Salt and paws
The salt and other de-icers spread on pavements irritate paw pads, which can crack and hurt. Back at home, a dog licks its paws and swallows the salt, which can upset its stomach.
After every walk, wipe the paws with a damp cloth and dry them, including between the toes. Long-haired dogs pick up balls of snow and ice between their toes, so check their paws more closely.
Antifreeze: a sweet poison
Antifreeze can leak from a car in a garage, a yard or a car park. It tastes sweet, so a dog or cat will lick it readily, and even a small amount is dangerous: it damages the kidneys.
Keep antifreeze tightly closed and out of animals' reach, and wipe up any spill at once. The first signs can look like drunkenness, and the kidney damage only shows later.
Who feels the cold more
Short-haired, small, lean, young and old dogs cope less well with the cold. A coat or jumper helps them keep warm, and on cold days shorter walks are better.
A dog that shivers, lifts its paws off the ground, slows down or wants to go home is telling you it is cold. Do not leave an animal in a cold car or outdoors for long.
Cats, engines and thin ice
Cats that roam outdoors creep into warm car engines in the cold. Before you start the car, knock on the bonnet and give a cat time to get out.
Ice on ponds and rivers can be thin, and a dog chasing a bird can fall through. Keep your dog on a lead near water. If your dog falls through the ice, do not go onto the ice yourself; call the rescue services.
What to do
- After every walk, wipe and dry your dog's paws.
- Do not let your dog lick salt off its paws or eat snow by the road.
- Keep antifreeze closed and wipe up any spill at once.
- Put a coat or jumper on a short-haired, small or old dog in the cold.
- Knock on the bonnet before you start the car.
- Keep your dog on a lead near frozen ponds and rivers.
When to contact a vet urgently
Contact a vet straight away if your dog or cat may have licked or drunk antifreeze, even if it seems well: signs can show later, once the kidneys are already damaged. Contact a vet too if your pet staggers as if drunk, is vomiting, is drinking a lot, has cracked and bleeding paw pads, is limping, will not stop shivering, has become dull, or has fallen through ice.
For dog owners
For cat owners
Substances
Dog clothing
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