When it's cold outside, extra precautions are required to ensure your pet's well-being. Follow these tip to keep your pet warm and cozy during these chilly months.


Cats can get frostbite, and many seek warmth by crawling into car engines, which can be dangerous or fatal. Cats should be kept indoors year-round.

Dogs also should be kept inside if possible. If kept outside, they should have a draft-free shelter large enough to stand and turn around in, yet small enough to retain body heat. Use a layer of straw or other bedding material to help insulate your pet against the cold. Different breeds of dogs have different sheltering needs. Purchase a commercially produced doghouse, or contact your local humane society for construction plans for a doghouse suitable for your climate. Please be sure to contact your veterinarian if you have questions.

After letting your pet out to relieve herself, be sure to wipe her paws when she comes back inside. Tender pads can be injured from salts and other icemelting chemicals. These products can be irritating to skin and mouth. Signs of ingestion include excessive drooling, vomiting, and depression.

Outdoor animals typically need more calories in the winter. This allows their body to produce body heat. Increase the amount you feed your pet if she is allowed to go outside. Indoor only animals may actually need fewer calories to avoid weight gain.


Batteries contain corrosives that, if bitten or swallowed, can cause ulceration in your pet's mouth, tongue, and gastrointestinal tract.

Antifreeze is deadly to pets. The sweet taste is irresistible to animals kept in the garage in colder months. Look for "safe" nontoxic antifreeze and make sure all spills are cleaned immediately and thoroughly. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet may have ingested any antifreeze!

Winter typically is the cold and flu season. Medications as basic as aspirin can be harmful and dangerous to pets. Do not medicate your animal yourself unless under the direction of your veterinarian. Keep all prescriptions and over the counter drugs out of animals reach.

Rat and mouse killers are used more frequently during the winter months. Place

these products in areas that are inaccessible to your pet.

If you suspect your pet has gotten into a potentially poisonous substance, call your vet immediately! Have the telephone number to your local emergency animal hospital readily available.

- American Humane Society

The Fredericton SPCA offers the top ten guidelines to follow to keep your pet safe this winter. You can view their list by clicking here.

Please visit the N.B. SPCA website by clicking here to read an article about the dangers of antifreeze.

The holidays are a popular time for welcoming a new furry friend into your family. There may not be a greater gift for homeless animals than to open your heart and home to them. As they do year-round, animal shelters have thousands of wonderful companions available for adoption. But, whether you are considering a new friend for

you or someone else, remember that choosing an animal is a big decision.

Instead of bringing home an animal right away, consider putting together and wrapping an Adoption Kit for under the tree. Fill a box with toys, a bed, a leash, a collar, food, treats, and a gift certificate for adoption fees at your local shelter. Then,

make an event of visiting the shelter to find your next best friend!

Remember, millions of homeless animals wait for a home each year! Give the gift of life this year and choose to adopt!

- American Humane Society

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4