Extreme weather can be harmful to pets, experts say

While many people are well aware of the dangers of being out in freezing temperatures and inclement weather conditions, they may not realize the potential dangers of cold weather on family pets.

According to a press release from the Southeast Kansas Human Society, all pets should be provided with a warm shelter during the frigid winter months. Although it is best to allow these animals to stay indoors when the weather turns bitterly cold, providing a pet a place inside the house is not always possible. In this case, pet owners must provide dogs and cats a dry elevated shelter with clean, dry bedding as a protection from the wind, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, www.avma.org.

"It is best to keep pets indoors during the winter months," AVMA said, "but if this is not possible, outdoor pets must be provided with shelter. Their home should be elevated off the ground to prevent moisture accumulation and have a door of some kind to keep out winter winds, sleet and snow. Shelters should be insulated or heated."

In addition, it is extremely important for pets to have access to fresh water all of the time as the water helps provide them with body warmth, according to the press release.

"Check the water often in these cold temperatures," the Humane Society press release said. "small bowls of water can freeze quickly."

In order to help keep an animal's water source accessible, AVMA recommends the use of thermal units designed to heat the water. Also, pet owners should help their pets maintain a high calorie diet as the extra calories help keep pets warm during the cold-weather months.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, www.aspca.org, pet owners need to be especially careful with outdoor cats that cannot be kept in the house as they can freeze, become lost, stolen injured or killed.

"Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious disease, including rabies from other cats, dogs and wild life," the ASPCA Web site said.

Cats that stay outside during cold weather often sleep under car hoods to stay warm. According to ASPCA, a motorist who has an outside cat should bang on the hood of his or her vehicle before starting the engine. This gives the cat a chance to climb out from under the hood. If the engine is started while a cat is still sleeping under the hood, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. The SEK Humane Society recommends honking the horn on the vehicle before starting the engine.

"A cat may crawl up under your car, seeking shelter and warmth near the engine," SEKHS said. "It may get caught in the fan and seriously injured when the engine starts. On cold days, honk the horn and wait a minute before starting your vehicle. The noise will startle any animal that might be sleeping there."

Pet owners should be cautious with winter-weather chemicals, according to the ASPCA. Rock salt and antifreeze, in addition to other potentially dangerous chemicals can be harmful to pets who may ingest the harmful chemicals when they lick their paws. To help avoid this, ASPC suggests pet owners may want to thoroughly wipe off their pet's legs and stomach when bringing them in from the snow, sleet and ice.