as the ice crystals can do a lot of damage.
• Hypothermia occurs when your pets body temperature falls below normal. Early signs are shivering, signs of depression or lethargy, and weakness. Signs of more progressed hypothermia are stiff muscles, slow breathing and heart rate, no response to stimuli. Immediately make your pet as warm as possible. Wrap it in a blanket. You may use as hot water bottle (not directly on the skin) or electric blanket. Then get to the vet as soon as possible.
• Cats also prefer to be snuggled up inside while the rain and snow falls. A comfortable chair, basket or even a box can make the perfect bed for your feline friend. They’re always happiest sleeping by the fire or in front of the heater. (But do be aware of fire hazards – be sure a space heater is one that cannot be knocked and be sure bedding is not too close.)
• And it’s important that you keep a close eye on your pets if they’re warming themselves by the fire, because they could burn themselves if they get too close.
• Remember! During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.
• Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
• Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take them outdoors only to relieve themselves.
• When thunderstorms are forecast, the best place for your pets is indoors with you. The loud claps of thunder and bright lightening can be distressing for animals.
• It’s very important to make sure dogs and cats are IDed and microchipped, in case they’re spooked by the weather and run off.

Bird Companions

Our feathered friends also need extra care during the winter months.

• We recommend birds are placed somewhere out of the wind and rain, in a draught free spot. It’s not a bad idea to bring the cage inside but it needs to be kept well away from the heater.
• Don’t forget to make sure your companion has access to plenty of fresh drinking water.

Outdoor Companions

If you have a rabbit or a guinea pig in the garden then it is really important that spend some extra time on them at this time of year. Their hutches can get really cold and damp if not sheltered from the bad weather.

• Move the hutch to a more sheltered area, maybe outside the back door, in the side passage or into a shed or garage. Indoors is best.
• Make sure they have plenty of nice warm, fresh bedding to snuggle down in and change it regularly.
• In extreme temperatures place extra bedding in their homes. Better still, move them to a shed or garage for extra shelter or indoors if you have a downstairs loo or a utility or cloak room that can be used temporarily to keep them sheltered.
• Rabbits and guinea pigs will naturally eat more in the winter so that they have extra fat to help them stay warm, so make sure you give them plenty of food, fresh vegetables and fresh water.
• Don’t forget to check that the water does not freeze in the water bottle!

Horses & Ponies

• If you can’t reach your horses/ponies on a daily basis do ensure that you alert someone close to them so that they can keep an eye on them for you. Or else source a location closer to you.
• Don’t forget if you have your horse rugged you need to check on it at least twice a day in case it gets caught in fencing, gets a strap caught on a leg, etc.
• They must have a constant supply of fresh water, and make sure ice has not formed on it.
• They will need extra food – winter grazing provides very little nourishment and, with fields covered in snow, there’s little or nothing for the horse to eat.
• They should also have access to shelter and blankets.
• If you see a horse in a field, please contact the owner of the horse. If you can’t do that, contact the owner of the field.
• If you can, please feed the horse and make sure it has fresh water.
• In an emergency, call the ISPCA for help.

Feeding the Birds

Don’t forget to look after any wildlife in your garden. During the winter, and certainly in sub-zero temperatures, birds will have difficulty finding food supplies such as insects, seeds, berries, etc. An extra bit of care from you will keep them going and hopefully see them through this difficult time. Wild bird seed, peanuts and suet slabs are widely available in shops and garden centres.

Here’s some useful Wild Bird treats and accessories you may already have in your kitchen cupboards.

• Use upside down bin lids as water dishes. Check them daily in case they freeze over.
• Peanuts, (monkey nuts) in shells threaded together on a string – make sure they are unsalted.
• Grated cheese. Robins love this.
• Pastry, stale cake or biscuits and breadcrumbs. (Moisten bread if it’s very dry.)
• Melted fat can also be poured onto bread to make a ‘bird cake’.
• Cooked rice or pasta.
• Fat from bacon rinds. Robins love this too!
• Dried fruit, but soak in water first.
• Bruised fruit, such as pears and apples.

Many birds prefer to eat off the ground – robins, blackbirds, thrushes and certain other birds are not used to eating from a table – so remember to place some feed on the ground.*

* Be aware that some fruit such as grapes, sultanas, raisins and artificial sweeteners can be toxic to dogs and other domestic animals, also to some wild animals, so place on a raised table and do not scatter these on the ground.

Frozen Ponds

If you have a pond in your garden, please check it each day for ice. Toxic gasses can build up in the water when it’s frozen. This may kill fish or frogs hibernating at the bottom of it.

• If the pond freezes over place a saucepan of hot water on the surface to gently melt a hole in the ice.
• Never tip boiling water straight onto the pond or break the ice with force. This can harm or kill any fish living there.
• Dog owners must keep pets well away from ponds and lakes that have frozen over. Thin ice may break under your dog’s weight.