For outdoor dogs in cold weather, make sure there is a sheltered dry area where your dog can seek refuge from the wet, muddy climate. The shelter should be a dry bedded area insulated with straw, shavings and other materials that trap warm air. Make sure that you check the dog bedding often for moisture and change it when it becomes wet. Your outdoor dog should gradually be allowed to get used to the changing cold so that they can adjust to the cold. However, in the extreme cold weather, you may have to let them indoors as a precaution. At night when the temperature drops too low, we bring our outdoor dogs indoors until the morning sun shines the next day. On a side note, when you bring outdoor pets inside for a period of time, the indoor air is generally drier and have less humidity, so brush them often and get a moisturizer or supplement for their skin. Ask your veterinarian which would best suit your outdoor dog.

Do not leave your pets outdoors unattended when the temperature gets below freezing! When the weather gets cold, pets must build up a thicker coat and get their footpads toughened for snow and ice. If pets get too cold, they could develop hypothermia or even frostbite. Dog ear tips are especially susceptible to frostbite.

Dogs in the city, spend the majority of their time indoors, and do not handle the extreme cold weather well, at all. For short coat breeds, outerwear should be used to give extra protection from the cold weather. Dogs with short coats should not go outside without a sweater unless it is just a quick trip to relieve themselves. Lately, it has been quite cold here in the California mountains, and the Dachshund next door has very short hair. He spends a great deal of time outdoors during the day and he will getting a sweater today! Other short-coated breeds include Greyhounds, Dobermans, Boxers, Boston Terriers and Chihuahuas.

Outerwear such as dog boots and dog sweaters are necessary in places that have snow and rough winters. Dogs paws are extremely sensitive to cold weather and dog boots or booties are a great way to protect them from rock salt and sharp ice. Thoroughly rinse their feet after being outside, since ice can collect between pets’ toes.

Cats are normally indoor pets, but there are those that like to play outdoors. In winter and cold months, Please Check under hoods of Cars and Trucks for Cats! Cats may seek warmth under the hood of a car or truck. To avoid a surprise in cold weather, always check for sleeping cats. The sleeping cat may not always be your cat seeking warmth, but possibly an neighbor’s cat or a stray.

These are just some brief cold weather tips for pets to help keep your pet family member safe and healthy during the holidays and cold winter months! For more pet supplies, pet clothes and pet apparel, check out our Pet Shop.

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1. Do not feed your pets turkey bones or any bones for that matter. Bones can splinter and break putting your pets at risk for bowel obstruction or perforation and choking.
2. No chocolate for your pet family members because it contains highly toxic theobromine, which can cause a negative reaction in dogs and cats even when eaten in small quantities.
3. Watch your family and friends around food and your pets. Remind them not to feed your pets scraps and snacks that they may have lying around in their plates.
4. Holiday treats for your pets should be celebrated with homemade dog and homemade cat treats.
5. Keep garbage secure and off the floors away from pet access. I do know of any dog and some cats who would not want go buffet style in the garbage pile of food.
6. Remember not everyone likes dogs and cats, so gradually allow your guests to get used to your pets in the house by setting boundaries for your pets. Some dogs will almost always run up to people out of excitement and the outcome may be shocking for the guest as well as the dog.
7. Your pets may not like all of your guests at first meeting, so try to keep guests and visitors from trying to pet or be “too familiar” with your pet. They may frighten the pets which may arouse them to cause biting and other acts of fear.
8. Designate a “quiet room” for your pet so they can retreat from the crowds to a place designated as their safe zone. This will give your dog or cat a place to nap and simply settle down from all of the holiday excitement and re-energize.
9. Be sure to keep an eye on the water bowls. A house full of people can easily stumble and accidentally knock over water bowls and cause your pets to go thirsty. Keep their water bowls filled with fresh water.
10. Keep your eye on your pets and know where they are at all times. Many guests are prone to leave doors open or go in and out of the house which is a prime time for your pet to go for a walk or escape the holiday cheer. Make sure they have their tags and identification during the festivities just in case they make a break for it.

Remember holidays are for fun and good cheer. Through it all remember not to allow your pet family member to feel neglected or ignored. After all, the holidays are for “all of your family members”. Stay tuned for more Holiday Tips for your pets. Happy Holidays!

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The smoke filled skies caused air quality warnings and alerts throughout. People were asked to stay indoors, and keep their pets inside if possible and restrict strenuous exercise. Yet, there were still pets in Southern California who did not go inside and they should be checked to see if they suffered any smoke related illnesses. Pets that lived in the burn areas should also be checked for any signs of smoke and fire hazards.

Just as a caution, if your dog was in the fire areas or in the vicinity of the smoke, which was a large area, look for these symptoms that may indicate a smoke related effect.

• Increased breathing rate and effort, coughing or gagging, lethargy, and weakness could be caused by smoke irritants as well as carbon monoxide poisoning, which can prevent oxygen from being delivered to a pet’s body.

• Stumbling, wobbly walking, collapsing, and decreased consciousness are typically signs related to lack of oxygen delivery to a pet’s brain. Brain damage from lack of oxygen can be temporary or permanent, depending on the deprivation period.

• Red or cloudy eyes, rubbing at the eyes, and squinting are common results of eye sensitivity to the effect of heat and irritants. A pet’s cornea is especially sensitive to smoke and fire.

• Singed hair can be a sign of a burn injury to the skin, even if it does not look serious. Burn injuries can vary in depth and severity, and have the potential to affect other body systems.

According to VPI Pet Insurance, these symptoms may not occur immediately, so just as a precaution, take note if your pet was in Southern California. If you feel that your pet was exposed directly to the smoke or heat or had prolonged exposure to the smoke filled areas and some of these listed symptoms above arose, the pet should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

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Dogs and cats that are generally outdoors may have to adjust slowly to the seasonal changes form cool to hot! That’s exactly what my friend’s dog needed when the temperatures outside went from mid 80 degrees to hot 100′s! All temperatures in this post are in Fahrenheit degrees.

In the last week, temperatures have been going changing from the 90′s up to a 112 degrees at the high time of the day! Most days, my friend’s three dogs stay outdoors for the majority of the day while they are at work. Needless to say, the small dog, a daschund, became weak and unable to walk straight! Luckily, we caught him at the onset of becoming over-heated! We took him into the house and gave him a bowl of cool water and checked him out for signs of heat stroke! He did not display any immediate signs of heat stroke and proceeded to relax and cool down.

According to Krista Mifflin of the about.com network signs of heat stroke as follows:

Early Signs of Heat Stroke
# Rapid breathing
# Dry mouth and nose
# Rapid heart rate
# Dull, greyish-pink, or red gums This Is An Emergency
Even at the earliest stage of heat stroke, you may be fighting for your dog’s life. You must get him to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

These symptoms can be followed in minutes by collapse, seizures, coma and death.

Here are some tips to protect your pets from the hot summer temperatures.

• If your pet stays outdoors, fill a kiddie pool full of water and place it in the shade to allow your dog to hydrate his body. Also, if possible, string a mister system around a porch or patio area that will lower the temperature sometimes by 20 degrees.
• Keep the water bowl filled with clean water and placed in the shade, to make sure your dog can quench it’s thirst.
• Most ideal is to keep your pet indoors when it is extremely hot!

So go out and enjoy the summer and take of pets and children!
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