It’s much easier to get sick during the winter season, which is why people take extra precautions to stay healthy, whether it’s by taking their vitamins or making sure to dress in warm layers. But what about your pet dog? Dogs can get sick too, and they’re just as vulnerable to the cold as people are. The following are five tips to help keep your pet dog healthy and warm this winter season:
- Make your dog wear booties – Little booties on your dog’s paws may look a little goofy (or cute, depending on your thoughts on dog clothing), but they will help keep your dog safe in a number of ways. First of all, booties will keep your dog’s paws warm. Secondly, they’ll prevent deicer from getting on their paws. If a dog walks across deicer, they could attempt to lick it off their paws, causing them to get sick. Booties will prevent this.
- Keep your dog hydrated – You might assume that your dog won’t get as thirsty as they do during the warmer days of the year. However, the dry weather of winter can actually make them more thirsty. Make sure you always have fresh water out for your dog to ensure that they stay hydrated.
- Adjust your dog’s diet – Your dog may not be as active during the winter. Some dogs don’t like the cold, which means that they won’t want to go outside as much to run around. If this is the case, you won’t want to feed them the same amount of calories that you were feeding them during the summer, when they were more active. Of course, if your dog loves the snow and runs around even more than usual, then you’ll want to increase the number of calories in their daily diet to make up for the energy they’re using.
- Don’t give them as many baths – The dry weather of winter tends to dry skin. Whereas people can simply apply some moisturizer to their dry skin, dogs can’t do this. Because of this, you’ll want to avoid giving your dog as many baths as you normally do. Baths will dry out their skin, which can cause discomfort. Additionally, look for a dog shampoo that containers moisturizing elements to help prevent their skin from drying out.
- Be careful around heat sources – Dogs will look for heat sources around your home to keep warm. For example, if you have a fire built in your fireplace, there likely to take a nap nearby. Make sure you take safety precautions to block of heat sources, such as fireplaces and radiators, to help keep your pet dog from injuring itself.
Dogs are just as vulnerable to discomfort and sickness during the winter as people are. These are five tips that you should keep in mind in order to keep your pet dog safe, warm and healthy during the colder days of winter.
