Here's how to keep pets, animals and livestock warm and safe from the cold, according to SPCA

When Rachelle van Zanten checked on the horses in her Burns Lake farmyard on Monday, she found one of them wasn't doing well.

"Our little rescue Arab … he was just shaking and shaking and shaking," the musician told CBC's Bill Fee.

Shivering is a symptom of hypothermia, according to B.C. SPCA. The animal welfare organization has been asking human guardians to pay extra attention to their pets and livestock amid the extreme cold weather this week.

Bitterly Arctic flows have led to record-breaking low temperatures in many parts of B.C.'s Interior and north.

Burns Lake, for instance, recorded –37.4 C on Monday and –40.8 C on Tuesday. Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasts extreme cold will continue across central and northern B.C. for the rest of this week.

Keeping livestock warm

In a written release Tuesday, B.C. SPCA said animals may also develop pale or grey gums, lethargy and lack of bodily co-ordination when they experience hypothermia, a medical emergency where the body loses heat faster than it produces heat.

The organization also warns that amid frigid temperatures, animals may also develop frostbite, an injury caused by the freezing of skin and underlying issues, with symptoms such as blueish skin and skin ulcers.

The SPCA strongly urges humans to keep all animals indoors during cold weather. But if the animals need to be kept outside, it recommends keeping them in shelters that are off the ground and providing them enough protection from the wind and cold.

Van Zanten says her equine friend, Chep, continued to shiver after she provided blankets, warm mash and warm water, so she tried something innovative.

"I thought the solution could be knitting him some 1980s leg warmers and keeping them clipped up to his blanket," she said — and Chep has stopped shivering.

John MacDonald, co-owner of Double Mac Farms in Prince George, says he has blankets to keep horses warm, but the same method doesn't necessarily work for every other species he is raising.

"[For] chickens, they need to be in a heated area," he said.

MacDonald admits it takes a lot of money and effort to keep multiple heaters on.

"It's a lot harder to run the machines when [they are] cold, and things break more easily [amid extreme cold]," he said.

"We'll check to make sure all the waters are not frozen, and make sure the cows are fine and different animals are fine."

Tips for walking pets

For owners of domesticated animals like dogs and cats, the SPCA suggests putting on jackets, socks and booties as protective gear against frostbite, adding that the animals may take time to get used to wearing it.

The organization also asks humans to clean their pets' toes and paw pads after walking them outside. The salt or sand used to melt ice on sidewalks are irritating to paw pads, and could lead to sore paws and dermatitis if they aren't wiped off.