6 Winter Dangers Every Pet Owner Should Watch Out For

From large family gatherings and comfort food to holiday decorations and crackling fireplaces, winter is an amazing time of year. But amid all the gift buying and meal preparation, don’t forget about your pets. Winter might be a magical time for us, but it presents unique hazards for our cats and dogs. By making yourself aware of these dangers and planning accordingly, you can save your pet a terrifying visit to the vet—and maybe even save their life, too.  Here’s 6 winter dangers every per owner should watch our for.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia (or extremely low body temperature) is one of the most serious dangers your pet faces during winter. Coma, organ failure, and even death can result if not promptly treated. Sick, underweight and older pets—as well as those with little fur—are especially vulnerable to hypothermia, and should be kept indoors during winter when at all possible. It’s important to monitor your pet during winter, as early detection is crucial to tackling hypothermia. Here’s the common symptoms to look out for:

• Intense shivering
• Lethargy
• Difficulty breathing/shallow breathing
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle stiffness
• Weak pulse

If you fear your pet may have hypothermia, contact your vet immediately. To help raise your pet’s body temperature, you can place warm water bottles wrapped in towels under their armpits and chest. Wrapping them in a blanket warmed in the dryer is also effective. (Never use methods such as hair dryers or electric blankets, as these can cause burns to hypothermic animals). To prevent hypothermia, never let your pet endure cold weather for extended periods of time, and consider bundling them up in warm clothing whenever the temperature drops.

Frostbite

Freezing of the skin and tissue, commonly known as frostbite, is one of winter’s scariest threats. Exposed to sub-freezing temperatures and chilling winds, your cat or dog can succumb to frostbite in only a matter of minutes. From permanent tissue damage to loss of limbs to death, frostbite should be at the top of every pet owner’s mind as fall and winter roll around. Frostbite symptoms include:

• Red, gray, blue, white or pale skin
• Shriveled skin
• Pain in the ears, tail, paws or other extremities
• Skin that remains cold to the touch over long periods of time

You can help prevent frostbite by quickly removing ice and snow from your pet’s paws after they’ve been outside (pay special attention to any snow or ice balls that may have formed in between their toes). If you worry your cat or dog may have frostbite, contact your vet right away. Applying warm—but not hot—water to frostbitten extremities can provide relief. Be careful not to rub or massage areas suspected of frostbite, doing so can cause irreversible damage.

Antifreeze

From small spills to slow vehicle leaks, antifreeze can kill your cat or dog. And unfortunately, due to its sweet smell and taste, animals often confuse the substance for something edible. If you suspect antifreeze poisoning, and your pet seems disoriented, is excessively drooling, or simply acting abnormal, consult a vet immediately. Remember to always store antifreeze out of reach of your pets, regardless of the season.

Running Cars

In winter, cats and smaller dogs will occasionally seek warmth near running vehicles. While most will curl up next to the exhaust, some kittens have been known to work their way under the hood of a vehicle for added heat and shelter. To guard you and your neighbors’ pets from possible disaster, check your car before taking off each day. You might just save a little life by doing so.

Ice-Melting Salts

Salts used to melt snow and ice pose several health risks to pets. If ingested, these substances can cause mouth burns, painful gastrointestinal distress, and in rare cases even death. More commonly, these salts will irritate or damage your pet’s paw pads and skin. Thankfully, there are ways you can help protect your pet from such injuries:

• Place waterproof booties on their feet before walks in snowy or icy weather
• Using warm water, wash your pet’s feet, legs and underbelly after winter walks
• When treating your own sidewalks and driveway, choose pet-safe de-icers—like sand, gravel or kitty litter
• On walks, avoid areas that tend to be heavily salted
• Contact your local city officials about switching to pet-friendly de-icing methods

Rodenticides

As the cold returns and pests move indoors, homeowners commonly arm their houses with rodenticides, poisons intended to control rats and mice. Sadly, rodenticides represent one of the most common sources of pet poisoning during the fall and winter months. For the sake of your pets (and family), we suggest going natural with your rodent control instead. Regardless of what direction you choose, never place rodenticides in areas accessible to your cat, dog or other pets. (Similarly, we suggest going non-toxic with your insect control, too).

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6 Ways to Keep Your Dog Fit & Active This Winter

Winter can be tough on our dogs. Being cooped up all day not only robs them of their usual outdoor entertainment, but it makes it difficult for them to get the exercise necessary to maintain their health. Given that 54% of U.S. dog are dangerously overweight, it’s important to seek alternative means of exercise to help your pup stay fit through the winter months. Here’s some quick and and easy ways to give your pup some added physical activity when the weather makes it unpleasant to go outside.

Sign Your Dog Up For a Class

From social skills to increased fitness, canine classes are a quick way for your pup to learn some new skills and get some exercise in the process. Swimming courses, socializing classes, obedience and agility training—there’s tons of options to choose from. It will take a little research to see what’s available in your area and what’s right for your dog, but you’ll both be glad you did it.

New Tricks

Winter is the ideal time to teach your pup some new tricks. Not only can this be done in the comfort of your own home, but it’s a fun way to get your dog some needed exercise in the colder months. Remember to stay upbeat, positive reinforcement is the most effective way to educate your dog.

Bring Fido Along For the Ride

Whether you’re heading to the pet store, visiting friends or just running errands, bringing your dog along for the ride is an easy way to get your pup out and about when it’s cold outside. As long as your pet is well-mannered, consider visiting pet-friendly coffee shops, restaurants and bars, too. Your pup will love the extra attention. (Remember to make sure your dog’s safely secured before taking them anywhere in your vehicle).

Schedule a Playdate

Playdates are one of our favorite ways to exercise our doggies during the cold season. Call up your pup’s favorite pal and see if they’d like to meet up at a local dog park, an indoor space, or even in your own backyard. Just be sure to monitor the weather and dress your puppy friends accordingly (including dog boots if your neighborhood uses salt or other anti-ice chemicals that might irritate their paws).

Turn Mealtime Into Playtime

To add a little fun and exercise to your dog’s daily winter routine, make your pup’s meals (and snacks) into a game. One option is to hide treats throughout your home like a scavenger hunt. Another is to use a food puzzle toy (like a Kong) to feed your pup. The thirty-or-so minutes of extra playtime might not seem like much, but any extra winter exercise is well worth the effort.

Indoor Games

Simple indoor games like tug-of-war are an effective way to supplement your dog’s exercise routine when it’s too cold to go outside. Fetch, wrestling, hide-and-seek—the possibilities are endless. As a precaution, make sure the space you’re using is pet-friendly and free of potential safety hazards, such as sharp objects, open flames, and steep inclines like staircases.

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13 Ways to Go Green With Your Pet Care

Did you know that pets create approximately 64 million tons of greenhouse gases every year—the same amount as over 13 million cars? While their meat-heavy diets are largely to blame (they make up almost 30% of the U.S.’s environmental impact from meat consumption), our pets influence the environment in many other ways, too. From the costly effects of packaging materials for pet accessories to the 5 million tons of poop they produce each year, our cats’ and dogs’ have a heavy impact on the planet.

Since there’s no way we’re getting rid of our cats and dogs (they’re family!), we should all look for ways to decrease their environmental footprint. Making a few simple changes to your pet’s lifestyle can make a big difference. Here’s some of our favorites.

 

Buy Pet Food in Bulk

Buying your pet’s food in bulk is an easy way to lower both you and your pet’s environmental footprint. Not only do you lower the amount of packaging materials and waste required by additional purchases, you save yourself extra trips to the pet store thereby reducing gas consumption.

 

Spay or Neuter

On the surface, spaying and neutering might seem a little barbaric. However, that could not be further from the truth. These procedures save literally millions of pets from euthanization each year. Local animal shelters would be considerably less full, much happier places if every pet owner were to spay or neuter their cats and dogs.

 

Ditch Canned Food

More so than dry food, canned pet food is often contaminated with toxins that could harm your pet. A 2017 study by the Ecology Center found the linings in most pet food cans contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and bisphenol A (BPA), hormone-disruptors which are known to cause considerable health problems in both animals and people.
Buy Organic, Sustainable Pet Food

Another easy—though sometimes costly—way to lower your pet’s environmental footprint is to buy organic, sustainable dog or cat food. Not only is this much healthier for your pet, it reduces waste associated with industrial meat production. Click here for help on choosing an organic pet food option.
Reuse Human Food as Pet Food When Safe

Reusing human food as pet food is another option for reducing waste associated with pet food production and transportation. If you have leftovers or other food that’s soon to be trashed, consider using it to supplement your dog or cat’s diet instead of throwing it out. Just make sure it’s pet-friendly food before handing it off to your animal friend. Here’s a list of human foods that should never be fed to your pet.

 

Choose DIY and Recyclable Toys and Pet Products

Common plastic-based pet toys are not only a strain on the environment, but they’re often laced with chemicals that can make your pet sick. That’s why going DIY (sticks, socks, yarn, etc) and/or recyclable with pet toys is a no-brainer. It saves money, time, lowers your pet’s environmental impact, and allows you to reuse items you might have otherwise thrown out. In general, look for pet products (like beds, scratching posts, clothing, etc) made from natural-based materials and biodegradable packaging.

 

Go Green With Your Lawn Care

Replacing chemical-based lawn care products with plant-based alternatives benefits animals, humans and the environment. Another way to make your lawn more pet-friendly is to choose herbs and other plant life that are edible and healthy for your pet. Check out this article for help cultivating a pet-friendly garden.

 

Adopt Don’t Shop

The benefits of rescuing a pet over purchasing one are well documented. Doing so saves animal lives, saves money, saves resources, has less adverse environmental effects, and discourages the unethical puppy mill industry.

 

Protect Wildlife from Your Pets

Did you know cats kill over 2 billion birds each year? In addition, they kill upwards of 12 billion other small land animals each year, such as snakes, lizards and rodents. That makes house cats one of the largest human-caused threats to wildlife in North America. There’s several ways cat owners can help better this problem. Firstly, it’s important to keep cats indoors as much as is reasonably possible. Secondly, removing bird-attracting items from your yard—such as bird feeders, baths and food sources—is essential. The same approaches apply for dog owners, too.

 

Go Minimal

From toys, clothing and other accessories, the pet care industry would have you believe there’s innumerable items your dog can’t live without. In reality, apart from the essentials like medical care, food and water, there’s very little your pet needs to live a full and healthy life. In fact, all these additional products only serve to worsen your pet’s impact on the environment. So the next time you’re considering purchasing another toy or cute outfit for your pup or kitty, ask yourself: “Do we really need this item, and is it worth the amount of waste it will create?”

 

Avoid Toxic Flea and Tick Control Solutions

Toxic, chemical-based pesticides are extremely damaging to the environment, human safety, and our planet’s delicate ecosystem. Just as with your lawn care, going toxin-free with your pet’s pest control needs is one of the smartest moves you can make as a responsible pet owner. Doing so will not only lessen you and your family’s exposure to harmful toxins, but it might just save your pet’s life.

Choose Biodegradable Poop Bags or Another Eco-Friendly Disposal Option

Dog feces poses more dangers than most pet owners think. Which is why it’s so very important to properly dispose of dog poop. Following these simple guidelines will considerably lessen the negative impacts of your pup’s poo:

• Never throw poop bags in the regular trash
• Never put dog feces in your home’s compost—it’s full of dangerous bacteria
• Consider flushing it (but not in a septic system)
• If you live in a rural area, consider burying it (make sure it’s at least 5 inches underground and far removed from your home and garden).
• When it comes to bags, choose an eco-friendly, biodegradable option. But choose carefully, not all are created equal.
• Similarly, cat owners should consider eco-friendly cat litter alternatives.

 

Donate Pet Products You No Longer Use

Nearly every pet owner has tons of extra, no-longer-used pet items lying around. The next time you do a thorough cleaning of your home, set aside all inessential pet products you find. If they’re in suitable shape, consider donating them to a local animal shelter. If they’re not in good shape, recycle them or try to find a way to reuse or re-purpose them.

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10 Ways Dogs Make Us Happier And Healthier

As every dog owner can attest, dogs make our lives better. They make us feel better, they love us unconditionally, they protect us, and they’re always there for support when the world gets us down. But it turns out they do more for us than we might even realize. From improved mood and fitness to longer lives, here’s 10 ways dogs make us happier and healthier.

Lower Your Blood Pressure

From stroke to heart attack, high blood pressure can have lethal, life-changing consequences. Did you know owning a dog can help lower your risk of blood pressure and blood-pressure-related health issues? In one study, researchers at the University of South Carolina, Columbia found that simply petting or speaking to an animal was enough to lower one’s blood pressure. When both petting and speaking to an animal, subjects’ blood pressures dropped even lower.

 

Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease and Improve Your Chances of Surviving a Heart Attack

While scientists are still working out the details of why, studies consistently show pet owners are less likely to suffer from heart disease. In addition to lower cholesterol and healthier hearts, dog owners are also more likely to survive a heart attack should one occur.

 

Help You De-Stress

Dog owners have long recognized the therapeutic rewards of their pups. After a long, stressful day at the office, those warm puppy greetings and loving smiles are just what the doctor ordered to help you unwind. A study conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University has now confirmed this, finding that spending time with dogs can significantly lower your stress levels. Fortunately, our doggies benefit from the interaction, too—research has shown dogs experience less stress after enjoying one-on-one time with humans as well.

 

Make You Fitter

On average, pet owners live healthier, more active lives. From daily walks and park visits to activities like hiking, having a dog can significantly raise your cardiovascular activity. But by how much? The international Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity reports that dog owners enjoy 50 more minutes of physical activity each week than those without pets.

 

Strengthen Your Immune System

Do you commonly suffer from colds, infections and other annoying illnesses? Owning a dog might help. Research suggests owning a dog increases one’s secretion of immunoglobulin A, an antibody crucial to immune system health. Furthermore, it was found that children raised in homes with a pet are sick less often than those who weren’t.

 

Alleviate Depression

As you might have guessed, loneliness and depression can be alleviated by owning a dog. Research shows that when humans interact with dogs, certain hormones are released into the bloodstream, including oxytocin, serotonin and prolactin, all of which are tied to improved mood and decreased depression.

 

Reduce Chronic Pain

Following surgery or catastrophic accident, patients often require prolonged use of pain medication to treat their symptoms. Sadly, these medications come with serious side effects, not to mention the risk of addiction. Owning a dog, it turns out, can help lessen your dependence on such medication. A study conducted at Loyola University Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing found that joint replacement patients needed less pain medication following surgery when their therapy included animal interaction.

 

Increase Life Expectancy

Given all the health benefits associated with dog ownership, it should come as no surprise that pups help increase our life expectancy, too. By lowering the risk of depression, stress and heart disease, and by helping increase the frequency of exercise and immune system health, dogs allow us to live longer, healthier lives. It’s not just physical health, either. Owning a dog has also been shown to help prevent cognitive decline, such as dementia.

 

Improve Your Relationships

Ever wonder why people with pets tend to be more friendly? Research has found those with strong animal relationships enjoy better social lives and more stable relations with fellow humans. A study conducted by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University concluded that people with close animal bonds are typically more involved with their community and more empathetic toward others.

 

They Can Help Recovery From Trauma

Several traumas—from assault to warfare—are known to be helped by consistent interaction with animals, dogs in particular. For example, soldiers suffering from PTSD have shown drastic, life-saving improvements on account of animal therapy. Scientists believe the hormone oxytocin—which is released into the bloodstream when humans engage with animals—is likely the cause. Oxytocin is associated with increased trust, social activity and improved mood.

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A Misunderstood Breed Gets A Helping Hand: TLP Celebrates Pit Bull Awareness Month (All Year Long)

 

In honor of Pit Bull Awareness Month and Pit Bull Awareness Day (Oct 28), we caught up with Aften Bell, Founder of The Love Pit, a non-profit pit bull rescue located in Dallas, Texas. Built upon the mission of “reducing the homeless pit bull population through rescue, rehabilitation, training and advocacy,” the Love Pit is helping raise the bar for rescues the nation over. Covering everything from pit bulls’ unique personalities to the Love Pit’s inspirational beginnings, read our interview with Aften Bell below.

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Can you give us a little background on the Love Pit: How long it’s been around, what inspired you to start it, how it all came together?

It really all started in 2015. I was coming home from work and I saw a dog walking into oncoming traffic. I got out and called to her, “Come here Sweet Pea.” For whatever reason, that name just came out. She slowly walked over to me, and as she got closer I saw the damage to her face. Basically, a big part of her face was missing—it had been chewed off by another dog. Seeing something like that can really change your perspective.

Once we got to the vet, I took some photos. I posted a single photo on Instagram, and within 48 hours, we had raised close to $5,000. It really inspired me to take a bigger step, not only to help dogs, but also to work with people who shared my vision. It took $1,500 of surgeries to get her fixed up. Then we took the rest of the money and rescued 13 more dogs from euthanasia in Ft. Worth. I ended up adopting Sweet Pea, and she’s still with us today.

 

Rescue is obviously a worthy cause, by why pit bulls in particular? Is it because Sweet Pea is a pit bull?

I was actually already fostering 4 pit bulls prior to finding her. Originally, I started with a general breed rescue. But after fostering more pits, I fell in love with their personalities and the breed in general. Also, after getting involved with other pit bull rescues, I got more educated about what was going on with pit bulls at shelters.
“Of the 1.4 million dogs euthanized at shelters every year, 40% are pitbulls. That’s nearly 500,000.”

” What a difference rescue, compassion and love make!”  -Photo courtesy of The Love Pit Facebook Page.

What do you think makes the breed so special—What do you love about pit bulls so much?

It’s simple: It’s how much they love. They give so much of themselves to please their human, more than most breeds I’ve worked with. Their loyalty and affection is my #1 favorite thing. They’re also some of the easiest dogs to train. Last but not least, it’s their goofy personalities—those floppy ears and big smiles!

Has running the Love Pit changed your outlook on dogs, on people? If so, how?

As far as changing my perspective on dogs, mostly it’s just made me love and understand them more. As far as people go, I never realized how much rescue can affect people’s lives. I’ve had volunteers who suffer from depression and social anxiety—where they can’t be around crowds—but now, because they have a purpose and moral mission with these dogs, they’re able to go out to adoption events and connect with other volunteers. Rescue opens up this whole new world to people.

What do you say to those still apprehensive about pit bulls? How do you approach the misconceptions surrounding the breed?

I could tell you facts about pit bulls all day, but it’s not going to matter until you have an interaction with a pit bull firsthand. Until someone has that positive experience, it’s hard to change their mind.

I used to be afraid of pit bulls myself in high school. Then I met my first pit bull. He was a friend of mine’s dog, about 100 lbs, very intimidating looking. But he was a complete goofball! There was no aggression in him whatsoever. After that, everything I thought I knew about pit bulls went out the door. I wouldn’t have changed my mind had I not experienced that for myself. I encourage people to come out to our events. You don’t even have to volunteer. Just come out, see what we’re about, visit one our pit bull kissing booths, get a “I kissed a pit and I liked it” sticker, and come pet a dog. And then if you want to volunteer, by all means volunteer.

Rachel, long time TLP volunteer and adopter of #TLPalumni Cleo says her favorite part about the breed is: “They are always there for you and give you tons of hugs!!! And accept your hugs all the time!”

What is the rehabilitation process like for the pits you rescue?

We look at the rescue model differently. We don’t rescue based on how many dogs we can save, it’s more about quality over quantity. We invest 100% in every dog we rescue, from rehabilitation all the way to post-adoption. All of our foster parents are required to come to weekly training classes. Every dog has their own training plan, because every dog is different. Out of the 300 pit bulls we’ve fostered and rescued, we’ve never had to euthanize one for behavioural issues.

Maegan Carlile,  fitness coach, volunteer for TLP and long time Pit Bull advocate,  is pictured here with one of her recent fosters, Ella.

What are some ways that people can support or otherwise get involved with the Love Pit?

We are a 100% volunteer-based rescue, so donations are big for us. We’re very focused on transparency. We want you to know where your money goes. We also do not use boarding or kennel facilities, which means the number of dogs we can save depends on how many foster homes we have. Foster parents are basically the heartbeat of our rescue. When you foster parent with us, you’re not alone. You have your your own trainer, your own medical coordinator. We cover all bedding costs. We also offer to pay for all dog food.

Is the Love Pit doing anything special for Pit Bull Awareness Month?

Yes we are! We have quite a few things going on this month. We just started a new education program called Keep Calm, Bully On. A big part of our mission is not only rescue, training and rehabilitating, but also advocating and educating. After two years, we’re now finally able to start the educational portion of our mission. We’re launching this for Pit Bull Awareness Month.

We’re going to be down in Houston at Spinal Tap Brewery on Pit Bull Awareness Day as well for a Pit Bull Awareness festival, which we’re hosting in partnership with Brave Bully Rescue and Good Lif3 Bully Rescue.

 

SEARCH ADOPTABLE DOGS

*If you’re interested in donating, volunteering, or simply learning more about The Love Pit, visit www.thelovepitrescue.org.

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