Pet Owners Warned to Take Care of Animals During Extreme Cold Weather

MEIGS COUNTY – With temperatures dropping the next couple of days in particular, the Meigs County Dog Shelter is reminding residents to take care of their pets or face being sited.

In a statement released on social media, pet owners were reminded that what a husky can tolerate is not the same for a dog with no undercoat. “You will be sited on spot and possibly charged with animal cruelty,” the message read. Dogs can easily get cold, especially if they’re not used to these lower temperatures. It’s recommended that dogs stay indoors if possible. A lot of dogs won’t be able to cope in these temperatures. Without good care, some dogs could develop health issues, like hypothermia, so it’s important that owners take proper care of their dogs. Additionally, it might also be worth visiting Pet Insurance Review to find a good insurance company that could cover your pet. This could be done as a precaution, just in case anything happens to your pet throughout this cold weather. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Pet owners are urged to use heat lamps or even just bring pets inside during the extreme temperatures, if you’re going to be bringing your pets in more during the cold you might want to look at some house cleaning tips for pet owners, after all with pets it’s more of a challenge. Fish can be sometimes forgotten about in this scenario. If you have tropical fish, you want to make sure that you are heating your aquarium adequately and maintaining a stable temperature. As the temperature drops outside, it will drop in your house too if you don’t have the heating on regularly. If you notice your dog does seem in pain at all, ModernDogMagazine has some helpful advice on the various options available for pain relief that you may wish to consider to get your dog back to their happy self once again.

The Humane Society also offers these tips for taking care of pets during the winter months in addition to keeping them inside including: taking precautions if your dog spends a lot of time outside; help neighborhood outdoor cats; outdoor pets need more food in the winter; pets also need plenty of water; plastic bowls are recommended for food and water; be aware of animals using car engines for warmth; salt and other chemicals can harm paws also.

According to the Humane Society, a shelter should be built with specific points to ensure the pet is actually warm, dry and remains so in the shelter. If your pet is outside there should be a shelter that is off the ground a few inches, dry, draft-free and small enough to hold in the animal’s body heat, but large enough for movement. The house should also be turned away from the wind. The doorway should have a flap covering with something that is waterproof like a heavy plastic or other waterproof burlap.