The Anti-Cruelty Society's Cold Weather Safety Tips

CHICAGO - Jan. 4, 2017 - PRLog -- Winter can be a dangerous season for pets. Follow these tips to help prevent cold weather from affecting your pet's health.

·         Bring a towel on long walks to clean off stinging and irritated paws. After your walk, be sure to wash and dry your dog's feet, legs, and belly to remove ice, salt, and chemicals, and check for cracks in paw pads or redness between toes.

·         If your dog is long-haired, trim the fur around the feet to minimize clinging ice balls, salt crystals, and de-icing chemicals that can irritate feet. Coats or sweaters for short-haired dogs can help them warm.

·         Booties help prevent sand and salt from getting lodged between bare toes and causing irritation. Massaging petroleum jelly or other paw protectants into paw pads before going outside can be a good alternative if your dog doesn't like wearing booties.

·         Although manufacturers are now adding a bittering agent to make antifreeze less attractive, it is still lethal if ingested. Immediately and thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle.

·         If it's too cold for you, it's probably too cold for your pet, so keep your pet indoors! If left outside, pets can get frostbite or even freeze to death. By law, if your dog or cat must live outside, you must provide adequate shelter and bedding.

·         In cold weather, cats that are allowed outside may climb up inside the hood of a car or in a wheel well seeking warmth and shelter. This can lead to injuries or death when the engine is started. To prevent these incidents, keep your cat indoors at all times. To protect other cats, knock on your car's hood or beep your horn before starting your car in cold weather.

About The Anti-Cruelty Society
Founded in 1899, The Anti-Cruelty Society is Chicago's oldest and largest, private, open-admission, unlimited stay humane society. With a mission of building a community of caring by helping pets and educating people, our comprehensive programs and services help over 50,000 animals and humans every year and include: adoption, charity veterinary clinic, low or no-cost spay/neuter clinic, cruelty investigations and rescue, humane education & community outreach, a free behavior helpline, dog training classes, S.A.F.E. program (short-term accommodations for emergencies), The Bruckner Rehabilitation & Treatment Center, the Virginia Butts Berger Cat Clinic, and the Dog Rehabilitation Center. For more information, visit www.anticruelty.orgor call (312) 644-8338.