{"id":33276,"date":"2013-02-07T21:43:38","date_gmt":"2013-02-08T01:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/miserybay.usanethosting.com\/wordpress\/?p=33276"},"modified":"2013-02-07T21:43:38","modified_gmt":"2013-02-08T01:43:38","slug":"pet-121","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/pet-121\/","title":{"rendered":"Benny and Jessie's Pet Info"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nKeep your pet safe from wintry weather
\nAs we progress through winter, some parts of the country have been exposed to harsher climates than others. Having grown up on the East coast, I much prefer to live in the consistently warm temperatures found in Southern California. Actually, my seemingly seasonal bouts of bronchitis are much less prevalent now that I\u2019m minimally exposed to “real winter.”
\nBut enough about my health. Let\u2019s discuss how freezing temperatures, accumulation of ice and snow, and man\u2019s attempts to combat winter\u2019s assault put our companion canines and felines at risk for a variety of health problems.
\nWintry Climate Changes<\/strong>
\nFrostbite happens when the skin is exposed to extreme temperatures, which restricts blood flow to the body\u2019s surfaces. Reduced delivery of oxygen and nutrients and removal of metabolic waste contributes to cell damage or death. Body tissues become cold to the touch and appear pale pink, white, or even blue. Unresolved frostbite can progress to gangrene, which requires ongoing and costly veterinary medical and surgical treatment.
\nHypothermia occurs when body temperature drops below the normal range of 100-102.5 +\/- 0.5 in a healthy cat or dog. In order to preserve the vital organs (brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and lungs), blood flow to the extremities (limbs, feet, ears, etc.) is restricted. Hypothermia also contributes to frostbite.
\nExposure to moisture increases your pet\u2019s likelihood of developing frostbite and hypothermia. A healthy fur pelt or moisture repelling-fabric coat can provide limited protection from nature\u2019s assault. Geriatric, juvenile, mobility compromised, and sick pets are more prone to suffering negative health consequences of exposure to wintry weather.
\nMan-Made Dangers<\/strong>
\nFrozen water and frigid temperatures motivate man\u2019s attempts to promote safer walking and driving. Unfortunately, while striving to promote human safety we inadvertently create pet health hazards.
\nRock salt and other deicing agents applied to streets and sidewalks can irritate paws or cause digestive tract upset (decreased appetite, diarrhea, vomit, etc.) if consumed.
\nAntifreeze (ethylene glycol) leaking from car engines creates a toxic pool of palatable liquid that quickly causes kidney failure or even death if ingested.
\nKeep Your Pets Safe from Winter\u2019s Climate Changes and Man-Made Dangers<\/strong>
\nSchedule a wellness exam so your veterinarian can evaluate your pet\u2019s body for disease conditions that can be exacerbated by inclement weather (arthritis, heart and lung disease, hyper-\/hypothyroidism, kidney and liver failure, etc.).
\nKeep cats indoors instead of roaming free. Cold, ice, snow, and increased hours of darkness makes finding the way home more challenging.
\nWalk your dog on a leash and under close observation. Choose sidewalks (free from deicers, of course), lawns, or paths instead of roads where visibility may be limited for oncoming drivers. Avoid areas where antifreeze and rock salt may collect, such as sidewalks and parking spots. Use sand or pet-safe deicers (Safe Paw, Morton\u2019s Safe-T-Pet, etc.) instead of salt.
\nHave your car professionally serviced away from your home to avoid spills of toxic substances like antifreeze. Fill your vehicle with pet-safe antifreeze (propylene glycol, just like the ingredient found in many moist, “faux meat” pet treats \u2026 YUCK).
\nUse a warm-water moistened soft cloth to wipe off your pet\u2019s paws before coming indoors (light colored fabric lets you see the substances coming off your pet\u2019s paws).
\nProperly identify your canine and feline companions with a collar, tag, and microchip. Choose accessories that have reflective properties to reflect the glare of a car\u2019s lights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Keep your pet safe from wintry weather<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pets"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33276\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/archive1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}