Winterizing the house and car is an essential thing before the starting of winter. But when you want to winterize your pet, a dog blanket, dog raincoat, and dog leash are not the only things you need. To protect your buddy from chilling winter, you should focus on their diet, protect them from salt and chemicals and buy the proper gear to keep them protected and safe from the blizzards and snow.
Your winter checklist should consist of the following
- Dog blanket
- Dog raincoat
- Dog leash
- Dog boots
- Diet plan
- Vet visit to know the winter needs of your pet
- Avoidance from salt sprinkled sidewalks
- Interactive toys and activities to keep them active indoors
- Avoidance from water bodies
How to winterize your pet
The above checklist will help you attain the head start to winterize your pet for the arrival of winter. The following information will give you deep insight into the phenomena so you can protect your dog in winter.
Bathe less but groom more bathing your dog more often in winter is not a good idea. When you want to take your dog out, making them wear the reflective jacket will protect them from winter and make them visible to the coming vehicles. The reflective jacket will protect them from accidents even in fog and heavy snow. Brushing them more and cleaning their paws with a warm and damp cloth will make them clean without a bath.
Adjust their diet
You might not consider adjusting their diet in the winter, but you must watch their food intake. Almost all dogs are under the threat of being obese, but some breeds are more prone to weight gain than others. You can consult your vet regarding the weight gain tendency of your dog and then the diet accordingly.
The winter is when the snow affects outdoor activities and daily walks or exercise. If you have a high-energy dog with a concrete diet plan, reduce the diet according to the time spent indoors. The more your dog eats, the higher are the chances of weight gain. But giving them less food will lead to starvation, weakness, or decreased immunity. Please consult your vet and choose the diet plan accordingly for their good health and enhanced immunity.
Keep them safe from chemicals.
Keeping your dog away from the sidewalk sprinkled with water or antifreeze chemicals is the most important thing you must do in the winter. The rock salt sprinkled on the sidewalk can get stuck in their paws and injure the skin. The more dangerous thing in this event is that the itchiness caused by the salt will force them to lick their paws. The licking will allow the salt to enter the digestive tract.
Salt is not safe for dogs, and the use of chemicals to melt the ice will also affect their paws, and the licking will make them suffer the most. The antifreeze has a sweet taste that will result in fatal consequences. That's why you should make them wear pet shoes to prevent the ingestion of salt and chemicals in the winter.
Know your pet's needs
In the summer, you might know that your dog suffers from mild arthritis. But in winter, the morning stiffness and laziness reveal this disease. If the dog is suffering from arthritis, the pain will be unbearable and affect your best buddy's mobility. Using a dog blanket will keep them warm, and the morning pain will be less painful. The vet visit will help you solve this issue. If your dog is hundred per cent ok and there is no disease still in winter, their needs change.
Dog raincoats and leashes will help you keep them safe and comfortable during the winter walks. But the change in diet plan, warm beds, and frequent brushing will help them enjoy the wintertime without any hassle. If you see a change in their eating pattern or behaviour, consult your vet right away and provide the necessary items that your dog needs in the changing weather.
Reflect on safety
A dog blanket will protect the dog inside the house. But the dog raincoat and dog leash will protect them outside. The protective leash will keep your dog with you and protect them from wandering and getting lost. The roads and sidewalks are mostly covered with scents, and dogs lose track of the scent in the winter. That results in them getting lost, and it ends up in trouble for both of you. The leash will help you keep them with you all the time and away from potential dangers.
Stay away from frozen lakes and ponds.
Suppose you have a pond or lake around your house; never let your pet go unsupervised there. Most pet parents use fences to keep their best buddy around the house and away from the water bodies. You never know what density of ice by looking at the surface. If the ice can accommodate a snowmobile or other vehicle on it, only then it is safe for you and your pet.
When ice is not thick enough, it will give way to your pet, and the results will be fatal. The running water will pull the dog away from the sinkhole, and the current will not allow the dog to come out of the water. It becomes almost impossible to break the snow at the right place and get your pet out. It is better to keep your pet away from these water bodies unless you are unaware that the ice can hold the weight.
They need a blanket or two now —as you do!
Dog raincoats and dog leash will protect them from the outside, but the dog blanket and mat will protect the inside. It is not safe for your dog to sleep on the floor in the winter. A dog blanket and mat will help them retain their body heat and stay happy even in the minus temperature.
Conclusion
Dog blanket, dog raincoat, and dog leash are not the only things you need in winter. You need to take care of their diet, medication, supplements to make winter more bearable in the chilling weather. Interactive toys and indoor games will help them fit even after staying indoors in the blizzards and snowy days.
