Taking Care Of Your Dog During Winter

Who says winter can’t be fun? Take a look at our tips and tricks about caring for your dog during winter to ensure you both can have great fun in these colder months.

Dogs adore having fun in the snow and ice! Their requirements are a bit different when the winter comes. Keeping warm and winter walks can be kind of problematic, just make sure you’re all well and prepared before the winter hits.

Winter walks

When it’s frosty, preserving dogs' feed during exercise is important. Once you’ve completed your winter dog walk, you should take care to clean any snow or ice between the toes of your dog's paws. This also removes any residual moisture that can get trapped and cause painful sores. Watch out for salt and other chemicals that are regularly sprayed on walking footpaths and roads. They can potentially irritate the pads and sometimes cause bleeding, be sure to check and look out for them.

Dogs that are having short hair, older dogs, or dogs with health problems will appreciate it if you buy them a doggie jacket when they stroll outside.

When on a winter pet walk, your dog may start to interact and lick the snow leaving many owners asking the question is it bad for dogs? Ice being deadly or poisonous is a myth. The only issue that can occur is dogs having dental problems due to sharp ice. This doesn’t mean you should encourage such dog actions, as it can have a negative impact on their teeth.

Warm baths

Who doesn’t like a warm bath? For us, it can be relaxing and soothing, but for our pets, it can be anything but that. Nevertheless, grooming is essential not only for their coat to be healthy but also to reduce and minimize allergies and possible infections. While your dog can resist the idea of a bath it is your responsibility to make it a stress-free and positive experience for your pet. Part of a great bathing experience is definitely choosing the right shampoo for your dog. If you’re a proud owner of a poodle Petsumer has some great stuff to make your bathing time even more fun. Make sure to visit their picks here.

Frostbite

Dogs can suffer from frostbite if they get really cold. A vet will immediately be able to tell you more. Generally, frostbitten skin can appear greyish or even black in color and will be cold to the touch. If you’re having doubts if your dog has frostbite don’t rub the frozen tissue as it will cause additional damage. To remind you, if you’re worried about frostbites or any underlying condition of your dog during winter, be sure to go to the vet for additional help.

With how much food I should feed my pet

Well-nourished dogs in cold weather are much better prepared to cope with the freeze, especially if they spend most of their time outdoors. If your dog is a big fan of the outdoors, you can consider giving them a tiny bit more food to make sure they get the energy to battle the cold. Dogs that spend a lot of time indoors require less food to keep warm in winter months, also they maintain a better body condition than pets that are most of their time outside.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia in dogs can take place when a dog has been outdoors for a longer period of time at a severely low temperature. Size of your dog, breed, and age are giant factors in recognizing the time that your dog can be out in the cold. The major thing is to make sure not to ignore any obvious signs such as shivering or losing their mental awareness, if this starts to happen make sure to get a hold of a vet and to keep them warm.

To conclude

Winter times can be fun times but only if we make sure to stay on the lookout for the most common issues dog owners face during the winter months. Hopefully, this article helped you and your dog to make the most out of winter.