By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Erica Miller, DVM with Apple Lane Animal Hospital notes that preparing your pet for the cold is important.
"Our pets are cold tolerant, but not cold resistant," Miller said. "Dogs and cats with long hair, thick coats, that's going to help them out, but that doesn't mean the cold, especially when we're getting down into these low numbers and into the negatives that they're not going to have issues with that."
It's also important to work on the doghouse.
Say you don't have a garage to bring them inside to," Miller said. "Would that be ideal? Sure, but not everyone has that. Making sure that everyone has some straw bedding, thick bedding. That's going to help with insulation, making sure that its dry. Having straw and things is good, but if it's wet, that's not going to help."
As for indoor pets, they need to be watched.
"It's really dog dependent," Miller said. "When you let them out, try and keep an eye on them and just assess. Do I need to help them back in? Are they doing okay out there?"
It's really vital to have multiple water bowls so you can switch them out and get liquid water out as often as possible.
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