kawerau spca - animal care tips for winter
Winter can be a miserable time for animals. If you are a pet owner, extra care is required to ensure that those who rely on you remain healthy and happy.
Raising dog kennels and rabbit hutches off the ground by a few inches will make the structures less damp, and will minimise heat loss into the ground. The kennel or hutch should also be checked for leaks and draughts.
Blankets will make kennels and pet beds significantly warmer. Second-hand shops are ideal places to shop for recycled bedding. Pet beds should be checked every day and bedding dried out if it is wet.
Animals who live outdoors will use up more energy keeping warm so it is important to feed them adequately. Water in plastic vessels such as buckets, filled to the brim is less likely to freeze completely, than stainless steel containers that are only partially filled.
If you own a rabbit or guinea pig, they will need plenty of hay to sleep in and eat. When giving hay to rabbits, the hay must be over 3 months old to ensure it is not harbouring Rabbit Calicivirus Disease. In the extreme cold of winter, rabbits and guinea pigs are better off housed indoors. This is because animals that are small in size, or those that don’t carry much fat, for example, the very young or old, can get cold very quickly. Hypothermia can be fatal.
Older animals prone to arthritis often get worse over winter, so it is essential to keep them warm and dry. Veterinary treatment and check-ups will be important to give them the best quality of life.
During the colder months, the warmth from a car engine can be an attractive but deadly heat source for cats. Consequently it is a potentially life-saving act to bang on the bonnet a few times or honk the horn before starting your vehicle.
Flea treatment should be kept up all year round. If it lapses, it is likely to result in an outbreak once the warmer weather arrives. Apart from the distress and discomfort caused to the animal, your home could also become infested, as warm, carpeted environments are extremely favourable for the flea life cycle.
Worm treatment should also be maintained continuously throughout the year. It is a vital factor in maintaining your pet’s health, and also your own, because worms are transferable to humans. Children are most at risk. Once in the human body, worms can move to the liver, lungs, brain and eyes and can cause serious health problems. Worms that migrate to the human eye can cause permanent loss of vision.
©Kawerau SPCA - June 2015
"We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."
Raising dog kennels and rabbit hutches off the ground by a few inches will make the structures less damp, and will minimise heat loss into the ground. The kennel or hutch should also be checked for leaks and draughts.
Blankets will make kennels and pet beds significantly warmer. Second-hand shops are ideal places to shop for recycled bedding. Pet beds should be checked every day and bedding dried out if it is wet.
Animals who live outdoors will use up more energy keeping warm so it is important to feed them adequately. Water in plastic vessels such as buckets, filled to the brim is less likely to freeze completely, than stainless steel containers that are only partially filled.
If you own a rabbit or guinea pig, they will need plenty of hay to sleep in and eat. When giving hay to rabbits, the hay must be over 3 months old to ensure it is not harbouring Rabbit Calicivirus Disease. In the extreme cold of winter, rabbits and guinea pigs are better off housed indoors. This is because animals that are small in size, or those that don’t carry much fat, for example, the very young or old, can get cold very quickly. Hypothermia can be fatal.
Older animals prone to arthritis often get worse over winter, so it is essential to keep them warm and dry. Veterinary treatment and check-ups will be important to give them the best quality of life.
During the colder months, the warmth from a car engine can be an attractive but deadly heat source for cats. Consequently it is a potentially life-saving act to bang on the bonnet a few times or honk the horn before starting your vehicle.
Flea treatment should be kept up all year round. If it lapses, it is likely to result in an outbreak once the warmer weather arrives. Apart from the distress and discomfort caused to the animal, your home could also become infested, as warm, carpeted environments are extremely favourable for the flea life cycle.
Worm treatment should also be maintained continuously throughout the year. It is a vital factor in maintaining your pet’s health, and also your own, because worms are transferable to humans. Children are most at risk. Once in the human body, worms can move to the liver, lungs, brain and eyes and can cause serious health problems. Worms that migrate to the human eye can cause permanent loss of vision.
©Kawerau SPCA - June 2015
"We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."
