While McAllen is known to have pleasant winter months, it’s also very unpredictable and you never know when the weather will turn against you and your pets. In a previous blog, we shared some important pieces of advice to ensure your pooch spends our relatively calm winters in complete comfort. Now, the veterinarians at Valley Animal Hospital will give you more tips to help keep your best friend as warm and comfortable as possible.
At Valley Animal Hospital, we know how much your pup’s life means to you, so let us keep him as healthy as possible today!
Watch the Paws
Chances are you wouldn’t go out barefoot during a cold day. Same goes for your pooch! Frosting can be a very serious issue that can affect your dog’s paws, ears and the tip of their tail. To prevent any dangerous problems, make sure to keep your furry friend warm when out for walks with special boots, coats and maybe even a hat.
Chemical Danger
Dogs are known to lick almost anything that spills and, while adorable, it can prove to be dangerous during the winter months. This is because wintertime chemical spills, such as antifreeze, are caused by car radiators. If your dog licks even the most insignificant amount of antifreeze, it can be deadly.
To prevent this, clean up any spills in your garage and keep your pups away while doing so. You should also keep your dog from straying too far from you during walks. Remember, if you see your dog acting “drunk” or starts convulsing, it could be a sign of poisoning, so take him to Valley Animal Hospital immediately.
Check the Car
Dogs and especially cats are regularly attracted to the warmth coming from a car’s motor during the cold winter months. Dogs will often lie down underneath the vehicle and cats will do their best at sneaking inside the motor. As you can imagine, this can be dangerous when you turn on your vehicle without knowing your pet’s whereabouts. You can avoid this problem by tapping on your vehicle’s hood to wake up any surprise guests. Sure, your pooch may be mad at you for waking him up, but you know it’s for the best reason.
Stay Warm Out There!
Preparing your pet for the cold winter months is mostly common sense, but our veterinarians at Valley Animal Hospital hope you can use our tips to keep your pup as warm and comfortable as possible. Our goal is to keep your pet healthy at all times, so give us a call in McAllen for more information about what we can do to help.
