Now that winter is official in full swing please take a moment to remember an important pet safety issue, that of how your pet is affected by walking on ice.

Every year somebody gets injured because they stepped on a slick patch of unseen ice. Such accidents are quite common and will often bring about a number of problems such as bruising or broken bones. That is just for us humans and we are supposed to know enough to be careful. But does your pet know enough to avoid this potential danger?.

When pets are running around outside, playing in the yard, or just out for potty break, you as the owner should be aware of what areas have ice. Any areas that have icy patches should be avoided by your pets as your pet is just as susceptible to falling on it as you are. In many cases your pet is actually more likely to have a problem with ice. Pet like to run, jump, and play, and if they do so and hit the ice they will risk falling, pulling muscles or broken bones.

A dogs foot pads and claws are not quite the same as having boots and steel cramp-ons (metal spikes) for your shoes. While a pets paws will provide traction, much like a car tire this will lessen some as they get wet. Wet paws on ice just do not grab anything. And unlike cats, your dog's claws do not "grip" into things making them relatively useless for direct traction on ice.

Cold weather also has the added problem of slowing the blood, cooling down then limbs and dampening pain receptors. This effect will be more noticeable in smaller dogs. Because of these cold weather issues your dog could pull a muscle and not even realize it. Any injury your pet incurs outside might go unnoticed until your pet has been inside and warmed up for a while. Make sure that if you see your pets limping, whining or other unusual behavior, that you take them inside as immediately as possible and keep a watchful eye on them. Contact your vet as needed.

Common sense will work best. If you cannot avoid some ice, then make sure your pet is leashed and take it slow. Let your dog walk on the edge of the snow if possible as it will provider better traction. Do your pet to avoid a ice injury for your pet.

I do not think I have ever met a dog that did not like to play outside in some manner, at some time of year, or with at least one toy. However, we must be careful to watch how our pets play with these toys in order to help prevent the risk of injury.

Our male German shepherd broke his rear ankle a few months ago, simply because he landed wrong when he caught a frisbee. This was heart-breaking for me, but it does show that injuries can and do happen when we least expect them.

In his case, Axel, liked to jump up as high as he could to intercept anything thrown directly over his head. This is what led him to jump too high and then land too hard. Anything that is thrown in front of him he will simply chase after and catch. But he does this without jumping.

Our female, Abie, will chase a tennis ball for hours. However she can run faster then the ball tends to roll once it hits the ground. It only takes a moment to notice that she is trying to "scoop" the ball into her mouth at full speed. What would happen in the event her jaw hits the ground? Or she trips and falls over at a pretty fast speed? I try not to think about it. It's already bad enough she had surgery for a stick that jammed under her tongue from the two playing with it.

While we love to play with our dogs, we can play with them safely. Make sure to watch what they do when you play with them. Watch their running habits, patterns, and how they catch or grab the toys. If you have more then one dog, try using two tennis balls, one for each dog. One chases the first, the other the second. This prevents them from colliding, and fighting over a single ball. Make sure you watch for obstacles. Don't through the ball right past a tree that they can run into.

It only takes a little effort on your part, and your pet will not notice that you're paying attention to those things. It will however help you to prevent potential bad injuries to your loved pet.