Hypothermia in Pets: What You Need to Know

As we move through winter and the chances of single-digit temperatures increases, make sure you know the signs of hypothermia in cats and dogs to avoid risk of injury or death.

When cats and dogs are exposed to the cold for too long, their body temperature — which is usually between 101°F and 102.5°F — can drop fatally. Your pets can develop hypothermia if they get extremely cold and can’t warm up. If it’s not treated quickly, it can cause their body to shut down. Your pets are at risk if they’re out in the cold for too long without shelter from the weather or if they suddenly become very cold, such as falling into freezing water.

All that fur isn’t enough to protect them from the cold temperatures. While pets with thin coats feel the cold weather faster than pets with thicker fur, any pet can become seriously ill if the temperature of their body drops too low.

The best thing you can do is to bring your pets inside when temperatures are harsh. Always keep in mind that if you wouldn’t want to be outside in those conditions for long, your pets don’t want to be either. Watch to be sure your pets aren’t shivering or in a curled position. If they are, it’s probably too cold and you’d better bring them inside quickly.

If you didn’t notice soon enough, your dogs and cats may show life-threatening signs of hypothermia. These include:

• Violent shivering, followed by listlessness

• Weak pulse

• Paleness (lift the lips to see the color of the gums)

• Low energy and seeming very sleepy

• Muscle stiffness

• Bad coordination

• Problems breathing

• Lack of appetite

• Rectal temperature below 98°F

• Coma

• Cardiac arrest

Acting quickly and doing the right thing could save your pet’s life. Hypothermia is an emergency and you should phone your vet immediately.

If you think your pet is suffering because of the cold and might have hypothermia, here are some simple things you can do while you speak to your vet:

• Get your pet out of the cold. Warming them up too quickly can be a shock for their body so take them somewhere sheltered and warm but not very hot.

• Dry them gently with a towel if they’re wet. 

• Slowly warm them up by placing blankets underneath and over them.

• Take care not to make your pet too warm, as this can also be dangerous.

• Offer your pet some warm (not hot) water to drink.

• Take your pet to the vet. It’s important for your pet to receive an examination, even if you think they’re okay.

Caution:  Do not use hair dryers, heating pads or electric blankets to warm up a hypothermic pet. This may result in burns or cause surface blood vessels to dilate, which compromises circulation to vital organs.

Remember, the best way to prevent hypothermia is to avoid it. Always provide warm, dry shelter for pets when they're outdoors.

Keep Your Pets Safe During the Holidays

As the holiday season nears and we start decorating our homes in celebration, be sure to think about the safety of your pets. So many festive items can attract their attention and curiosity, but they can have hidden dangers. Pay attention to these tips to avoid a trip to the emergency veterinarian.

Food

Keep pets away from chocolate. Most pet owners already know that chocolate is toxic to pets. But don’t forget that the wrappers are dangerous too. They can cause intestinal obstructions that require surgery to fix. And while it may be tempting to toss your pet a small slice of ham, you need to be careful about what you feed your dog, especially on the holidays. Raisins, bacon, milk, and onions are just some of the many foods that can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Plants

That pretty poinsettia looks so nice on your table, but they are toxic to animals and can cause vomiting and other stomach issues. Mistletoe also poses a serious risk to your pets with the potential to cause hypotension, ataxia, seizures, and even death. Holly leaves and berries are low toxicity, but can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression in animals. 

Christmas Tree

If you like tradition and decorate a real pine tree in your home, be sure to keep your pet away from the tree’s water supply. Stagnant water, with or without a preservative, can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Decorations

Make sure to hang ornaments higher on the tree where your pet can swat them. Glass ornaments can break and potentially cut your pet’s paws or face. Worse yet, they can cause internal lacerations if ingested. And beware of tinsel. Cats especially find it fun to play with. If ingested, it can obstruct the gastrointestinal tract and require surgery to remove. Finally, unplug electrical cords when not in use and monitor your pet while they’re plugged in. If your pet chews on them, they could cause oral burns, seizures and death. 

If you suspect your pet has ingested something harmful, contact your veterinarian or the West Virginia Poison Center at 800-222-1222. It’s a good idea to program these numbers into your phone so they’re easy to find in an emergency.

4 Easy Tips to Keep Your Animals Safe this Winter

The warm summer weather is almost a memory now, and as kids (human and furry) get ready for trick-or-treating, it’s a good time to make sure your pets are ready for the frigid winter temperatures.  

While it might seem that all that fur should keep them warm, that’s not actually the case, especially for short-haired animals or if the fur gets wet. And in case you didn’t realize it, your pet’s toes, nose, and ears are even more vulnerable to cold.  

Provide Safe Shelter

Pets need protection from extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. In winter, that means proper shelter, plenty of food and lots of water. You must take precautions when temperatures drop below freezing, but remember, if the weather is too cold for you, it’s also too cold for your pet.

The best way to keep your pet safe in the winter is to keep him inside with you. If that’s not possible, you must take a few simple steps to provide protection.  

• Make sure your pet has warm, dry, draft-free, covered shelter, preferably in a garage, shed, or beneath a carport or porch awning.

• Warm that shelter with bedding you check every day. Wet bedding can be fatal.  You may want to look into purchasing electric heating products specifically made for a dog or cat.

• An online search will show you many options for outdoor pet shelters, but with a little time and effort you can make one yourself. Take a look at this 5-step winter cat shelter and these tips for winterizing a dog house.

• Provide fresh, unfrozen water to your pet every day. Inexpensive warmers can keep your pet's water from freezing.

• Provide plenty of food as pets need more calories in the winter to help them keep warm, but be sure that other animals like squirrels and raccoons aren’t able to get to it.

Don't assume that your pet’s refusal to come inside means that he isn’t freezing. Often, dogs that are too cold will curl up in a fetal position and stay still in order to retain whatever body heat they have left.

Also, remember that puppies and kittens, as well as older dogs and cats, should remain indoors when it’s cold or wet outside. They just don’t have the fat, metabolism or the full fur coat they need to stay warm.  Sick pets should stay indoors too.

Watch the Salt

When your dog goes outside during the winter, there’s a good chance he’ll step or roll around in rock salt. He may try to lick off the salt which can lead to salt poisoning. This can lead to the destruction of brain cells due to the lack of water, creating neurological symptoms like dizziness, headache, and seizures. Be sure to wipe down your dog every time he comes inside, and make sure he has access to plenty of fresh water.

Lock Up the Antifreeze

Antifreeze is deadly, and it’s one of the most common causes of poisoning in small animals. Keep your pet safe by making sure all antifreeze containers are tightly closed and put away on a high shelf. Also make sure your car is not leaking antifreeze that your pet can find. It takes only a small amount to make animals very sick.

Watch for the signs of antifreeze poisoning and call your veterinarian immediately if you notice any of them:  drunken behavior, euphoria/delirium, wobbly, uncoordinated movement, nausea/vomiting, excessive urination, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat, depression, weakness, seizures/convulsions/shaking tremors, fainting and coma.

Tap the Hood of Your Car

During the cold winter months cats will often seek out any warm space they can find. Sometimes that’s snuggling near a warm car engine. Prevent injuries or death by gently pounding on the hood, slamming the car door or honking the horn, then wait a moment or two before you start the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

5 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Dog

Many of the puppies sold in pet stores or online originate from puppy mills. Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities that mass-produce dogs for sale through pet stores or directly to consumers through classified ads or online. About 90 percent of puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills. 

Owners of puppy mills often focus on profit with little regard for the health and welfare of the animals. While they are legal in the U.S., most of them are not regulated, and practices and conditions in most puppy mills are unethical and appalling. Dogs live in filth without adequate food, water or veterinary care. And female dogs are bred at every opportunity with little to no recovery time between litters. Inbreeding is also a huge problem.

As a result, dogs born in puppy mills often have serious health problems which could mean steep vet bills for you. Also, many pet stores don’t socialize their animals, which can lead to potential behavioral problems.  

Adopting a dog comes with many advantages.  So before you shop for your next pet, consider rescuing one from a shelter.

1. You’ll save two lives. Over 3.3 million dogs enter shelters each year. Sadly, only half of them are adopted while most of the others are euthanized. When you rescue a dog from a shelter, you open up a slot for another one looking for its forever home. And, you’ll feel great knowing you did a wonderful thing. In fact, many people say that rescuing an animal gave them a new, positive outlook on life. So maybe we should say three lives are saved?

2. You’ll get a great dog. It’s a myth that dogs in a shelter are bad. Many are there through no fault of their own. Often it’s because their owner’s living situation changed or they got out of their fence. Most of the dogs in a shelter are mixed breeds, and it’s been proven that mixed breeds are generally healthier because they are less likely to have genetic issues that plague some breeds, such as allergies and hip dysplasia.

3. It will cost less. While adoption fees can be as high as $150 or more, costs for spay or neuter surgeries, microchip, vaccines, and flea, tick, and heartworm preventative will total a lot more.  Many animal shelters include these expenses in their fees, making adoption much more affordable.

4. It takes less work. If you don’t know much about training a puppy or don’t have the patience, you can find the perfect adult rescue dog who’s already house trained and knows his basic manners. But if you like a challenge, you can often find puppies at a rescue.

5. Know the animal’s personality. Rescues and shelters want to make sure that every dog goes to a good home. Finding the right fit is very important to be sure the animal is well cared for and doesn’t return to the shelter. Shelters will give you as much information as possible about each dog’s personality, activity level, how they behave with children, other pets and strangers, and other factors that make for a good fit.