Baby, it's cold outside! Keep your pets warm!

Brrrr....

The forecast is for cold -- maybe even snow. While it's fun to frolic in the snow with our dogs, it's a time of year that can put pets' lives in danger. Here are tips to keep your four-legged family members safe in cold weather:

* Hypothermia kills pets in cold weather. Your pet needs to be kept someplace warm and safe from drafts. Bring all pets indoors when temperature reaches 30 degrees.

* Dogs and cats can get frost-bitten ears, nose, and feet if left outside.

* Dehydration is also common and deadly this time of year. Make sure your animals have access to plenty of water.

* Very young, very old, and sick animals need special attention and warmth in the cold weather; their systems can't handle the low temperatures as well as other animals.

* For most animals, it's OK to leave them inside your home with the heat off while you're at work. However, make sure they have plenty of beds and blankets, since the floor becomes much colder in cold weather.

* Don't let your pet play in water. It can drop your pet's body temperature severely. If your pet runs through a puddle or jumps into a pond, get him out as soon as you can and dry him off immediately. Wrap him in a blanket and get him indoors immediately.

* Make sure a cat hasn't crawled under your car seeking shelter and warmth near the engine. Open the car hood or slap it noisily before starting the engine to startle any animal sleeping there.

* Wipe your pet's paws when he comes back into the house because he can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws. His paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

* Keep your dog on a leash and under your control during walks in the winter weather, especially during a snowstorm. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
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* Try using "pet friendly" antifreeze products and thoroughly cleaning up any spills. Even a teaspoon of traditional antifreeze can kill an animal.

* 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. Even if you're leaving your dog in the car for a just short period of time, make sure your small or short-haired dog is wearing a warm coat or is wrapped in a warm blanket.

* Keep the local emergency veterinarian's and family veterinarian's telephone number handy.

I NEVER recommend that pets live outside. However, if that's what you feel you must do, at least:

* Give your outdoor dog a dry, elevated house with clean, dry bedding and a flap over the opening to keep drafts out.

* Consider adding a dog door to the garage with a soft cushion in the warmest corner.

* Make sure water bowls are not frozen. Check them periodically throughout the day.

* Use plastic food and water bowls rather than metal; when the temperature is low, your pet's tongue can stick and freeze to metal.

* Give outdoor pets more food. Outdoor dogs and cats need more calories in the winter to produce body heat, so increase the amount fed to these pets.

Thanks to the good people at the Oregon Humane Society and the DoveLewis emergency animal hospital for these tips!