NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – With colder days approaching, Lowcountry veterinarians are stressing the importance of checking on animals when the temperatures get lower.
Lucy Fuller is the chief veterinarian officer for the Charleston Animal Society.
She says that while the cold can impact all animals, just like humans, the most vulnerable animals are the ones who are very young, very old or have existing health issues.
Fuller says that it is very important to limit the amount of time outdoors for pets when it is cold, especially those animals who are at higher risk because of their age or health. These animals in particular can quickly lose body heat.
For example, a pet with arthritis will experience more intense pain in the cold, and a pet with diabetes will have a much more difficult time regulating their body temperature when exercising in the cold. Pets who are thinner and don’t have a lot of fat or fur on them will also be more affected by the cold. Something as simple as shortening their walk can make a difference.
Fuller also says that if a pet’s water bowl is outside, check that it isn’t frozen.
Overall, she says to just try to limit the amount of time a pet spends outside in the cold and to pay attention to their behavior and when they are ready to get back to warmth.
For animals that stay outside, she says to make sure they have some sort of shelter with bedding and warmth that they are able to go into when needed.
“We love our pets. We want them to be safe. And, most people, you know, that I come in contact with also love animals that aren’t their pets. They want to make sure that they are safe. So, it’s important that we just think about their comfort a little bit. We are also thinking about our own comfort but don’t forget that they’re a little more vulnerable this time of year,” she says.
Fuller and leaders of the Charleston Animal Society also want to remind everyone to be mindful of cats hiding in cars for warmth. It is recommended to make noise and bang on the hood of a car or honk the horn before starting it.
Fuller says there are steps to follow when a stray animal is found out in the cold.
“I think it’s important to take a little estimate of the situation – triage – and, if you have been seeing the animal for a while and you know that it’s not going back to someone’s home, or you think it’s not – especially if it’s injured – then those are pets that maybe you should either call animal control or bring them to the shelter yourself,” she says.
Fuller says that before determining if an animal is a stray or not, be sure to examine the pet for hunger, thirst, injury and cleanliness. She says that oftentimes people mistake pets outside for strays and they actually have an owner. Once determining an animal is stray and has been outside, that is when it is time to call animal control or bring the pet to a shelter.
The Charleston Animal Society has a lot of adoption events coming up over the holidays so they can clear the shelter and make more room to get more of these pets off the streets.
The shelter is currently hosting their “Empty the Shelter” event where they are reducing adoption fees until next Tuesday in an effort to get more pets adopted.
They have several adoption events scheduled for the month, and they have their “Home for the Holidays” campaign set to take place Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when they will deliver adopted pets right to their new homes.
For more information on upcoming events, click here.
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