With temperatures dropping to dangerous levels, it's important to keep your pets' safety in mind. The number one recommendation is that when it is below freezing outside, you should bring your animals indoors. Make sure your home is pet proofed. Keep potentially harmful food and liquids up and away and be sure space heaters are in a safe spot, so they don't get knocked over or burn your pet.

With the extreme cold temperatures rolling into Ohio and the Midwest, doctors are warning people about the risk for frostbite and hypothermia if they need to be outside for any length of time.

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Most of us are doing our best to stay warm during this cold winter stretch.

The summer is a great time to travel, but during this heat wave, a local doctor says you need to take precautions to make sure that one of your trips is not to the ER. The most common heat-related illness that emergency rooms like Lima Memorial see during high temperatures like this week is dehydration. People could experience headaches, nausea, dizziness, and cramping if they are dehydrated. However, some people could experience worse health conditions with prolonged exposure to the heat.

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - With the plummeting temperatures of this storm system, being outside could become dangerous.

It's Winter Safety Awareness Week in Ohio, and part of preparing should include keeping your four-legged friends safe.

As the temperatures begin to feel like they're close to single digits, it's important to keep your health in mind. That comes from physicians at Mercy Health St. Rita's, who say that cold temperatures and low wind chills can lead to issues like hypothermia and frostbite if you spend too much time outside in the cold.

With the temperature dropping overnight to frigid conditions, it’s important to make sure you’re prepared for the weather before going outside. James Chang, an ER doctor at St. Rita’s in Lima, talked to us about the dangers of the cold weather. Chan says that any temperature below freezing could be harmful if you’re not wearing the right winter gear and could raise the chances of getting frostbite or even hypothermia. He says what would help if you find yourself suffering from the cold.

Despite the bitter cold temperatures, Lima Memorial's Emergency Room says they have not seen much frostbite through their halls, but they have seen other cold weather-related injuries.

As far as Lima Memorial's ER can tell, folks in the area have been careful about protecting their skin from the well below zero temperatures. Instead of frostbite and hypothermia, falls are the most common ER cases over the past couple of days due to strong winds and icy walk ways.

Having a wide-based gate and a good pair of shoes can help you keep from falling but just in case you could fall and especially if you are elderly, it is best to stick to the buddy system.