Happy Holidays, Safety First - Updated!

Photo courtesy of El Caganer

You may have noticed that I have posted several times on winter and holiday safety and tips for animals.  Topics have included suggestions for travelling with pets, helping them cope when you have people over for holidays, keeping animals warm in cold weather, and keeping them safe from common holiday accidents.  

 Still, you can’t know too much about keeping your pets happy and healthy, so I have a few more more links to recommend.

I Get So Emotional, Baby

Clients sometimes tell me that they try to communicate with their animals, but they get frustrated.  They feel that they keep trying to work out the same problems again and again, or they feel “she just won’t listen to me like she listens to you… her trainer… my husband.”  This can frequently happen not because a person is not capable of communication, but because they are too close to the situation.

If this happens to you, you’re not alone.  Just as physicians are advised not to treat their own family members, we animal lovers can sometimes let our emotions about an animal close to us interfere with our judgment and ability to communicate with them. 

Update On: Winterizing for Animals

If you've read my previous post on Winterizing for Animals and my review of the PetSafe Universal Pet Bed Warmer , you know I like to keep people informed about ways to keep their pets happy and healthy during the colder months. The American Animal hospital Association has published a useful article which prompted me to post a few more tips:

Courtesy of  www.scharfelinse.com

• It's a good idea to get your pets a pre-winter check-up with a veterinarian.  Talk to your vet about any concerns your may have about your pet's health, particularly related to cold weather, and ask her or him to evaluate your pet for conditions or ailments that could make them more sensitive to the dangers of cold, ice and snow.
• Keep your animal's physical condition in mind. A cat with asthma or chronic respiratory infections should be watched closely for reactions to cold or extra-dry heated air.  Humidifiers can sometimes help in these cases.  Meanwhile, a dog with arthritis or leg injuries might have a harder time than usual walking on slippery areas or up stairs in the cold.  For vulnerable dogs, on-leash at a slow pace and limited time in the cold is best, and try walking behind them on stairs, just in case. An extra warm and comfy bed could help their joints, too. Your vet should be able to tell you if your pets have any conditions that might make it difficult to control their own body temperature.
  

Product Review: PetSafe Universal Pet Bed Warmer

Not Annie, but they got her colour right!

Now that cooler temperatures are moving in, it's especially important to ensure that your pets stay warm and healthy.  Older animals, particularly those with arthritis, thin and small animals not built for the cold, like chihuahuas and hairless cats, often need a good amount of warmth to feel comfortable.

Having already addressed the basics of Winterizing for Animals, I found myself having to test an alternative source of heat for pets.  My mother was going away from her house for some time, and had someone to stop in and care for her cat, Annie, but she had to turn the heat down in her house while she was gone to meet her budget. Adding a timer to her furnace would be too expensive, so she asked me about what sort of warming device she could provide for Annie, instead.