Keep your pet safe this winter

After a recent snow, our dog was having the time of her life — diving into snowdrifts and digging out a tree branch that she proceeded to toss into the air so it would fall into a new pile of snow. Though winter can be fun for your pets, it also can be dangerous. Here are some things to watch out for:

Bundle pets up. Though some dogs already have heavy coats, slight ones such as greyhounds or whippets — which have only around 15% body fat — get cold even if it's just under 40 degrees. Small dogs can have problems retaining body heat, so a sweater or coat can help. If your dog is shivering, go inside.

Open the car hood. Cats can slink under car hoods on cold days. Unsuspecting motorists can do damage to their engines, and certainly to the cat, if they start the car with the kitty under the hood.

Watch the salt. Most street salt stings dogs' paws, so consider using "pet friendly" salt (such as Morton Safe-T-Pet Ice Melt).

Check for ice. In snow, ice balls can form in the pads of dogs' paws. You can purchase booties (look in pet stores), or you can spray your dogs' paws using unflavored non-stick cooking spray (such as Pam) or wipe on Musher's Wax (available at some pet stores and online).