LOOKING AFTER OUR PETS IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES

During these freezing temperatures our pets require extra protection to keep them fit and healthy. Here are just a few things to keep an eye on...

Please do not put your cat out in freezing conditions as their coats are not thick enough to keep them warm and they can suffer from frostbite and hypothermia which can lead to death. Keep your cats inside with a litter tray or just let them out to do their poops and widdlipops and then let them back inside.

Cats left out in the cold will try to find a nice, warm place to sleep and this can be a warm car engine...so please be careful when you start up your car as you could fatally injure a snoozing cat.

Dogs should be kept indoors except for taking them for a walk and the walks should be shorter.

Never let your dogs venture onto any frozen water mass as many dogs drown each year by falling through thin ice.

When pets come in from the cold give them a good rubbing down with a warm towel paying particular attention to their paws. Tender pads can be injured from salts and other de icing chemicals used at this time of year which can be irritating to the skin and mouth. Should your pet ingest any of these chemicals then you should contact a vet immediately. Signs of poisoning include excess drooling; vomiting and depression.

Animals kept outside will need additional food which will produce extra body heat and increased amounts of bedding to help keep them warm. Anything you can do to insulate pens and hutches, such as piling blankets inside, will help. You could also invest in a simple 'sugglesafe' heat pad - you simply put these frisby like disc shaped pads into the microwave for about six minutes and the heat lasts for twelve hours. These are ideal for your pets to snuggle into. They are available from pet shops for around the £20 mark and last for many, many years. What a good investment!

Indoor animals should not require additional food as this could just pile on the pounds as they will be less active in the winter months.

Be careful to watch out for what your pets ingest as we use lots of anti freeze which could prove fatal to your pet - this includes the stuff we spray onto our windscreens to clear the ice quickly. The stupid thing is that anti freeze smells and tastes sweet to animals which makes it irrisitible to them. If you spill any be sure to clean it up immediately and thoroughly. Even better, don't use the stuff at all!

People also use mouse and rat poison more in the winter months and again if your pet ingests any at all get in touch with a vet immediately.

Keep the telephone number of your vet to hand - pop it onto a noticeboard or somewhere it can easily be seen.