6 Ways To Avoid Pet Injuries This Winter In California
A significant storm over the last several days created many impacts across California, causing some cities to flood, and higher elevations to record several feet of snow.
More than 7 inches of rain fell in Ventura County, causing flash flooding early Saturday morning according to The Associated Press. The excess rain caused roads to flood, which stranded cars on roadways. On Saturday morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department ground and air responders rescued four people and five animals from flooding in Encino. Two of the individuals were suffering from hypothermia and were transported to an area hospital. The other individuals and the five animals were all uninjured.
Source: By John Murphy, AccuWeather staff writer
While pets love to play in the snow, winters can be very harsh on them. Winter is the time of the year when injuries to paws can occur from snow, chemicals in the ice melt products, etc. Lesions on legs, cut on paws, skin irritation, and diarrhea are the common problems we see in pets during winters. Prevention is always better than cure. Apart from using a pet safe ice melt, there are several things we can do to protect our pets. Let’s find out.
Here Are 6 Things You Can Do To Protect Pets This Winter
1- Keep them inside
Repeatedly coming out of the cold into the dry heat of your home can cause itchy, flaking skin. If your dog is not a breed born to endure freezing temperatures, then keep it inside. Small dogs with thin coats are more susceptible to getting frostbite and hypothermia.
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2- Take extra care of their feet
Clip the extra hair on the bottom of your dog’s feet before the snowfall. When they’re back from the walk, wash their feet with warm water and dry them with a towel. While you might be using a pet-safe ice melt, chances are your neighbors may not be using a safe ice melt. Carefully clean their feet especially in between their toes. You can also invest in snow booties. However, it takes a little time for the dog to get used to it.
3- Use the right ice melt
Antifreeze is not safe to use around pets. Not only does it contain harmful chemicals, but it is also sweet and therefore very tempting for pets. Rock salt which is most commonly used to melt snow is also not safe for pets. Most of the brands use either magnesium chloride or calcium chloride, or potassium chloride in their products. These chloride-based products may cause problems like skin irritation, eyes, nose and lung burning, and nausea if ingested.
Therefore, carefully choose a 100% pet-safe ice melt that will not burn their paws or poison the pet if ingested. Your ice melt should be a salt-free, chlorine-free, and acetate-free formula. It should be completely safe ice melt for pets, kids, and the environment.
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[wpc-weather id=”2653″ /]4- Keep them warm
If it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pet as well. Make sure your pet has a warm and cozy place to sleep. A dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect. You can also get them a winter jacket for temperatures below 20° F.
5- Moisturize
Just like the cold air dries your skin, it does the same to your companion’s skin too. You can’t smear her with lotion, but you can apply some coconut oil or healing balm on her nose and paws. Don’t bathe her often.
6- Enjoy when it’s sunny outside
In the snow time, your pet friend will spend limited time outside. On the days when it’s sunny and warm, go out to play together in the afternoon.
