Help your pets remain happy and healthy during the cold, winter months by following these measures. 

DO:

Keep your home humidified and towel-dry your pet as soon as they come inside. Repeatedly coming out of the cold into the dry heat of your home can cause itchy, flaking skin. Be sure to remove any snowballs from between their foot pads and wash off the salt from their paws.

Give your horses shelter and dry warmth. This will help them escape from the wind and cold. If you have body-clipped your horses, keep them blanketed throughout the winter.

Keep water accessible and offer extra food. Extra food helps generate enough body heat to stay warm. Be sure their water is not frozen.

Keep you cats inside. Felines who spend time outside can experience frostbite or become lost or injured.

Tap your car hood. Neighborhood cats tend to seek warmth from the engine compartment, with many sleeping under car hoods for the night.

DO NOT:

Never shave your dog down to the skin during the winter months. A longer coat will provide more warmth. If your dog is long-haired, simply trim them to minimize the clinging ice balls, salt crystals, and de-icing chemicals that can dry their skin. Don’t forget the haris between their toes. If your dog is short-haired, consider getting them a coat or sweater with a high collar that will cover them from the base of their tail to their belly. 

Never leave pets outdoors or in a vehicle. If left outdoors, pets can freeze, become disoriented, lost, stolen, injured, or killed. Additionally, don’t leave pets alone in a car during cold weather; cars can act as refrigerators that retain the cold and can cause animals to freeze to death.

Do not bathe often. Washing your pet too often can remove essential oils and increase the chance of developing dry, flaky, skin.