Temperatures are dropping this week and that means it’s time to prepare your outside animals for the winter season
Freezing temperatures could spell trouble for your outside pets.
“We think cats and dogs, outside, they were made for outside, but that was a long time ago. Most of them have been taken care of. It’s not in their DNA so much anymore to know how to protect themselves in the cold weather,” said Neshoba County Animal Hospital manager Elizabeth Frohse
Frohse said pet owners can make the winter months much easier on their outside furry friends by preparing ahead of time.
“When the cold weather starts coming in, you need to make sure the outside ones have a place that’s warm, dry, away from the wind and something they can snuggle up in and protect themselves from the elements. You need to keep them healthy. Make sure they are ready for the cold weather,” said Frohse.
Frohse said to make sure outside pets are up to date on wellness checks. If an outside pet becomes ill, she encourages owners to act immediately.
“If they start coughing, runny nose, constantly shivering and they’ve never done that before and whining, then you know something is not right. You need to go take the pet to a veterinarian and let them examine it, because they can start running a fever and get really really sick,’ said Frohse.
For the winter months, Frohse also said not to leave pets in the car, not to shave their coats and to bathe them less.
