Keeping pets safe in cold weather

With the temperatures continuing to drop in the winter months, you have to consider your furry friends.

Animals can be left in the car for short amounts of time because it’s not as dangerous as leaving them in the heat.

“When you’re shopping for a while and you leave them in the car, it shouldn’t be any problem for them. But if they’re in the back of a pick up that just has a camper shell on it and they’re sitting on metal then they’re going to get cold pretty quick,” says Dr. Leslie H. Stone, Northgate Veterinary Hospital.

But it’s best to keep your pets inside when the temperatures fall below zero. Even though dogs enjoy the snow, being too cold can be deadly.

“They just go outside, go to the bathroom, play around in the snow, have a good time about 10-15 minutes, then they come back in the house,” says Dr. Stone.

Dogs need to be acclimated to the cold in order to stay outside.

“If you’ve had them in all summer long, all fall and now all of a sudden you’re going to put them outside and expect them to stay outside, no, that doesn’t work,” says Irene Brown, Animal Services Manager for Idaho Falls Animal Control/Idaho Falls Animal Shelter.

If you’re keeping your dog outside there are legal requirements, which include a shelter.

“You need to keep it out of the wind and have a dry place for them to be and you have to have adequate water at all times. Believe it or not, dogs drink more water when it’s cold than when it’s warm,” Brown.

But sometimes it’s just too cold.

“Until it starts to get around, five to 10 below zero, when it starts getting that cold, it’s time to bring the dog in,” says Brown.

“It’s inhumane to them, it’s no way to treat them, they’re miserable, it’s just not fair to the dog,” says Dr. Stone.