The cold, hard facts of winter

Burnside - Its that time of year again when SPCAs across the country start receiving calls from concerned animal owners/lovers alarmed that neighbours cats, dogs and even farm animals are being left outside in the cold weather.

Cruelty officers are kept busy all winter long investigating complaints of animals being left outside. While the SPCA wants everyone to keep their pets indoors during the coldest months of the year for their protection, unfortunately many people still believe its OK to leave their animals outside for hours or days at a time.

What many people dont realize is it can be very dangerous and even fatal for pets to be left outside unless strict precautions are taken to ensure their safety. The N.S. Animal Cruelty Act was created to ensure animals were being properly cared for and not suffering abuse. Leaving an animal without proper protection/shelter, food or water are all punishable under this Act.

One major consideration to take into account when an animal is outside in winter is the age of the pet. The age can aid in determining how tolerant the animal is to the cold. As an animal gets older it becomes less tolerant to cold and even animals that may have been used to being outside will start to be bothered by inclimate weather.

Conditions such as weight loss and arthritis will also make pets more sensitive to the cold. Young animals, short-coated breeds, toy dogs and older pets shouldnt be exposed to the cold for longer than 15 minutes at a time. Animals feet and ears can freeze very quickly and the SPCA sees animals affected by frostbite every year.

Healthy animals with thick coats may be more tolerant of spending time outside as long as they have the proper protection against the elements. Any animal thats going to be outside for periods of time, regardless of the season, must have a shelter that provides maximum protection. The shelter must be large enough for the pet to stand up, turn around and lie down with its legs fully extended. However, it should also be small enough so the animal can easily warm it with its own body heat. It must also be insulated and water tight, with a floor elevated at least six inches from the ground and a door flap to keep the heat in and dampness out. A damp or wet animal can become hypothermic very quickly in cold temperatures and your pets enclosure should fully protect them from the elements.

Another thing to remember if you plan on leaving your pet outside for an extended period of time is to regularly check their food and water. Soaked foods and their water supply will freeze in cold weather. Replenish your pets water supply at least twice a day with large amounts of warm water. Never use steel or aluminum dishes outside because this will speed up the freezing process. Make sure youre also feeding your pet extra food since fat deposits are steadily being depleted keeping their body temperature up in an attempt to keep warm.

Another thing pet owners need to consider during the winter months is the precautions and dangers of taking your pets for a walk. Salt and ice from the sidewalk can be a hazard to an animal. Remember to wash their feet in lukewarm water, paying special attention to the sensitive skin between their toes, to remove any salt or ice. You dont want your dog to start licking the chunks of salt from their paws because it can cause them to become very ill. Ice and snow can entwine itself into the fur of their feet and cause pain and irritation. Applying petroleum jelly to the pads of their feet can provide extra protection.

Try to avoid bathing your animal during the winter months because wet animals succumb even faster to the cold. Pets seldom need baths and thorough grooming should keep your pet clean. If you do need to give them a bath, remember it can take up to eight hours for a coat to completely dry, so keep your animal indoors and no long walks! A damp animal will find the cold extremely uncomfortable and will make the animal sensitive to respiratory infection, frost bite and in extreme cases hyperthermia and even death.

Two last safety precautions to remember this winter season:

1) Keep antifreeze in a tightly closed, leak proof container that cant be opened by your pet. Antifreeze is highly poisonous to both animals and people. Animals enjoy the sweet taste of antifreeze and less than a teaspoon can cause death to an animal if swallowed.

2) Check under the hood or your car. If you have outdoor cats in your neighborhood, make sure you give the hood of your car a good bang before starting it. Every winter cats are severely injured and/or killed because they have gotten inside the hood of a vehicle to get out of the cold or to warm themselves on the residual engine heat. Cats will look for heat in the most inconspicuous places, but a loud noise should startle the cat and allow it to escape.

Lastly, the SPCA encourages all pet owners to keep their pets inside as much as possible during the coldest months of the year. Although pets enjoy being outside, extremely cold weather can be life threatening. Being in the cold is no place for an animal to spend its time alone. For a dog, living in an isolated doghouse in the cold is no substitute for being inside with a loving family for company. Pets were created to be our companions, so allow them to be your companions in the comfort of your home away from all the outside dangers.

If youre concerned about an animals welfare, have witnessed an animal being left outside without proper protection or have witnessed or know of animal abuse/cruelty, please call our provincial office of the N.S. SPCA at 902-835-4798. All calls are strictly confidential and your call may end up saving an animals life. The N.S. SPCA is a non-profit, registered charity run by a volunteer board, publicly funded, organization solely concerned with animal welfare, protection and humane education. Please view our website at http://www.spcans.ca.

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