Pet answers: cool cats and hot dogs

I have a new dog and love going walking but a friend has warned me about walking in snow and ice. What should I be worried about?
It is great that you are keen to be outside with your new dog as I am sure they will enjoy it. There are only a few things to think about over winter time and with precautions you won’t have major issues. The first is to be aware that when grit starts to be spread on roads and paths it can cause irritation to the skin and pads of the paws. You can either have your dog wear booties or, as most people do, make sure to clean your dogs paws at the end of the walk and check that the skin isn’t irritated. The second thing to be aware of are ice balls. These form when ice packs in around the hair between pads and can cause discomfort when walking like a stone would. Keeping the hair trimmed can stop this happening. Third is frostbite. Although some dogs can cope with cold temperatures very well others struggle with prolonged exposure (not so common in the UK!). As with the other issues check your dogs feet and be aware of any excessive licking or biting of the paws by your dog. Also to be considered if we have a nice thick snowfall is the possibility of sharp objects under the snow. The last thing to think about is antifreeze, but I will cover that in more detail in the next question…

I have heard antifreeze is dangerous for my cat but surely she won’t drink it?
Unfortunately, anti freeze (ethylene glycol) is quite appealing to animals due to having a sweet taste. It can leak from a car radiator when parked or be spilt when used. It is extremely toxic and can cause neurological issues and kidney damage even if veterinary care is provided. If you suspect your animal has been exposed to antifreeze then get in touch with your vet ASAP.

My dog is drinking a lot and constantly going to the toilet, could this be diabetes?
Yes, it could – but it could be a lot of things, some quite simple and some more serious. A vet would look to get as full a history as possible from you including when it started, how much water is consumed, how often and how much is urinated each time, whether there has been any change in eating habits or weight and if there are any other changes. From this, the potential causes can be narrowed down. I would always advise someone to bring a urine sample to the vet at the same time as this can help a lot. It is quite likely that the vet would also look to take a blood sample as part of the initial tests. It is very important to get an answer in these cases as some conditions can be serious but are more readily treatable if caught early.

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Cees Bennett BVetMed MRCVS Veterinary surgeon and Joint Venture Partner at: Peterborough Vets4Pets 231-233 St Paul’s Road Peterborough PE1 3RL Tel: 01733 890777 & Bretton Vets4Pets Inside Pets at Home Unit 2 The Bretton Centre Peterborough PE3 8DN Tel: 01733 261094