Some things to consider when winter is in full blast in your part of the country, that relates to your dogs.
- Antifreeze is super toxic to dogs- even a few licks isn’t good. Contact your veterinarian or local ER clinic right away if you have concerns.
- “Death by chocolate” takes on a new meaning when you are a dog- wintertime means many holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day where lots of chocolate is in the house. Milk chocolate isn’t nearly as bad as dark/baker’s chocolate.
- Christmas decorations do not look as good on the inside of your dog as on the tree, so keep them out of their mouths. Usually the senior dogs have more sense than this but sometimes the shiny balls are just too much to resist!
- Frostbite affects some very unfortunate areas of the body such as ear tips, tip of the tail, paws and for the intact boys, their testicles. Ouch! Keep that in mind when we have cold and windy days.
- Ice is slippery. Ice is really really slippery when you are an older dog, especially one who thinks he is still a puppy and runs and falls with his legs splayed out to the side. It looks comical but it really can cause some significant soft tissue and joint pain.
- Offering fatty treats, intentionally or accidentally when there is a counter surfing incident, can often lead to an upset stomach and a very inflamed pancreas known as pancreatitis. Around the holidays, this is a big problem seen at local ER clinics.