Oh, Boy, It Is COLD Outside!
The Prairieland Animal Welfare Center would like to remind pet owners they need to take special care of their animals during the cold winter weather. If you have outdoor pets, please consider bringing them inside if the temperature is 32 degrees or less!
Pets, especially small ones, can freeze in cold weather! If you must keep animals outside, be sure they are in a barn, garage, shed, or other shelter from the wind and weather. Line the area where the pets will be with several layers of straw, newspapers, or other material which can be disposed of at the end of the season. If you have a doghouse or an igloo, consider lining it inside and outside with towels, blankets, or other materials which will prevent drafts. Be sure all pets have additional cold water during spells of extreme cold and be sure that those animals do get to come inside where it is warm several times a day to "thaw."
If you have indoor dogs, consider a sweater for them, especially short-haired breeds, when they go outside during severe cold. Dogs which are inside most of the time will react strongly to the severe cold.
Use common sense with care of your pets during extreme periods of cold and severe weather. They are susceptible to frostbite, freezing, and dehydration just as we humans are when we are outside in severe conditions!
