We’ve woken up to a winter wonderland here in the Cotswolds this morning with about 8 inches of snow on the ground! As you can see, Jack thinks all of his Christmases have come at once – and Lily is also enjoying pouncing on bits of snow – so the wintery weather is proving a big hit with the animals in the Inglis household!
Snow is not all fun and games though, and it’s important to think about the welfare of your pets in this kind of weather. Here are my top vet tips for looking after your pets in the snow:
- Make sure they can get warm and dry after playing in the snow – towel the dog off and make sure the cat has a warm dry bed to curl up in so they don’t get cold and increase their risk of being vulnerable to infections.
- Watch out for hidden dangers in the snow – dogs in particular love racing around in the snow, but hidden dangers such as sticks, ice-covered ponds and glass can all cause injuries, so make sure you think about where your dog is going and try to limit the risks.
- Clear the way – for your cat to go to the loo! Some cats hate getting their paws wet and cold in the snow and will stay indoors and hold onto their wee (or find somewhere indoors to do it!) If they do retain their wee, they are at greater risk of urinary problems, so it’s worth clearing some snow for them outside so they can use their normal outdoor loo!
- Keep old dogs warm – older dogs, in particular those with arthritis, can get very uncomfortable in the cold so it’s worth putting a warm hot water bottle in their bed (the microwaveable ones are best as there’s no risk of chewing and leaking!) to keep their joints warm and supple.
- A bit of extra dinner – after a long energetic day playing in the snow, why not treat your pets to a bit of extra dinner, or even cook them up something warm from my recipe books?
