The holidays are a time of togetherness and family, but they can also be a dangerous time for our four-legged friends. The weather is colder and the streets are busier, so it’s important to keep your pets safe during this time of year. Here are some tips for keeping your pet happy and healthy:

It’s cold outside!

When it’s cold outside, you want to make sure that your pet is warm and safe. Here are a few tips for keeping them happy:

• Make sure their bed is nice and cozy. If it’s cold outside, have a blanket or two available for them to snuggle under.
• Keep them inside during the winter months if possible – especially in cases where their paws might be vulnerable to frostbite or other forms of injury from freezing temperatures.
• Bring them indoors when coming home from a walk so that they don’t get too cold in your car on the way home (or take an alternate route if it’s not safe).

Protecting Pets from Holiday Hazards.

In the wintertime, it’s important to protect your pet from the elements. Pets are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia, so they shouldn’t be left outside in the cold or heat. They shouldn’t be left outside in the rain or snow either—and if you live somewhere that gets a lot of rain and snow, you may not want to leave your pets outside at all unless you have a doghouse or kennel for them.

Keep Your Pet Safe from Antifreeze Poisoning.

Pets face a number of dangers during the winter months. From frozen water bowls and ice-covered ponds to car accidents and icy sidewalks, it’s important to keep your pet safe all year long. Antifreeze poisoning is one of the top causes of pet death in the winter—especially for cats—so it’s important that you know how to prevent an accident like this from happening.

Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol and can be found in vehicles, garages, driveways, and parking lots throughout the country during these cold months. If your dog or cat comes into contact with any amount of antifreeze they may begin vomiting profusely or become lethargic within minutes as their blood chemistry changes due to its poisonous effects. Ingesting even a small amount can cause liver failure within several hours; therefore it is crucial that you don’t leave any containers lying around where pets could get them!

Beware of Chemicals on Driveways and Sidewalks.

Your dog or cat may be tempted to lick the snow off of your freshly shoveled driveway or sidewalk. While it may look like harmless fun, this can actually be dangerous for your pet! Chemicals from the de-icing solutions can cause irritation to skin, eyes and mouth if licked off. De-icing chemicals also present a burn risk if ingested by your pet.

In order to protect your pet from these chemicals, here are some tips:

• If possible, avoid using de-icing salt on driveways and sidewalks around homes where pets live. Instead, use sand or gravel (if you have them) before applying ice melt products that do not contain sodium chloride (also known as rock salt).
• If you must use de-icers containing sodium chloride on your walkways, always apply it after walking on them yourself so that there is no residue left behind when they get wet again later in the day after being exposed to heat from sunlight during daytime hours when temperatures rise above a freezing point within several hours of application time.”

De-Ice Safely.

De-icing your sidewalk and driveway can be dangerous for pets. The best way to de-ice is with sand, salt, or kitty litter. Ice melt products that are toxic to pets should never be used in or around your home. Don’t use rock salt or other chemicals such as calcium chloride, magnesium chloride or seed oil based ice melters.

When using a shovel on the ground outside your house, please be careful not to dig too close to the foundation of your house or you could damage it by causing water penetration at the bottom of your structure’s walls. Also, don’t let your pet lick your hands after they have been touching the shovel while de-icing since this may cause them harm if they consume some of whatever was on it such as toxic chemicals from ice melters that get stuck on their face/nose area where there are mucous membranes (lining inside mouth/throat).

Stay safe!

• Make sure your pet is healthy and up-to-date on vaccines.
• Talk to your vet about any concerns you have, such as older pets who are less active or overweight animals with short fur.
• Take precautions to keep your pet safe from harm: never leave pets unattended in a vehicle; bring along extra water, food, and blankets if you plan to be outdoors for long periods of time; make sure dogs wear collars that can’t get caught on objects such as fences or tree branches; make sure cats travel in carriers when they go outside (in case they’re frightened by loud noises).
• Know how to respond if you are separated from your pet: put some type of identification on the collar including a phone number where you can be reached at all times; consider microchipping so that lost animals can be returned home more easily (but realize this won’t work if someone finds an abandoned animal).
• Always have a plan for what to do if there’s an emergency (such as a fire) while away from home—and make sure everyone knows what that plan is!