It has been raining cats and dogs these past few months — with more on the way this week.
What does your dog feel about the rain? For most dogs, rain means less exercise with you. But your pal often chooses not to go out in the rain.
A study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine found than about 30% of dogs are afraid of thunderstorms.
Dogs typically have hearing incredibly stronger than us. So the sounds of thunder and pouring rain may make some dogs nervous, especially dogs in Santa Barbara, where they have been through a very long drought, making rainstorms somewhat foreign to them.
When everything outside is wet, such as lawns and puddles, many dogs won’t go outside. They do not like their paws wet and some will not even go to go to the bathroom.
When it comes to cold weather that often accompanies a winter storm, it is not the size of the dog that matters but the length of its coat.
Pomeranians can tolerate colder temperatures better than a large Doberman Pinscher, and Alaskan malamutes love the cold, but this is not the case with short-haired breeds.
Santa Barbara County has two miles of off-leash beaches and 21 beaches that welcome dogs on leashes.
County Environmental Health Services warns us about the potential health risks associated with contact with storm water runoff in local waterways and beaches. Unlike a municipal sewer system, water carried by a storm drain system is not treated.
The highest levels of bacteria and pollutants are found near drainpipes and creek outfall areas. Storm water runoff may carry pollutants such as pesticides and motor oil.
To minimize potential health risks, it is recommended that people not swim, play or surf in the ocean and creeks for at least three days following a rainstorm.
So our pals should miss their beach walks and hikes until after there is an announcement that beaches and creeks are safe for people.
The creeks and rivers in our foothills, as well as lakes and reservoirs, may harbor giardia and or leptospirosis. Giardia may make your pal very ill with diarrhea and leptospirosis can cause fatal kidney failure.
Protect your pet from giardia by visiting your veterinarian if your dog develops diarrhea and bring, as fresh as possible, a fecal sample with you to the exam.
Your dog may contract leptospirosis by running through the water with a small cut or by drinking contaminated water from a creek, river or lake. To protect your pal from leptospirosis it is essential to keep your pal’s leptospirosis vaccines up-to-date.
Meanwhile, many cats simply do not like to get wet or a cat may not be used to rain so he is anxious.
Long-haired breeds especially become water logged in the rain. The top layer of their coat is typically “water resistant” but not the bottom layer of their coat. When they get soaked in rain, they can feel very cold (their coat takes a while to dry) and very heavy, experience poor agility and loss of balance, and have a hard time ambulating.
Their speed and reflexes are their instinctive defense mechanism so rain may slow them down and thus affect their safety.
They intuitively search for cover from the rain inside the house. If they are outside, they may be forced to hide in bushes, sheds, wood piles or under the house.
The difference between a cat licking itself and being soaked by the rain is that licking does not remove their natural scent. Instead, it actually increases it because their saliva is being deposited onto their fur. On the other hand, excessive water may completely remove any traces of scents your cat is familiar with and make your cat very anxious.
There are some breeds of cats that don’t mind being in the rain. This includes breeds such as Bengal, Abyssinian, Manx, Maine Coon and the Turkish Van (from an ancient breed called the “swimming cat.” These are a few of the breeds that are thought to have water-resistant coats and may actually go swimming.
So if your indoor cat likes the rain and wants to go outside maybe a “catio” is in your future building plans. A catio is a patio for cats.
An outdoor cat enclosure may be a cat window box or a balcony enclosure, or even an entire backyard outdoor cat playpen. Catios are great year-round!