The extended cold spell affects more than just people struggling with frozen batteries and icy sidewalks. The recent extended bitter weather has a profound effect on animals and livestock. While we are careful to bundle ourselves against the weather, we need to remember that cold impacts our animals in the same way.

That's the message from Dr. Kim Hoshizaki at the Animal Health Clinic of Humboldt. Obviously, animals respond to intense cold in much the same way as humans, but they are always dependent on responsible owners to monitor them in such frigid temperatures. Hoshizaki has some simple suggestions, "I always tell people to treat animals in cold weather like you would treat yourself. So dress accordingly and stay out accordingly. Things that help animals, especially dogs and cats, are their coats and fat protection as well. So if you have a dog that's a little chubbier, they're going to be a little bit more cold resistant."

When it comes to other forms of protection, like jackets and boots available from pet stores, Dr. Kim agrees that they have a value in protecting our furry friends, but these can only go so far. She notes, "There's a number of different things available from coats to boots. The important thing to remember is that when we go outside, we literally bundle from head to toe; toques, scarves, gloves, socks, pants, everything. There isn't really anything available for a dog's legs. So coats and boots are helpful, but don't forget their heads, their ears, their legs; those are unprotected. So you do have to treat it like unprotected skin for yourself in that if it's a five-minute frostbite, then its a five-minute frostbite for them because they have limited hair on their legs."

Some breeds are designed to handle the cold better than others. Dr. Kim uses spitz breeds like Akitas or malamutes, with their thick or double coats, as examples of dogs that fare better in a hostile winter. She cautions against the assumptions that these dogs are completely immune, "I do tell people that anything below -20 is unfit for any dog, whether they're double coated or not. At -20 or above, those dogs can probably handle it. They do require a shelter like a shop that's out of the wind."

The final ingredient is a warm pet in the winter time is their body condition. In order to maintain their body temperatures, animals will actually need to consume more food in inclement weather. She states, "Again body condition is huge. You can have a double coated dog like a Siberian husky, but if they're really thin, it's not going to help them much. Remember that animals need to eat twice as much or even more, depending on the food, to maintain the energy to stay warm."

For more information on pets and combatting the cold, contact your veterinarian.