While you can purchase sweaters and little booties to keep your pets warmer during their outdoor trips, proper grooming can be just as beneficial.

"If they have a bunch of hair on their feet, you'd think it might keep them warmer. But actually, what it does is accumulate snowballs in there and then that snow stays in there longer when they come in--or they have to chew it out--or you have to groom it out," said Dr. Karla Sathre of Wausau Animal Hospital.

This cold snow can actually cause frostbite between their toes. But by keeping the hair between their toes clipped and wiping their feet clean when they return inside, you can reduce the likelihood of them ingesting the salt that we use to keep our sidewalks dry. While this salt is toxic, just how dangerous is it to our furry friends?

"They would have to eat buckets of it to cause major, major problems," said Sathre. "But licking a little bit off some shoes or whatever can cause a little bit of digestive upset."

Digestive upset can come in the form of vomitting or diarrhea--discomforts that none of us ever enjoy or enjoy cleaning up. Also, you might think with the dryness winter brings, that brushing your pet would be painful or tough on their skin. In fact, it's just the opposite.
Regular brushing actually helps spread out the natural oils on their skin which improves their furry coat.

It's also best to give your pets plenty of water in the cold winter months.
Twice a day is the minimum recommendation especially for dogs that must be kept outside. Also, be sure to check their water regularly to make sure it isn't frozen.