Keeping Your Pet Warm this winter

As temperatures begin to drop outside, pet owners need to be mindful about leaving their pets outdoors for long periods.

When the temperature begins to drop, it is important to consider your pets,  ideally they would be best inside out of the cold and weather, but if your dog cannot be brought inside, it must have some sort of shelter with bedding that is the appropriate size for the animal to conserve its body heat. A large doghouse will not work for a small dog because it doesn’t allow the dog to conserve his body heat.

Pet owners who move their dog in the garage during cold weather need to remember to remove all toxic substances—such as antifreeze or Coolants. Dogs and cats love the taste of the sweet smelling, but toxic substance.

Dogs also need more food in cold weather; they burn more calories to keep warm.

In the colder parts of Australia, it's a good idea to check your pets water each day to ensure the water hasn't frozen over night, if it has, change the water so your pet doesn't get dehydrated.

Flea and heartworm preventatives are also important to keep applying. Many areas don’t get cold enough to entirely kill all fleas and mosquitoes, which cause heartworms.

Also, cats like to crawl into car engines to stay safe and warm, so make sure felines are accounted for before you start the car. Beeping the horn usually works.