Last week I received an anxious call from Gember’s owner, asking me whether I could make a house call. Gember is a seven-year-old ginger cat who is a much loved and cossetted member of the family.
They were concerned about his lethargy and laboured breathing. His owner was unable to visit the clinic himself since he, as well as the rest of his family, had all come down with the flu.
That day, in fact, was particularly cold and windy and the only comfortable place to be was all rugged up and indoors.
My examination of Gember found him to be well-nourished and cared for. Yet, he was running a fever and had come down with bronchopneumonia.
My enquiries soon revealed that whenever the family retired for the night, Gember was put outside. This brought to mind the misconception surrounding animals and their perceived ability to tolerate cold weather. The reality is that all pets, be they dogs, cats, birds, horses, rabbits, rodents and reptiles, need to be given due care and attention during the cold winter months, so a few myths need to be debunked.
With cats, dogs and rabbits, the biggest misconception is the matter of their fur coats. While heavy-coated breeds such as Alaskan malamutes, Persian cats and chincilla rabbits are thought to handle the cold a bit better than we do, the fact remains that even heavy-coated breeds can suffer ill-health if left out in the elements long enough that they become too cold. Of course, if your dog, cat or rabbit is a short-haired breed, it’s a cinch that it will feel the cold all the more since there is less furry coverage.
It is also important to bear in mind that there is a considerable difference between house pets who have gotten accustomed to warm, comfortable living conditions and working animals such as farm dogs who are made to sleep outside.
Working dogs such as farm dogs, ratting cats, as well as horses and ponies, need extra nutrition and plenty of water to give them the energy to withstand the cold elements. Novice owners often fail to realise that the effort for these animals to stay warm in winter actually burns up calories and body water.
If you find yourself having to reach for heavy coats and jackets, then it’s probably time to dress up your short-haired dog or cat in a coat as well
Although it is not recommended that pets live outside, if your circumstances are such that you cannot keep your cat or dog indoors, then the best thing you can do is provide well-insulated shelter that is positioned with its opening away from the direction of prevailing winds, as well as raised off the ground to prevent rising damp.
Any bedding provided should be kept fresh and changed regularly. A warm kennel or shelter will go a long way towards reducing the chances of your dog or cat from suffering long-term arthritis.
In Malta, we’re spared the problem of our dogs or cats having to go out in the snow, but our humid winter wind can be bitterly cold and invasive. If you find yourself having to reach for heavy coats and jackets, then it’s probably time to dress up your short-haired dog or cat in a coat as well.
However, you need to balance out this advice with your own knowledge of how active your pet is likely to be when it is outside. If your cat is playing or your dog exercising energetically, then its naturally higher body temperature will be sufficient to keep it warm for the duration. However, as soon as your pet finishes exercising, you should wrap it up in warm clothing to preserve its body heat.
Sometimes there are health reasons that prescribe a need for your cat or dog to benefit from the additional comfort of a coat. Diseases affecting the heart, kidney or hormones (as in the case of Cushing’s), as well as diabetes, all affect the body’s natural ability to regulate its body temperature. Sometimes it is simply a matter of your dog, cat or rabbit getting on a bit and no longer able to take the cold as much as it used to. There is also the matter of size.
The smaller your pet, the more it will feel the cold. The reason for this is, quite simply, a matter of physics. What is important to remember is the overriding law that the smaller the body, the larger the relative amount of skin surface area, and therefore the larger the possibility of heat loss per unit of body weight. The end result is that a small creature will feel the cold much more when compared to you or I. If you are feeling very cold, then your small pet will be feeling even colder.
Small pets such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs are becoming increasingly popular due to their ease of care and maintenance. However, in winter, their hutch or cage needs to be placed in a warm place out of the wind and cold draughts. A rabbit I recently treated almost died because it was left on the landing of a draughty staircase, the owner thinking that since it was indoors, then all was well. Ironically, one of the smallest creatures, the bird, is hardier than other small animals.
Birds are generally comfortable at the same levels of temperature as humans. The important factor to take into consideration is that changes in temperature are gradual. Transferring your bird cage from a heated room out onto a cold and windy balcony so that it gets its morning air could make your bird seriously ill.
If you have the option of placing your bird in a sheltered spot in weak winter sunlight, do so. You will find that with the sun shining it is willing to take a bath even in cold water. Keep your bird away from aggressive heaters such as gas-enabled ones. At night, it is advisable to keep your bird’s cage covered to help it keep its body warmth contained within. Reptiles are another caged species that need special care in winter.
Your pet reptile is a cold-blooded animal that relies on external heat to maintain its body warmth in order to function healthily. Lizards, snakes and other such exotics all fall under this category and in winter they need extra help to obtain this body warmth. Amphibians such as turtles may also need to have their tank temperatures monitored and maintained at optimum levels. Specialist pet suppliers will advise and help you achieve the required target temperatures.
Having determined the reason for cat Gember’s bronchopneumonia and understood the source of his illness, we discussed the reasons behind Gember’s owners’ need to have their cat sleep outside. Gember, it seems, was an active night cat and delighted in playing with anything at hand.
An alternative solution was found that would keep him warm and cosy indoors and out of reach of the china. The appropriate medication would do the rest.
thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.