Tips on how to keep your pet safe from below freezing temperatures

Even though it’s cold out, it’s important for them to stay hydrated.
Published: Jan. 9, 2022 at 6:25 PM CST
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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - We’ve seen single-digit temperatures in Omaha this week. But one big concern anytime with the cold weather is keeping your furry friends warm.

One solution may seem obvious but still very important.

“One of the best thing you can do with pets in fringed weather is to get them indoors. If you can’t get them all the way inside your house, even in a garage where the wind isn’t as severe,” said Nebraska Humane Society’s Pam Wiese.

If you have a dog and it has a dog house to stay in for the cold, the Nebraska Humane Society recommends the dog house has enough room for the dog to be able to curl up, have a doggy door to help keep the wind from blowing in, and good insulation like straw or other things to trap the heat inside.

And even though it’s cold out, it’s important for them to stay hydrated.

“Water is important because you have to have water to process food and you have to process food to be able to burn calories so therefore water is as important in the winter as it is in the summer.”

Some dogs are built for the cold like huskies. But short-haired dogs like boxers and pit bulls are not made for the cold. So it’s highly recommended for short hair dogs to just come inside.

“Any of those guys who have a really shiny lightweight coat. Those guys can’t withstand this cold the way that the triple coat ones can.”

It’s also very important to keep cats inside. Even if they’re normally indoor cats.

But if they’re outside, a lot tend to stay underneath cars for warmth. So make sure to check around your car.

“Your gonna wanna bang on it a little bit, hop out, just band on the hood of the car, bang on the walls of the car. If you get in the car maybe honk on the horn a couple times, give it a few seconds…do it again.”

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