Here’s how to protect your dogs and cats from winter cold

Rankin Inlet’s municipal enforcement officers picked up this cold dog recently, looking for its owner in the community of about 3,000. (PHOTO FFROM RANKIN INLET NEWS/FACEBOOK)

It’s sad to see ice dripping from the muzzle of a dog or find a tiny puppy huddled for some warmth by someone’s door.

To keep dogs safe in the cold weather, dog-team owner John Makayak Hickes of Rankin Inlet has lots of reminders for people in his community, which is known for its cold winters and saw a record-breaking low this Sunday of -34.1 C.

Short-haired dogs from the South are suffer in the cold, and they should not live outside, Hickes said in a recent public posting.

And puppies of any breed are not able to resist the cold until they are about eight months old, he said.

They can’t be outside and exposed for more than a half hour when it is colder than -18 C, because “the feet and tails of puppies freeze easily and floppy ears are thin and also freeze easily,” he said.

But for all dogs, Hickes said it’s important to:

• Provide access to water at least three times per day. Mix dry dog food with hot water and let it soak for a half-hour before feeding. This way the dog gets needed moisture, because plain tap water freezes too quickly.

• Feed dogs regularly. That means daily in the winter, and pups need to be fed twice a day until about eight months old. “But southern dogs can’t survive up here on kibble alone. You can mix fat, meat scraps, and drippings from cooking with the kibble,” he said.

• Provide a dog house, or at least some insulation from the snow, for dogs to sleep comfortably. Keep dog houses free of snow and add something to insulate the dog from the bottom of the house. “Even multiple layers of cardboard or newspaper are better than nothing. You can find carpet at the dump, cut squares to fit into the house and lay down about three layers,” he said.

But if you have a northern breed, husky-type dog, it may not use a house, Hickes said. These dogs still appreciate having a plywood base to lie on, and often will use an old sleeping bag or carpet squares to avoid lying on the snow.

“These also need protection from the wind. Older dogs need more insulation and padding, as they may be arthritic,” Hickes said.

Cats, too, need protection from the cold, he said, and shouldn’t be allowed out in winter.

“In winter they can freeze, or can be attacked by foxes. Cats should also be vaccinated against rabies, as they can certainly transmit the disease to people,” he said.

Dogs must be 12 weeks of age to be vaccinated for rabies, but can be vaccinated for parvo virus and distemper at six weeks.

In Rankin Inlet, loose dogs are picked up by bylaw officers and taken to a pound where they have a warm house with dry straw.

“We make every effort to find the owners and get the dogs back to them, after they are vaccinated and registered,” Rankin Inlet’s fire chief, Mark Wyatt, told Nunatsiaq News.

As for the cold, “people really need to be aware how the cold affects their animals,” he said. “All dogs need shelter from the winter cold.”

In Cambridge Bay, where wind chills have already gone lower than -40 C, there’s a bylaw in place to prevent cruelty to animals.

The bylaw says no one shall:

• Leave an animal without nutritious food and palatable water for a period of longer than 48 hours.

• Abuse an animal or punish an animal to an extent that is cruel or unnecessary.

• Tether an animal by a chain or other material that is less than two metres in length.

In Cambridge Bay, vaccinations are available free through the municipal office. In Rankin Inlet, you can call Page Burt to make an appointment for vaccination.