Make sure your four-legged friends are protected from these dangerously low temperatures.
Dogs and cats also need protection from the wet and cold.
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The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center has these tips for pet owners:
- Keep your pets inside -- cats, small- and short-haired dogs are best kept indoors when it gets cold.
- Inside also is the best place for outdoor dogs. But they need a dry, elevated dog house with clean, dry bedding and a flap over the opening to keep drafts out. Or, consider adding a dog door to the garage/shed with a soft cushion in the warmest corner.
- A bowl of frozen water cannot help a thirsty pet. check outdoor water bowls when it is below freezing. Break and remove ice and refill with fresh water often. Heated water bowls can be purchased that prevents the water from freezing.
- Increase the food amount for outdoor dogs, which need more calories in the winter to produce body heat. On the other hand, if your indoor cats and dogs are getting less exercise in the colder months, they may need fewer calories to avoid weight gain.
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- Chemicals to melt snow and ice on sidewalks can irritate your pet's paws. Wipe them with a wet cloth after an outing. Dogs outside in the snow may need the ice between their paw pads removed.
- Antifreeze tastes good to pets, but it is a deadly poison. The most likely source of the poison is radiator drainage spots in the garage, which should be flushed with water immediately.
- A cat may crawl under your car seeking shelter and warmth near the engine. It may get caught in the fan and become seriously injured when the engine is started.
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More dogs are lost during the winter than any other season, so make sure yours always has its license on its collar, and consider getting your pet microchipped.
You can purchase your 2018 dog license om in Montgomery County through Jan. 31 at mcohio.org/dogs or call 937-225-4314. To report suspected animal neglect or cruelty, call the ARC at 937-898-4457 or email animalshelter@mohio.org
Got a tip? Call our monitored 24-hour line, 937-259-2237, or send it to newsdesk@cmgohio.com.