From Rea Cord
While we seem to finally be back to a bit more normal Alabama winter temps this week, winter still has quite a bit to go and freezing temps are bound to return. Where our pets are concerned the easiest way to keep them warm and safe is to bring them inside. Since we call our dogs and cats “companion” animals, it would seem inside WITH their humans should be easily understood. But, for those pets that are not allowed to come inside, please make sure they have shelter and protection from the cold, wind and rain. Shelter means a ‘house’ with a solid floor and walls, and adequate DRY bedding to help provide warmth. UNDER the house where rain can run through is not appropriate, nor is a pet ‘crate’ meant for transport since those have slots for air flow and the animal cannot build up any warmth or stay dry. Placement of the pet house opening away from the prevailing wind direction can also go a long way to helping a pet stay warm inside.
Cold air is also very dry (just think of your chapped lips) and livestock and pets need more water than you think in the winter. Keeping outside water from freezing for your outside pets/livestock is easy. Just go to your local feed store, pet store, or on-line and purchase in-tank water heaters or heated water buckets. They do need to be plugged in (can run a long outdoor extension cord if need be) and are quite safe. Hauling water is no fun at all and these heating devices will ensure your pets and/or livestock will have clear fresh water no matter how low the temps go. It is possible, of course, for the water ‘source’ like the stand-pipe/faucet to freeze, but there is heat tape or even heated hoses that can help. For our area of Alabama, generally, if your pets/livestock have a large tank of water that is kept from freezing, the daytime higher temps and sun will thaw out the hose/pipe/faucet so it can refill.
Please also take your pet’s age and health into account as younger adult, healthy animals can handle inclement weather a lot better than a senior can. An older horse might need to be blanketed in cold weather and an older dog with arthritis may need much thicker bedding to cushion aching joints and tired muscles. Brushing often to remove dead hair & dirt will also help your pet stay warm as a clean coat will provide better insulation against the weather. And, yes, there are breeds well acclimated to cold weather but many more need appropriate protection from the cold.
We have 193 pets in our care that are sleeping on bedding because of the continuous donations by so many pet loving people – thank you all so very much! We do need a continuous influx of ‘bedding’ as some dogs destroy their beds and some just reach a point of no return so thank you ahead to all who bring us their old comforters and blankets to help our pets. We keep the kennel doors closed and the heat up when the temps fall below 40 degrees so our pets are as comfortable as possible because we care!
If you are worried about an animal that does not have appropriate shelter, is not being cared for, or seems to be a stray, please contact the appropriate Animal Control based on jurisdiction. For Elmore ‘County,’ Wetumpka, Coosada & Elmore Township call 334-567-5227; for Millbrook call 334-285-6832; for Tallassee call 334-283-6586 and for Eclectic call 334-541-2149.
