As winter sets in, shorter days, colder temperatures, and disrupted routines can quietly take a toll on household pets, particularly cats, dogs, and horses, according to Dr. Linda Hirzer.
As owner of the North Waterloo Veterinary Hospital, the veterinarian has focused on preventive health care and veterinary dentistry over her decades of practice.
One of the first animals Hirzer thinks about when it comes to winter stress is cats. She said there is some discussion, though not scientific proof, that cats may experience something similar to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter months.
“There’s actually some non-confirmed thoughts that cats might get SAD – seasonal affective disorder – when it gets to be winter,” Hirzer told The Observer. “That’s not been proven scientifically, but things like cats who are allowed access to the outdoors… have their routine, they go outside and hunt and do whatever they do, and come back to the house. Suddenly, it’s freezing outside. It’s snowing, it’s cold, it’s deep, and they can’t do what they want to do.”
Hirzer added that sudden restriction can lead to anxiety. Even indoor cats can struggle when winter disrupts familiar patterns tied to light and warmth.
“Some cats who don’t go outside have very specific indoor routines,” Hirzer continued. “Every day at two o’clock, the sun comes in the window, and they sleep in the sun spot in the living room, and then it’s winter, and the sun doesn’t come in as much. Their routine is upset.”
She said those disruptions can show up as behavioural changes.
“When cats are anxious, sometimes they start peeing inappropriately,” Hirzer said. “Someone comes in and says, ‘My cat’s starting to pee in the corner,’ and really it’s because the cat wants to go out and can’t go out because there’s snow and it’s awful out.”
To help manage winter anxiety, Hirzer said the focus should be on the indoor experience.
“What you always try to do with cats and anxieties is enrich the environment,” Hirzer explained. “Provide more toys, interactive toys where machines dispense them, spend more time playing with the cat, find hiding games, food balls that drop food, things to play with.”
Hirzer also noted that adding light and warmth, as with light therapy lamps, can also help.
“There is some talk of providing that sunlight that wakes us up in the morning, but providing that for cats when it’s darker throughout the day,” Hirzer said. “Or a nice warm bed, something to replace that sunspot. You just have to be careful you’re not burning your cat.”
Winter also brings hazards that are rarely seen in warmer months. In her practice, Hirzer has had cats come in who had crawled into a car engine for warmth. She warned that this can lead to serious injuries.
“That’s something we would never see in warm weather because they’re not heat-seeking,” Hirzer said. “People are taught to bang on the hood if you park your car outside. It’s not like every week someone comes in with a fan belt injury, but it does happen.”
For dogs, winter issues are often physical rather than emotional. Hirzer said irritation to paws is common due to road salt and ice-melting chemicals.
“When they come in from their walks on city sidewalks, wipe their feet or wash their feet and their bellies if they get contact with chemicals,” Hirzer advised. “Some dogs wear booties. For some it’s torture, but it does protect them.”
Dogs with longer hair between their toes can also develop painful snowballs while walking.
“They stop to chew the snowballs out of their feet when they’re walking,” Hirzer noted. “Trimming the hair can help.”
One of the most dangerous winter risks for both dogs and cats is antifreeze, which Hirzer said is extremely toxic and often fatal without immediate treatment.
“Antifreeze is sweet, so it tastes good, and they will find it and drink it,” the vet explained. “If you don’t actually see your dog drinking it and rush them to an emergency centre or to your vet, you can’t really win that battle.”
She added that exposure doesn’t have to be intentional for it to have dangerous consequences.
“You fill your car, and some of it drips onto the ground, and your dog comes out and licks it,” she said. “That’s enough. Antifreeze is super toxic.”
As little as two to three millilitres of antifreeze per pound of body weight can result in a lethal dose for most animals. For a medium-sized dog, that’s about three ounces. Cats are even more sensitive, with as little as one teaspoon becoming potentially lethal. Immediate veterinary attention is critical if you suspect your pets have ingested any antifreeze.
Additionally, pets we don’t usually keep in our homes also have their share of challenges over the wintry months.
Horses face distinct winter challenges, particularly around diet, footing, and reduced activity. While often classified as livestock, Hirzer said horses are more accurately treated as pets by their owners.
“They get bored in the winter because they’re not turned out as much,” she explained. “And their food changes dramatically.”
Horses typically move from pasture and grass in summer to hay-based diets in winter, which can affect digestion and weight.
“They lose a lot of weight, especially older horses, and we have to do a lot of supplementing of feed,” she said.
Ice buildup on hooves is another major concern.
“If a horse comes in with ice on its feet, horse people freak out,” Hirzer said. “They can fall and hurt themselves. Before they come in, you pick their feet so they don’t come onto a slippery cement floor with that.”
Hirzer also warns that winter coats don’t always provide the protection people expect, especially for indoor pets. The trigger for growing a winter coat is shortening daylight, something many pets don’t fully experience.
“Our pets don’t adapt that way when they’re kept indoors,” Hirzer said. “They don’t grow that really dense winter coat.”
She said grooming remains important, even in colder months.
“Insulation is trapped air, and if a coat is matted, it doesn’t work,” she explained. “Some people won’t get their dog groomed in winter because they think it needs the coat, but that coat becomes inefficient. You might not cut it as short, but you still groom, and then you use a jacket.”
Ultimately, Hizer believes pet owners should pay close attention to behavioural changes during winter.
“Change in routine can cause anxiety, and cats are the worst at that,” Hirzer said. “If something seems off, there’s usually a reason – and in winter, it’s often the environment.”
