Just because your dog is sporting a natural fur coat doesn’t mean it can tolerate the cold temperatures like its wild, snow-loving cousin the Hetta Husky. Domestic pets are used to the warmth and comfort of their indoor environs, so it’s crucial that take extra precautions to keep your animal safe and healthy during the winter months. Remember, being a pet owner is a year-round commitment no matter what’s happening outside.
Prevent Winter-Related Health Risks
Like humans, the two biggest winter-related hazards your pet can experience are frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite — though not immediately obvious — occurs when a dog gets so cold, its body pulls blood from areas like ears, paws, and tail to keep the center of its body warm. This results in ice crystals that can potentially damage delicate extremities. Watch for a change in color (pale or grey) and texture in the skin — if it’s hard and cold it’s time to head inside. Limit time spent outdoors in the winter and, if possible, try to make the majority of the bathroom breaks during the daylight hours when the sun is out.
Dress Your Pet For The Outdoors Seeing your dog dressed up in head-to-paw gear is undoubtedly cute, but proper clothing and footwear during the winter months is about protection, not vanity. This is especially true for small and short-haired dogs. A proper coat should go from the neck to the base of the tail, protect the belly, and be roomy enough for movement. Providing you can get your dog to cooperate, paw protectors and boots are great protection against the cold, as well as the salt.
Take Care Of Paws And Skin
With or without booties, make sure you’re properly cleaning off your dog’s paws to remove salt, ice, and chemical solutions like antifreeze after a jaunt outdoors. And, like us, pets are susceptible to dry, flaky skin in the winter. You can try to prevent these side effects by adding a skin and coat supplement to their food. For immediate care, natural remedies like coconut or olive oil, apple cider vinegar and oatmeal paste can soothe and hydrate dry ears, paws, and tail on contact.
Keep Them Cozy Indoors
This time of year equates to more time spent inside for animals and humans alike. It’s likely that your dog already has a comfortable place to snooze, but make sure it’s in a draft-free area that’s soft and plush, so no tile flooring or concrete. A raised bed is a good option if this can’t be avoided, but also opt for plenty of warm blankets — maybe even a heated pet bed if you have an elderly dog with stiff, aging joints. Be mindful of the fact that dogs often gravitate toward a heating source. Avoid space heaters and make sure your fireplace has the proper doors or cover in place to protect your pets from licking flames.
Be Mindful Of Their Diet
Unless your dog is extra active in the winter (which is doubtful if you’re limiting time outdoors), make sure you’re not upping their diet just because it’s cold outside. Be mindful of your pet’s activity level and adjust accordingly. Dogs can dehydrate just as quickly in winter as summer, so make sure you’re keeping that water bowl full — snow consumption doesn’t count.
Many of the adjustments you need to make during the winter months are similar to what humans do in order to brave the elements. But because dogs don’t have a voice, you have to be in tune with signs of discomfort that come with cold temperatures before a potentially serious situation. Keeping your dog warm and healthy now will pay off when it’s time to romp outside this spring. And if you see a lost or stray animal running around the streets in dangerously cold weather, provide an act of kindness by trying to find its owner or turning it over to a non-kill shelter.
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