Winter Risks for Felines Archives - EquiGroomer Horse and Pet Tools

Welcome to the second part of keeping your pet healthy, happy, and safe this winter!

This new post focuses on protecting our cats and horses from winter pet challenges.

As we mentioned in our first blog (protecting dogs), our pets depend upon us to ensure their health, comfort, and safety, especially against winter pet challenges. Despite their fur coats, our pets are still challenged by the cold and wet of winter.

It’s critical to educate ourselves about the winter challenges for our pets. Keep reading to learn the tips for protecting cats and horses during winter.

Winter Pet Challenges: Cats

If you allow your feline to roam outside during the winter months, always watch the time (keep it short) and monitor their reactions to the cold. Do not let them out during the coldest times of the day or night.

Domestic felines (as opposed to feral felines) do not have coats to adequately protect them in winter.

Never leave your family cat outside all winter (even with a shelter).
Frostbite: Cats are highly susceptible to frostbite on their ears, nose, tail, and toes. Affected areas will be pale or bluish-white in color. Immediately get your cat to your vet!
Hypothermia: If your feline begins to shiver outside, bring them inside immediately to prevent life-threatening hypothermia. Towel-dry them, including paws and toes.

Other signs of hypothermia may include unusual anxiety, crying, or lethargy.

NOTE: If your cat does not stop shivering in a reasonable amount of time, call or take your cat to your veterinarian!

Paws & Toes: Check between the toes for frozen snow, ice, dirt, or rock salt (you don’t want your cat licking any de-icing agents or chemicals). Also, check the paws for cracks and cuts. Massage moisturizing petroleum jelly or olive oil into your feline’s paws and between the toes.

AVOID cortisone cream, tea tree oil, or other essential oils on your cat’s paws without checking with your vet first!

Lean Protein: If your indoor cat spends regular time outside, feed them more lean protein.
Dry, Flaky, and Itchy Skin: Add a small amount of olive to the food (less is more to avoid an upset stomach). Using a home humidifier can also help.
Holiday Risks: During the holidays, remember holly and mistletoe are toxic to cats (and dogs).

Protecting Horses in Winter

Shelter: During the winter, horses need access to a barn or, at a minimum, a three-sided structure to protect themselves.
Horse Blankets: Well-fitted blankets keep horses warm and dry.
- Blanket horses in potential rain, ice, and/or freezing rain. But never put a blanket on a wet horse.
- Body-clipped equines should be blanketed throughout the winter season.
- Blankets should be used on very young/very old equines or those not yet acclimated to the cold.
- Horses with a body condition score of three or less should always be blanketed.

Unfrozen Water: Ensure your horse’s access to unfrozen water. Horses need more water during the winter to prevent dehydration and colic.
- Heated buckets, heaters, or de-icers will keep water from freezing. The University of Minnesota recommends warm water between 45° and 65° F. (Snow and ice are not adequate sources for water.)

Body Condition Scoring: Use Henneke’s Body Condition Scoring (BCS) to accurately assess weight changes and overall health during the winter. Click here for the detailed BCS chart for scoring with the scale below.

Winter Feeding: Feeding your horse more (even unlimited) forage will create more heat and efficiently regulate their body temperature.
Special Care: If your horse requires special care during the summer months, that same care must be continued through the winter.
Equine Skin Care: Horses are prone to skin problems during the winter, including ringworm, lice, and mites. To learn more, click here: The Horse, “Winter Skin Problems.”
Hoof Care: Keep up routine hoof care during the winter, including:
- Trimming: Every 6 to 12 weeks.
- Daily Picking: To remove packed ice or snow.