Brandy and Val

ALL THAT SNOW!  It seems to be everywhere in almost every state.  I think I heard that at one point, the only state that did not have snow somewhere in it was Florida.  This last blizzard was a whopper, affecting 30 states.  We got 20″ in suburban Chicago.  How do your pets react to the snow and cold?  Brandy absolutely adores it, the colder the better, but even this time around, the snow was so deep she couldn’t even hop through it.  Val, on the other hand, prefers the great INdoors.   For those who choose to be outdoors, just remember to protect your pups’ feet.  If you’ve tried boots successfully, let me know and send a picture.  Neither Brandy nor Val were very cooperative in using them.  Snow, ice, road salt and frost bite are the primary hazards to bare paws and this time of year, the pads can get dry and crack.   So, make sure to clean off paws thoroughly when the pooches come in, especially between the pads where stuff can get stuck.  As for the cracking, massage with an aloe cream.  Our dog walker gave us a cream that she uses on her horses and it works great.  Don’t have the name, though, but I’m sure it’s easy to find online.

Also when outdoors and off -leash, try to keep your pet away from icy patches!  Brandy’s already blown out one knee and we’re not looking for a repeat so we are very cautious.  In our case, since our driveway was a skating ring I had to think of something, so….mom to the rescue…..I shoveled a path on the grass long enough so Miss Brandy could run up and down, get exercise and play ball.  Since she’s so smart, she figured it out fast and knows to automatically head in that direction.  Up and down she goes and goes still happy.

Please share your tips with how you and your pet copes with the winter weather!  At Brandy and Val, our mission is to “do good where good is needed” and sometimes, the best good we can do is to share the tips that you post on our blog, our Twitter feed or on our Facebook page! The rest of the time, we do good participating in pet therapy programs and donating a portion of the sales from our books and toys to animal rescues throughout the country.