Keeping your furry family members warm and toasty this winter
As winter sets in across our city Sydneysiders are happily reaching for coats, and scarves, and beanies – applying layer upon layer to shield ourselves from the colder months. But are we doing enough to ensure that out beloved pets are also warm and toasty this winter? To find out more about how we can keep our fury family members safe and warm Jess was joined by Dr Liegh Davidson BVSc, BApplSc from Your Vet Online.
You can read more on Dr Leigh’s top tips for keeping your pet comfortable this winter below.
(written by Dr Leigh Davidson BVSc, BApplSc from Your Vet Online)
Learning how to keep pets happy, healthy and comfortable in winter is one of the most common questions I get from Your Vet Online. It doesn’t matter what sort of animal you own, the principles of keeping them happy and painfree during winter are all the same. Here are a few key points:
Keep them warm – what do we mean by this?
For some animals, this might mean A warm coat – think horses that are kept outside, or dogs and cats that are small and have very thin hair coats. They may not need to wear a coat all day, but on those extra chilly days or at night, it can definitely help them keep warm.
The next thing is providing A Kennel or enclosure that is protected from the rain and most importantly from draughts and wind. You can put bedding inside these enclosures, this might straw, sawdust or woollen blankets.
I usually avoid towels, as these don’t really offer a lot of warmth.
Another must is to keep bedding elevated so that it isn’t on cold concrete or ground. If you’ve ever slept on an airbed, you will now just how cold it can get!
Lots of our animals seek out heat, we do need to be careful if we have heaters or a fireplace. Make sure you have screens in place and for cats…something to stop them jumping on top. You don’t want your pet to suffer burns.
As an extra note, I avoid electric blankets with pets. Aside being a fire risk, electric blankets can result in overheating. If your pet has trouble moving, this can mean that they suffer burns. Instead of an electric blanket try a heating pads or disk that can be put in their bedding.
For more top tips including Medication and Exercise check out this article on Your Vet Online.
