Christmas, cold weather and your dog

* 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 he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his 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. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Be sure they have a winter coat or pajamas to help keep them warm, since they don't have the natural hair coat.

* Never leave your dog alone in a car during cold weather. A car can hold in the cold, mimicking a freezer and cause your pet to freeze to death.

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

* During the winter months, you dog burns more calories to stay warm. Increase his intake somewhat during these months to give him the extra calories needed.

Frostbite and Hypothermia

Frostbite is tissue damage that is caused by exposure to extremely cold conditions. With a lack of blood these areas are starved of warmth and oxygen and as a consequence ice crystals may form in the tissue which can then cause that tissue to die.

Commonly affected areas in dogs are toes, ear tips, tails and the scrotum area.

Frostbite Signs and Symptoms:
- Ice on body and limbs
- Shivering
- As the skin warms it will redden and swell, and be painful for your dog. After a few days the skin will dry up and look scaly. Depending on the severity of the frostbite dead tissue will slowly turn black and eventually slough off.

What to do:
- Warm the affected area rapidly with warm water using towels or warmed ice packs.
- If it is a limb or paw that is frozen, soak it only in a bath or bowl of warm water.
- Dry gently after you have the warmed the area.
- Do not rub or massage the frozen tissue
- Do not apply snow or ice
- Do not immerse your pet completely in a bath this will cause the body temperature to decrease and cause hypothermia.

- Seek Veterinary care. Secondary infections can sometimes result from gangrene tissues.

HYPOTHERMIA

Hypothermia is an abnormal lowering of the body's temperature, occurring when your dog's temperature falls, and stays, below its normal range of 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenhei. This is a serious condition that can cause unconsciousness, shock and even the death of a pet. With hypothermia, your dog may or may not experience Frostbite.

Signs and symptoms:
- Low body temperature (below 37.5 degrees rectally)
- Shivering
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Muscle stiffness
- Lack of co-ordination
- Low heart and breathing rates
- Fixed and dilated pupils
- Collapse
- Coma

What to do:
- Warm your pet.
- Use blankets
- Put warm water in plastic bottles then rap in towels to prevent burns.
- Use plastic zip lock bags filled with uncooked rice that you warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes then rap in a towel.
- Micro wave ice packs that have not been frozen and rap in a towel.
- If you use a heating pad never put the animal directly on the pad. Always use several towels. A weak animal will not be able to move and will suffer burns.
- A hair dryer on medium warm is a quick start to warm up your pet while someone else is preparing blankets and water bottles.

- Monitor your pet's rectal temperature every 10-15 minutes. When his or her body temperature is back to normal (38.5 C) stop warming. An over heated animal is just as dangerous.

- Hypothermia can leave lasting damage because the lack of oxygenated blood flowing to body tissue that can cause that tissue to breakdown. The extent of the damage will depend on how long your dog has been suffering from hypothermia, how low his temperature has fallen and the parts of the body affected. Seek Veterinary care even if it looks like your pet is fine after you have warmed him or her.

Holly, Poinsettias, and Mistletoe are all common Christmastime plants that can be dangerous for your dog.

Each of these plants carries some level of toxicity for our pets. The intensity of the reaction depends a lot on the size of your dog and how much he might ingest.

The reaction may be something as mild as a skin rash or excessive salivating, however, more serious reactions can include:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Respiratory distress
Heart complications

Click here to see a reference chart of poisonous plants/parts and related symptoms.

What to do
Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

Be ready with the following information:
- the species, breed, age, sex, weight and number of animals involved
- the animal's symptoms
- information regarding the exposure, including the agent (if known), the amount of the agent involved and the time elapsed since the time of exposure.

Keep the telephone number of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center-(888) 426-4435 ($60 consulation fee).

Have your Veterinarian's number and the number of the closest emergency vet/animal care facility on hand in an easy to find place.

Be Prepared
Have these products on hand for emergencies with your dog:
- a fresh bottle of hydrogen peroxide, 3 percent USP (to induce vomiting)
- a turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medicine syringe (to administer peroxide)
- saline eye solution
- artificial tear gel (to lubricate eyes after flushing)
- mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid (for bathing an animal after skin contamination)
- forceps (to remove stingers)
- a muzzle (to protect against fear- or excitement-induced biting)
- a can of your pet's favorite wet food
-a pet carrier

We all love our dogs, and we think feeding them from the table is a treat, or sometimes our guests don't know any better. Sometimes, it can be fatal.

Below is a list of foods you should avoid feeding to your canine companion (and why).

Chocolate, coffee, tea, and caffeinated drinks - they contain caffeine which could be toxic and impact the heart and nervous systems.

Citrus oil extracts - cause vomiting.

Grapes and raisins - contain unknown toxins which can damage the kidneys.

Mushrooms - can result in shock and cause death.

Alcohol - can result in coma and death (plus, I haven't seen too many 12 step programs for dogs).

Onions and garlic - raw, cooked, or powder -in large amounts have the ability to damage red blood cells and cause anemia (which decreases the amount of oxygen that is carried to your muscles and organs).

Xylitol is a sugar-alcohol sweetener contained in chewing gum and candy and can cause seizures, lethargy and weakness, liver damage and death.

Ibuprofen may smell sweet and dogswill eat it if they're found lying on the floor. (don't be surprised if your dog tries to chew threw a bottle to eat the entire contents) - causes ulceration and perforates the lining of the stomach, and decreases the blood flow to the kidneys.

Uncooked Dough - an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach causing vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating.

Salt - poses a risk for the development of sodium ion toxicosis, which can result in vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and even death, in severe cases.

Foods high in FATS - can lead to gastrointestinal upset, vomiting, diarrhea, and possibly pancreatitis.

Macadamia Nuts - have caused weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Signs usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and last approximately 12 to 48 hours.

Avacodo - the leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.