Winter is almost here and it can be a tough time for us never mind our beloved pets. We thought we’d take five minutes to run though some tips and ideas to help keep our pets safe & warm during the Winter months! From safer Winter walks to avoiding dangerous items that are more about at this time of year.
Let’s start with the Winter dog walks. It’s a wonderful time of year to head out with your furry friend for a brisk walk in the cold Autumn/Winter air. But do remember when the temperature drops our four legged pals need a bit more care and planning for their walkies! We’ve put together a little pre-walk checklist…
1. Proper Apparel – first of all do make sure your dog is wearing a collar and an ID tag and is micro-chipped. Good advice for all year round!
2. Nights are darker which reduces the chances of you both being seen. So do ensure you and your dog are visible with reflective leads, collars & vets.
3. Freezing Temperatures can make dogs feel the cold, especially if they are getting older, they will feel it more. Think about a nice warm coat for their walks and not keeping them outside for extended periods – short brisk walks are better.
4. Ice, snow & grit can be a problem for your dogs during the Winter months. It can get between their toes and become an irritant or worse. Salt and other chemicals used on roads and footpaths can also cause problems. Wipe paws, legs and tummies after walks to remove these!
5. Antifreeze – otherwise known as Ethylene glycol is highly dangerous to dogs. It has a very sweet taste which dogs are attracted to. Even a small amount ingested can cause serevere kidney damage and lead to death. So be sure to keep all antifreeze out of the reach of pets and to mop up all spillages promptly and thoroughly.
I think most dog owners are aware of the dangerous food items that their four legged pals shouldn’t touch day to day. But in the Winter months and especially during the Christmas festivities some of these dangerous foods are more ubiquitous when our guard is also a bit more relaxed. So not harm having a little recap….
1. Chocolate – extremely poisonous to dogs as it contains theobromine. Chocolate is everywhere over the festive weeks so it’s just a matter of being extra careful with it around our pets.
2. Alcohol is very toxic to dogs and cause vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, comas and even in extreme cases death. So again lets be extra vigilant with it over the Christmas period.
3. Mince Pies & Pudding all contain raisins, sultanas and currents, which are toxic to dogs and should be kept in safe place away from their hungry eyes!
4. Artificial Sweeteners particularly ones that contain xylitol with is toxic to dogs. This can be found in many sweet items including some cakes. Best to be safe and avoid these items being available to your pets as the outcome of ingestion in the worst case can be death.
5. Cooked Bones are not safe for your pets. At this time of year it’s very tempting to give your four legged pal leftovers that include cooked bones. These bones are very brittle and can splinter which can very easily get stuck in your dogs throat.
Finally lets move on to the main event, Christmas and all the trimmings that go with the big day! All these things that appear around our house at this time of year can be a bit tempting for pups, especially younger dogs. It’s all about just being aware of what items can be dangerous if your dogs aren’t supervised with them.
1. Christmas Trees –Â real Christmas trees can cause problems for our canine pals – in particular pine needles. These can fall from trees over the festive period and if ingested can cause mouth wounds, stomach upsets or at worse injury by perforating the intestines.
 2. Glass Tree Decorations – again similar to above, these can tend to fall and break into tiny pieces which can cause wounds & cuts.
3. Tinsel – can cause blockages if ingested, which can work it’s way through to the the intestines and be very serious.
4. Fairy lights – the extra cables usually lying about can be a temptation for dogs, especially young puppies. If they chew these it can lead to an electric shock.
5. Toys & Wrapping Paper – Dogs will try to chew anything they can get their mouth on! Especially if they are young and still a pup. New toys and wrapping paper can be a big attraction for your dogs to chew and possibly swallow. These can get stuck in their throat, or you guessed it, the intestine. Wrapping paper though not overly toxic can travel and cause blockages in the the stomach.
6. Batteries – ingestion of batteries at Christmas is more common. This can cause chemical burns and metal poisoning.
7. Silicone Gel – finally a slightly unusual one! These care usually found in packaging and can if ingested cause blockages in the gut.
Winter and the Christmas festivities if great for all the family, including our four legged pals! We just need to extra aware of new things in their environment at this time of year and take action if needed to keep things out of their path that could be dangerous!
Our list is not exhaustive so please add any other things that we should be aware of in the comments! 🙂
