Winter Hazzards!?

Question

What are some winter hazzards you know our dogs are facing? How do you prevent them?
Let pass on some useful things we do to help our canine friends.

Wow! Some really great answer's so far.
abhorma: Maybe you'll get some more hazzards to add to your list! :)

What about Ponds and Lakes?

Thanks Kit_Kat! Oh for mild winter here in New England!

Susan: the weather here gets very cold and we also get a lot of snow too! It may not be as bad as some parts of the country but we do get very cold here in CT also.

Answer 1

I'm so glad you asked this question. I asked a similar one the other day and got some pretty good answers. I was putting together a Winter Care Guide for my mastiff group and I finished it the other day.
Basically the document contained info and links for people to purchase paw wax or bag balm for winter paw care, boots ( although mine wont wear them as far as I know), and safe ice melter salt for the front walk and driveway. Here are the links I gave:

Safe Pet Ice Melter
8 lbs. 12.82
20 lbs 15.39
http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-6677

Bag Balm
$7.99
http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/detail?prodid=576025&deptid=2496&catid=2562&subcatid=2564

Shaws Paw Wax
$5.99
http://www.dog.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=370101&Cat=

Muttluks Dog Boots
$42.99
Set of 4 boots
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3514&N=2001+113635

I also included a bit on frostbite and hypothermia that I will paste here below:
FROSTBITE
The preliminary signs of frostbite in dogs are easily missed because the areas that are affected are usually covered with hair. The areas of the body most frequently involved are the ear tips, tail, scrotum, and other exposed extremities. When frozen or near-frozen, the skin appears very pale. As the skin warms, it becomes somewhat reddened and the area becomes painful. Eventually, the skin becomes scaly. If blood circulation has been severely affected, the tips or edges of the skin may actually die and slough off. First aid in early stages of frostbite involve warming the area gently with warm water. Do not massage the area, as this may cause release of dead tissue toxins into the blood stream or further damage already impaired tissue. Apply a protective vaseline-based ointment and cover the area, if possible. Severe cases of frostbite may necessitate amputation of affected tissue. Seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.

HYPOTHERMIA
By definition, hypothermia is a lower-than-normal body temperature. The normal body temperature in a dog is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees. With significant hypothermia, a dog becomes physically and mentally sluggish. With severe hypothermia, he may be unconscious. The first thing to do when a dog is hypothermic is to start to warm him up SLOWLY. If water of varying temperatures is available, start with cool water and warm it up slowly over 1 - 2 hours. If you are in the field with the dog, wrap a "space blanket" around both yourself and the dog so that your own body heat can be transferred. Have the dog assessed by a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season!

Wow this is great - I CAN add a few new things for sure. Not sure what the thumbs down is for - in questions like this one, a thumbs down can send a mixed signal - so just for the record, in important things like this question, if you issue a thumbs down because you think information is incorrect, please respond yourself to the question to correct! If it is just because you dont like the way it is phrased or whatever - move on:) - I am just trying to get important info out there!!

Answer 2

It's important that your dog have proper shelter, as well as food to keep him safe in the winter. A good sturdy dog house with some hay in it will provide shelter - you should have it up on blocks with some foam board insulation underneath it as well. It should have a windproof entrance with a flap to keep the snow and rain out. A black covering on top will help absorb the heat from the sun, and keep ice off the top. Make sure to watch him to make sure it really is warm enough for him - while some dogs can do fine outdoors, Pit Bulls do have short coats and aren't necessarily equipped for winter at night. You should consider bringing him into a pen in a garage when it's really cold. But as far as the food situation is concerned, don't feed him more than he needs before it gets cold out - add a little puppy food gradually as the weather gets cooler, to provide extra calories as he needs to generate more heat. Just a few more kibble every couple days should do the trick, and perhaps a total of 1/2 cup per day during the winter should help. Make sure he has water that is not frozen over with the help of a heated bucket, as well.

Answer 3

I think I can't help much. My dogs are house pets and not allowed to roam at large.
We have very mild winters and even when it snows or ice on the road by mid day it's gone.
I will say I always make sure I have dogfood and cat food on hand just incase but if neccesary will give human food if I should get snowed in.
Sorry I and many people in my area have never had anyprobems in many years so I guess that is good.
I do think this is a good question and I hope it can help many people

Answer 4

Yes Winter here in New England can be fierce sometimes. There are plenty of hazards during Christmas and the holiday season. Shiny decorations are tempting to some dogs and that can turn into a big problem so keep everything out of reach of your canine friends. BRRR...outside now we have about 4 inches of snow and it is COLD!!! My dogs don't like being out for too long now. They run out, do their business, and run back to the door. My golden especially!! He hates snow and yet he loves water....lol I'll never understand that dog. So make sure your dogs aren't out for too long-Especially if they aren't bred for being in cold conditions. Frostbite is an awful hazard in these colder months. Yes as others have said watch for ice and frozen spots of water. That can be a real problem....just last year my Shepherd slipped and pulled a muscle when he was running outside. Now we make him wait and take it easy when he's on his way out. Antifreeze is real yummy to dogs, but is also a deadly chemical. Salt is no good on doggie feet and make sure that ice balls in the pads don't rub on and irritate their skin. Thanks for bringing this up. I hope we and our canine friends can all be a little more careful this winter. Happy Holidays!!!

Answer 5

Don't leave them outside for very long if it very cold.
You can go to Pets-Mart and get boots for dogs.

If you think New England has mild winters you must be mistaken
I know that for the last few year they have had a lot of snow. I know the winter that I lived there 2004 we had 90 inches of snow so. My daughter still lives there and she said they have had snow in Mass already this winter.

Answer 6

Frostbite on pads and ears. Slipping on the ice, Antifreeze, Falling thru the lake or streams. Dogs that are left out in the yard, water freezing, can't stay warm, and freezing into the ground. Snow drifts in the yard can make it easier for a dog to jump the fence. Tripping in holes that you can see in the summer, but the winter snow covers over. Warm / wet tongues on cold metal!

Answer 7

I always take in consideration of the bitter coldness and I don't allow my dogs outside for very long periods of time. Especially my mini dachshund who has very short hair. I also am careful with salt. I don't have a sidewalk leading up to my front door, and my house it up on a hill...so I always tell people to enter my home around the back. There is a long sidewalk and I have to salt it to melt the ice...but this can be hazardous to my pups feet. So, I make sure they keep off of the sidewalk as much as possible and wipe their feet when they come inside.

Answer 8

Backyard pools just before a freeze and just when the ice is melting.

Salt burns their feet. Sub-zero temperatures can also hurt their feet & can be too cold for short haired dogs. Freezing rain hurts their eyes and be sure to dry them off after a walk in the stuff. They can get chilled just like we do.

I'm not a fan of coats and boots because nature will take care of it. Their fur will not thicken to adjust to the cold and the pads of their feet will not toughen naturally if we continue to "protect" them from the elements.

Common sense - that's all it takes !!

Answer 9

Winter hazards is the creek in my backyrad. In the winter it turns to ice. Thin ice. I know it may not be able to hold my 40 pound 6month old bulldog. So in the winter I will keep him away from the backyard but also keep him on the leash most of the time!

Answer 10

Icy spots in the yard (my dogs go into the yard from the deck) and the de-ice chemicals that people use on steps & driveways. The pet store carries a brand that is not harmful to dogs (but i still make sure they cant get to it & we take off shoes outside) The other item is icicles dropping from trees.

Answer 11

Bones-turkey chicken and other small animal bones are very different from teh large bones you find at the pet store. These small bones splinter easily and can cause serious internal damage if swallowed.

Hot Containers-your dog or cat will most likely become curious when they smell something cooking. Keep an eye on hot containers so that your pet does not tip them over and get burned.

Holiday plants-christmas rose, holly, lilies and mistletoe are all toxic!

Ribbons-try not to place ribbons around your dogs neck. It may be cute, but they can choke.

Bubbling lights-olderforms of this light may contain methylene chloride, which is a highly toxic chemical.

Fire salts-contain harmful chemicals

Angel hair (spun glass)- can be irritating to eyes and skin and could cause intestinal obstruction if eaten in large amounts.

Christmas tree water- stagnant tree water or water containing preservatives could result in stomach upset if ingested.

Decoration hooks-Can cause lots of problems if swallowed.

Styrofoam-causes choking

Ornaments-be careful if they are breakable-your pet could step on them or ingest them.

Tinsel-can cause choking and internal tramua if swallowed.

Have a safe holiday!!