Keep animals warm in beastly weather

With temperatures along the Wasatch Front expected to be in the single digits, the Humane Society of Utah issued a reminder that this means inconvenience, discomfort, and danger for animals as well as people.

Animals' hair coats do not provide adequate protection against the bitter cold in our area, and the society urges people to use both common sense and compassion when it comes to the animals in their care.

"Warm-blooded mammals can't survive without adequate protection in the kind of cold weather we're going to be having," says HSU executive director Gene Baierschmidt. "If you can't actually keep your animals in the house with the rest of your family, then please at least see that they have snug, insulated shelter away from the wind and elevated off the ground. In the case of livestock, these animals need proper shelter, too. Bring horses into the barn. It's only the reasonable thing to do."

In addition, the Humane Society again reminds pet owners to take the following precautions during this beastly weather:

• Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, cats can freeze or become lost, injured or killed. Cats who are allowed to stray are exposed to fatal diseases, including rabies. They also prey on songbirds and other wildlife.

• During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes crawl under the hoods of cars in an effort to keep warm. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there is any chance that a cat may have sought shelter under your car's hood, always bang loudly on the hood before starting the engine to give the animal a chance to escape.

• Animals who must spend much time outdoors, including livestock, need proper shelter. Cats and dogs must have snug, well-insulated houses. Pets who are very young, very old, ill, or short-haired breeds should not be kept outdoors at all.

• Animals need extra calories and protein during the winter because they consume more energy just maintaining normal body temperature. Water bowls must be emptied and refilled frequently to keep ice from forming.

• Injuries resulting from the cold, such as frostbite, ice cuts or hypothermia (severe chilling) should be treated immediately.

• If you own a short-haired breed of dog and want him to have outdoor exercise, get him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck that covers the dog from the base of the tail on top to the belly underneath. This may seem like a luxury, or even a silly affectation, but it's not. For some dogs, it's a vital necessity.