Make sure you remember your pets + plants during cold weather

As winter approaches, we will see some pretty cold temperatures in the next few days and here and there for the next several weeks. So now is a good time to remind you to keep yourselves warm — and also your pets and plants.

Temperatures will dip into the 30s this weekend and for multiple days during the week, getting into the 20s by next weekend.

Here are few guidelines:

Take care of your four-legged friends during the winter weather

Cold weather and snow might seem like they don’t bother your animals, but they are just as susceptible to cold weather dangers as we are.

Obviously, pets that can come indoors should be kept in the house when temperatures are at a freezing level. But if bringing your pets inside is not an option, Huntsville Animal Services has some valuable suggestions for keeping your pets safe in cold weather:

• Adding straw, hay or woodchips to doghouses can help suppress the cold weather. 
• Blankets could also be an option.
• Consider a warming lamp that would give off heat but nothing that would be flammable.
• Bring pets inside for a few minutes to warm up before they go back outside. 
• Dressing pets in coats or sweaters would also help alleviate some of the cold.
• Even as precautions are taken to help pets stave off the cold, pet owners should still make a point of checking on them throughout the cold spell. Check for signs of frostbite or hypothermia or other signs of distress.

Plant care suggestions during cold snaps

If you have plants you keep outside and you want them to survive freezing temps, here are some suggestions:

• If your plant is in a container, you can bring your plant indoors temporarily. Put plants near a window and avoid putting them under heater drafts to avoid temperature shock. 
• Apply hay or mulch to insulate plants. This measure holds in both heat and moisture to protect root systems. Water jugs filled with warm water and placed in the mulch provide even more protection from the cold.
• For a quick freeze, water the soil around your outside plants before the freeze as this holds heat in better than dry soil. However, avoid doing this in the case of an extended hard freeze. 

Also, remember that the root system is what needs to survive. Last-minute frosts may make it impossible to save the entire plant. Leaves might not survive, but surviving stems and roots allow for regrowth in some cases.

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