When 2-year-old Clara dons her four rubber booties to go out into the intense cold of a Helsinki winter morning, she typically does a hop and a skip before she settles down.
鈥淐lara does the hilarious boot walk 鈥 lifting legs super high 鈥 but soon forgets them when we get outside,鈥 said Clara鈥檚 owner, Vappu Vans茅n.
Without the boots, the Alaskan malamute, German shepherd and pit bull rescue from Croatia 鈥渨ould limp from the cold,鈥 said Vans茅n, a copywriter for CNN鈥檚 sister company HBO Max, via email. 鈥淚f she didn鈥檛 have them on, she would try to lift all of her four legs in the air at once, so the boots were a life saver.鈥
That image may bring a smile, but protecting a pet鈥檚 extremities from frostbite and the salt used to deice roads is serious business, said Dr. Dana Varble, chief veterinary officer for the North American Veterinary Community, a nonprofit organization that provides support and professional development for the global veterinary health care community.
鈥淲hen it drops down to the 20s and the 10s (Fahrenheit) and subzero conditions, frostbite can happen pretty quickly,鈥 Varble said. (That would be about minus 1.7 degrees Celsius to minus 12 Celsius.)
鈥淭ips of ears and tips of tails are hardest hit, and smaller animals are more quickly affected. First, you鈥檒l see the skin get pale, and ears may start to bend or curl because the tissues are being damaged.鈥
There are online frostbite charts that list just how long a person can stay outside unprotected depending on the temperature, and those apply to dogs and cats as well, Varble said.
鈥淢ost pets aren鈥檛 like sled dogs, outside all the time slowly acclimating to the cold over weeks to months. Doing that not only changes their coat, but it also changes their fat and muscle layers and even their metabolism,鈥 she said. 鈥淲indchill matters, too. Wind cuts through fur just like it cuts through our winter gear as well.鈥
Cats need the same protection, said Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer for Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America鈥檚 shelters by 2025.
鈥淚f the temperatures drop and your cat goes outside, you really have to make sure they are not out unattended for very long,鈥 Sizemore said.
Even the inside of homes can be chilly, so it鈥檚 important to have a warming, supportive bed, especially for dogs and cats with arthritis, Sizemore said. But be sure to read the safety instructions before using any bed or warming blanket.
鈥淎 lot of people think 鈥極h, we鈥檒l make it more cozy by putting a blanket over it.鈥 But that can actually pose a fire hazard,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to be extra careful with all things that involve heat.鈥
There is another concern: Not all cities use pet-safe products to salt the roads in the battle against ice, Varble said.
鈥淚t can cause stomach upset and mouth irritation if they鈥檙e ingesting or licking their feet that have salts on them,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good idea to just do a quick wipe of those paws when they come in because their natural inclination is to lick their feet at some point.鈥
Having an ice-free area, however, is important, especially for older pets who may have arthritis, experts say.
鈥淛ust like people, pets can slip on icy patches,鈥 Varble said. 鈥淪o, stay on top of your shoveling, use pet-safe salts, or consider using a heat mat that keeps the snow and ice melted. If you go for longer walks and there鈥檚 a lot of ice in your neighborhood, try to choose a grass or dirt surface. It may be a bit harder for your pet to walk through the snow, but it鈥檚 a good trade-off compared to ice."
Stay away from metal bowls if you put water or food outside, as tongues and paws can stick to ice crystals. And here鈥檚 something you may not have thought of 鈥 windows and doors with bad drafts can become icy as well.
鈥淒ogs who love to look out of windows or doors can get frostbitten from ice crystals that form around the edges of windows and doors,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 rare but does cause skin injuries.鈥
How do you know whether your pet is in danger from the cold? According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, if your pet is 鈥渨hining, shivering, seems anxious, slows down or stops moving, seems weak, or starts looking for warm places to burrow, get them back inside quickly because they are showing signs of hypothermia.鈥
Not acting quickly enough can lead to more extreme behaviour, Varble said.
鈥淲hen you see an animal or person that鈥檚 been in the cold for so long that they鈥檝e stopped shivering, it鈥檚 actually a bad sign,鈥 Varble said. 鈥淭hen you鈥檒l start to see really bizarre behaviour. People can move into delirium and stop seeking warm temperatures, hunkering down or trying to build a fire.
鈥淚n animals, we鈥檒l see them running around outside, acting confused, and that鈥檚 literally what is happening 鈥 their brain is getting cold as well, and they鈥檙e not behaving in logical ways anymore.鈥
Another danger to watch out for is spilled antifreeze, which is highly toxic but also enticing to animals, Sizemore said.
鈥淵ou want to buy antifreeze that has a bittering agent, because antifreeze can be very sweet,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t definitely is very dangerous, and if you ever see an antifreeze spill, you should clean it up right away.鈥
Also consider another group of animals that shouldn鈥檛 be forgotten when it comes to winter safety 鈥 stray dogs and cats.
鈥淢any places have community cats 鈥 free-roaming cats that many people in the neighborhood take care of. They鈥檙e used to being outside, but they need extra protection as well,鈥 Sizemore said. 鈥淭hankfully, there are many easy, affordable options online that you can buy or build yourself. I鈥檝e seen some pretty fun, do-it-yourself cat patios and cat houses.鈥
It鈥檚 also a good idea to check your car for stray animals before starting it, Sizemore said.
鈥淐ar engines are warm, so sometimes feral or community cats will sense that heat and crawl up in the engine,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 always a good idea to give your hood a little bang before you get into your car.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be conscientious because sadly, if you start up your car with a cat by the engine, it can injure or kill them.鈥
Two Canadians are among those killed in southern Lebanon, Global Affairs Canada confirmed late Tuesday. While GAC has not confirmed their names due to privacy, family members tell 麻豆传媒 the two people killed are Hussein and Daad Tabaja.
An image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023 has been obtained by CTVNews.ca.
MPs debated the first non-confidence motion of the fall House of Commons sitting today, seeing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre push once again for a snap election. But with votes secured to keep them afloat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals were quick to turn the discussion into a referendum on the Conservative alternative.
A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.
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An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.
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Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.
After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.
A Missouri man convicted of breaking into a woman鈥檚 home and repeatedly stabbing her was executed Tuesday over the objections of the victim鈥檚 family and the prosecutor, who wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.
Kg rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and its ally Hamas, a fellow Iran-backed militant group. Israel has responded with increasingly heavy airstrikes and the targeted killing of Hezbollah commanders while threatening a wider operation.
Iran鈥檚 new president signaled to world leaders Tuesday that he wants to open a 'constructive' chapter in his country鈥檚 international relations 鈥 but he made clear that everyone else, including the United States, needs to do their part.
A man who authorities say staked out Donald Trump for 12 hours on his golf course in Florida and wrote of his desire to kill him was indicted Tuesday on an attempted assassination charge.
Special counsel Jack Smith this week will be allowed to file hundreds of pages of legal arguments and evidence gathered in the 2020 election subversion and Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack criminal case against former president Donald Trump, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
A federal judge sentenced FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried鈥檚 former girlfriend to two years in prison, citing her extensive cooperation with prosecutors that led to the conviction of the former face of the cryptocurrency industry in one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.
The federal government has 'no intention' of pausing the next planned increase to the carbon price, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault confirms.
U.S. President Joe Biden reflected on the motivation behind his decision to step away from politics and sent a message of unity to global leaders gathered at a time of increasing division and geopolitical instability.
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The federal Liberals are creating a new agency to beef up Canada's ability to handle rapidly spreading infectious diseases and protect from future pandemics.
A team at the University of Waterloo are developing a process to 3D-print bones, which could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients.
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An appeal hearing stemming from a court challenge of the Government of Saskatchewan's Parents' Bill of Rights has come to a close.
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An Uber driver was handed a 12-month driving ban on Tuesday following a collision that injured a pedestrian and killed a labrador retriever in Barrie.
Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino feels a Ferris wheel is a no-brainer and has asked city administration to look into the possibility of one in a parking lot along the river front in downtown Windsor.
A person from Windsor has died in a collision on Highway 59 in Oxford County.
A road in Essex County has reopened following a multi-vehicle crash. According to OPP, County Road 20 had been closed between Iler road and McCormick Road in Harrow.
A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.
Less than one month before voters cast their ballots in the provincial election, a new poll of British Columbians shows half of respondents fear for their safety in their own communities.
A boater was rescued on Monday evening after spending three hours in the frigid waters off Vancouver Island.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
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Dozens of police officers and support workers have come to Lethbridge for the Social Disorder and Urban Crime Conference.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
To make higher education an easier step to take for Indigenous students, the University of Lethbridge is dropping some fees for those applicants.
A 25-year-old suspect was charged with impaired driving Sept. 21 after police spotted two people without helmets on an ATV on Sand Bay Road in Goulais River.
A federal offender who was last seen in Sudbury is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly breaching his statutory release conditions.
The Crown's key witness in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard will take the stand in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon following the judge's instructions to the jury.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they鈥檙e about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
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