Keep Your Pets, Livestock Warm During Cold Weather

January 23, 2014

A dash of common sense, a sprinkle of attention and a pinch of love.

Oh, and a lot of straw.

Geauga County Dog Warden Matt Granito recently talked about various tips on keeping pets safe during the polar vortex and cold weather.

“A lot of it is common sense,” he said.

However, some tips are counter-intuitive, such as putting straw in a doghouse to keep canines cozy, rather than blankets, he added.

“Blankets freeze up,” said Granito, in his 12th year as dog warden. “When people put blankets in (the dog house), there is the problem of melting. If snow melts just a bit, the water remaining then freezes up on the blanket if the dog or pet leaves it. Basically, you’re putting your pet on a sheet of ice.”

The solution is to fill the dog house with loose straw. It does not absorb water and helps a dog retain its body heat. Plus, dogs can make their own beds with the straw, unlike a blanket, Granito said.

Also, put up a flap on the doghouse to keep out the wind, which just makes a dog even colder, he added.

“We’d rather see dogs go into the garage or basement, even if they are normally outside dogs,” he said. “Just put them somewhere where they can stay warm in this weather.”

The warden said dogs born after 1994 — the last time the region had a massive cold snap — have not experienced the frigidity of January 2014, even if they are outside dogs.

Inside dogs are at risk as much as outside dogs, mainly because they are not exposed to outdoor elements on a regular basis, Granito said.

“If you take your inside dog outside, take shorter walks and wipe its pads after it comes in,” he said. “The road salt burns the pads off its feet, so you need to get rid of the salt as fast as you can.”

Also, food and water are essential to success. Feed pets more because their bodies are burning more calories, he said.

“It’s okay to increase food intake in the winter months,” the warden added. “Keep an eye on decreasing body fat.”

Give your pet water four to five times per day and make sure it is not frozen, especially when dealing with outdoor pets, he said.

Christian Courtwright, the humane officer for the Geauga Humane Society, said there was a large increase in the amount of cold-weather complaints involving pets this past winter.

Although exact figures were not available, he said the number of calls was higher in January than it was in December 2013.

“Our data is broken down by month, but we won’t have full data available because January is still ongoing,” Courtwright added.

He and another part-time officer handle complaints involving dogs, cats and larger animals like horses. So far, most of the cold-weather complaints are about dogs and horses.

Ohio law says a homeowner has to have “adequate” shelter for outside animals, something like a barn or shed.

He said some complaints are handled in the spring and summer that have long-term effects on winter habitation, months away.

“For instance, we might get a call in the summer where a dog is living in a poorly built doghouse,” Courtwright said. “We’ll file it on the back burner, but before it gets cold, we’ll go out and investigate. We try not to wait for cold weather.”

The officer also said 90 percent of calls generally end with people “more than happy to step up and do the right thing.” If the animal is suffering, then his agency steps in and takes the animal.

Luckily, that is not the norm, but rather, the exception, Courtwright said.

“Most of the time people are busy and working, and their dogs might have gone off the radar a bit,” he said. “Weather is a big part of our job. In the summer, it’s hot. In the winter, it’s cold. Our care and condition calls are definitely affected by the weather.”

Several strays were picked up during the cold weather.

Locket, a medium-sized female Australian cattle dog, is about 4 years old and was found in Chester Township Jan. 13, Granito said.

“She walks nicely on a leash and enjoys her walks,” he said.

Another stray, Juno, seems to be a shepherd and Shar Pei mix. The male dog weighs 48 pounds and was found on Blue Heron Trail in Munson Township.

“Juno has become a very affectionate boy now that he’s comfortable at the shelter,” he said. “Juno could use some leash training, but he seems very bright so should learn quickly. And it’s fun to watch him play soccer with a tennis ball.”

For more information either on those pets or to adopt, call the Geauga County Dog Warden at 440-286-8135.