Veterinarian offers tips on keeping pets warm during cold snap

As temperatures plummet in our region, we’re not the only ones who will feel the chill during the cold snap.

Pets will be feeling frigid as well, with temperatures dropping to extreme lows.

“For our pets that live inside with us. we’re going to have to be really cautious about them going outside because they’re going to be very susceptible to frostbite,” Dr. Jodyne Green from Green Mobile Veterinary Services.

“We really want to limit the amount of time that they’re spending outside, be very diligent and observant to make sure they’re not exhibiting any signs of cold, and at the first sign that they’re succumbing to the elements they need to come back inside.”

Green said pet’s feet getting cold will one of the first signs, but it’s not the most susceptible area.

“Frostbite is going to effect their ears and their tails, but they’re going to show it in their feet,” she explained.

They’re going to be uncomfortable, they’re going to want to be lifting their feet, showing you that their feet are getting cold, that’s a really good indication that their feet are going to want to come in.”

Green added the other things to watch for are shivering and hunching up.

“For our furry friends that live outside, those cats and dogs, we need to make sure that those outdoor animals, they have shelter,”

“They need to be protected from the wind, they need to be protected from the cold, so these shelters should provide a windbreak, they should be well bedded with an insulating type bedding, so straw, in some cases putting a heating lamp into those shelters will help to make sure our outside cats and dogs stay nice and warm during this cold snap.”

An extreme cold warning is in place for several areas around North Central BC, with temperatures expected to moderate by Sunday.