SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP, ALLEN COUNTY, Ohio (WLIO) - As bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills continue, local veterinarians are urging residents to take extra steps to keep their four-legged friends safe and warm.
While Metz Petz Veterinary Clinic in Shawnee has not yet treated any animals for frostbite or hypothermia, Dr. Nathan Metz says pet owners should still remain vigilant and know the warning signs. Those include extreme redness, cold burns on the feet, discoloration of the skin and shivering. Pet owners are also encouraged to closely monitor their animals’ ear tips, as areas with less fur and smaller capillaries are more prone to frostbite. If pets must be taken outside, Dr. Metz stresses the importance of following proper cold-weather safety precautions.
"If these animals have smaller body mass, if they have less hair- just take them out short periods of time and get right back in. If you have a dog that's outside or a cat that's outside that they have a way to get in, in a small area that is blocked from the wind with some bedding, with some insulation, with some straw. If you were going to bring it inside, don't bring it completely into the home where it's 75 degrees. Put them in the garage where it's 40 or 50 degrees because if we bring them from those extreme temperatures, we mess with their hair coat or sometimes they'll shed, and then if you put them back outside, well now they're lacking that undercoat that they built all winter long to be exposed to these elements," says Dr. Nathan Metz, Metz Petz Veterinary Clinic of Shawnee.
Dr. Metz advises owners to consistently provide pets with fresh food and water and to use caution when using heat lamps, which can pose a serious fire risk. He says the clinic treated an animal on Tuesday for smoke inhalation and thermal burns caused by a fire.
