To Grandmother's House We Go

Pup Astrid spent Christmas with one of her favorite people.

Gammy! (That is, this human's mom.)

And, yes, Astrid is wearing a Christmas sweater. I never thought I'd be one of those who put my pup in a sweater, but my sister found this incredibly festive Christmas sweater, and it fits Astrid like a glove.

***

Our Twelve Days of Christmas Doodle of the Day:

Merry Third Day of Christmas!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Yesterday we mentioned knowing how to recognize the symptoms of hypothermia this cold time of the year. Today, we have some tips on avoiding hypothermia in our furbabies. First and foremost, you can of course eliminate or reduce time in cold weather in order to prevent hypothermia or frostbite. Though dressing up furbabies is not something that everyone is accustomed to doing, for those furbabies who allow it, sweaters and booties can help reduce the loss of body heat and to keep paws warm and dry when they do go outdoors. For furbabies who spend longer time outdoors, or who perhaps live outdoors, as we have mentioned before, please do your best to provide them with a sheltered and warm area outdoors. Outdoor shelters can be bought or built, and substrate such as straw can be added for burrowing and staying warm. There are also outdoor-safe heating pads or heaters that can be added to outdoor shelters, and can be extremely beneficial in helping outdoor animals stay warm and safe. Whether a furbaby is indoor/outdoor or outdoor only, when they are outdoors, try to ensure that their cold weather environment is kept as dry as possible, as moisture can exacerbate the potential for hypothermia and frostbite. Try to keep outdoor shelters sufficiently covered and leak-proof, and therefore free from rain and snow. Cold weather can be dangerous for kitties and pups, so please do what you can to keep them warm and safe!