PEORIA, Ill. — Winter weather like we’re seeing now isn’t just hard on people, it’s tough on pets too.
Dr. Libby Fort, with All Pets Veterinary Hospital in Peoria, said it’s important to limit how long “Fido” is left outside in the cold, snow and ice.
“Long-haired breeds can have matting of the ice between their pads and their digits. So, you definitely want to keep that in mind…get that out because it can cause irritation,” Fort said.
Even if your dog is typically an outdoor pet, Ford suggests that you bring them inside where it’s warm and dry, when there’s a lot of snow and ice.
When dogs are out in the snow, it’s important to consider the type of dog, size and age too.
“A short-haired coat breed, kind of like a Chihuahua versus a Husky-type breed…the Husky is going to have much more tolerance to the cold than a much smaller breed,” Fort said.
“Older dogs, with ailments, don’t handle winter weather all that well either,” Fort added.
Because of all the snow we’ve gotten, we’ll be doing a lot of shoveling over the next few days.
When it comes to salting your driveway or sidewalks, the kind of salt you use matters.
“Make sure you use pet-safe de-icing products so that you don’t have any pad irritation with that,” Fort said.
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