COLD WEATHER ADVICE | People and pets

Here is some advice on avoiding hypothermia and frostbite if you must go outside during the extremely cold weather with subzero wind chill factors that are forecast the next few days, and also how to care for your pet.

Wear a stocking cap to minimize heat loss from your head and to protect your ears from frostbite.

Wear a scarf to protect your nose from frostbite.

Wear two pairs of socks to keep your feet warm.

Carry two blankets and extra hats and gloves in your vehicle so you can stay warm if you get stranded.

Carry in your vehicle hand warmers from a sporting goods store. They can be placed on fingers and toes and under the armpits and are useful for four to six hours.

People with asthma should wear a scarf or painter’s mask over their noses and mouths to warm the air they breathe.

PET CARE

Keep your cat inside. Outdoors, felines can freeze, become lost, or be stolen, injured or killed.

During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm — dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.

Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when it comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. It can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking its paws, and its paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly.

Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take it outdoors only to relieve itself.

Increase your dog’s food supply, particularly protein, to keep the animal — and the animal’s fur — in tip-top shape.

Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

Sources: Dr. David Jackson, St. Elizabeth Health Center emergency room; American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals