How to Take Proper Care of your Dog During Cold Months?

Now the pet owners are taking several preventions for keeping their dog safe during the cold winter months. Moreover, many of them thought that their dogs are tolerating the cold weather due to their coat of fur. But in reality, these cases are not always true.

Like the human, the dogs are also facing many hard situations to survive in the cold weather and need the warmth of the indoors. In general, apart from the other months, your dogs need little extra care in cold months. Go through the points to know about the best way to keep your dog safe in this cold weather.

Keep them indoor

Keep your dog indoors especially in the cold months. When the outside temperature is very low, don't take them out more frequently for exercises and walks as well as don't leave them alone outdoor. So, teach your dog to live inside the home, and when they want to visit outside go out with them and take them home after a few minutes.

Don't leave them in the car

All we know that leaving the dogs in the car during the hot summer is very dangerous. But in reality, it is also applicable for cold months means leaving the dog in the car during the cold temperature may freeze them and cause difficulties for them to breathe. On the other hand, if the car is parked in a garage, then it will produce carbon monoxide and cause additional risks for the dogs. When you go outside to run errands, it's always advisable to leave your dog at home.

Wear them a warm coat

Some breeds of dogs have thick fur that can keep them warm during the cold months. Apparently, if your dogs have thin fur, then you have to wear them a warm coat when going for walks in cold months. Make sure that the coat is starting from the neck to the base of the tail for protecting their belly. But, don’t keep the coat on their ears, tail, or feet. After wearing the warm coat to your short-haired dog, don’t move them outside for too long in the cold months.

Keep them away from heat

During the cold months, the dogs are often seeking heat by snuggling too close to the heating sources. So, try to keep them away from the heaters and other fireplaces. On the other hand, don’t leave them alone near the wood stove and fireplaces. If you are covering the fireplaces with a glass door covering, then still keep them away from the place because they get burn by getting in contact with the hot surfaces.

Take care of the paw

Like the human, your dogs also suffer from the cracked pads in cold months. To prevent the buildup of ice between the pads, you have to trim the furry feet of your dogs. Moreover, the salts of ice in sidewalks also burn the pads of your dogs, so after walking around you have to rinse their paws carefully for removing the salt. If you notice any types of discomfort in your dog while walking outside frozen, then use dog booties to protect their paws.

Go outside when the sun shines

If you want to take your dog on a daily walk, then take them for walking when the outside temperature is a little warmer. Due to these reasons, you have to take them for walking in the late morning or early afternoon hours. All we know that the morning sun shines are providing vitamin D to both you and your pet, so keep them in the sunshine by performing some outdoor activities.

Warm bedding

Especially in cold months, don’t leave your dog on a cold floor to sleep. So, always try to choose warm bedding for your dog to sleep and keep them warming. Provide them warm beds for keeping them away from the cold tiles, drafts, and uncarpeted floors as well as keep the stiffness out of aging joints. On the other hand, provide them a warm blanket for creating a snug environment for your dog to sleep.

Conclusion

Different seasons will create health hazards for your dog such as numbing wetness, bitter cold, and biting winds. For the dog owners, the cold months brings a wide range of hazards to keep their dog safe. So, it’s always advisable to keep them dry, warm, and healthy in cold months. If you found any problems in them, then it’s always advisable to consult with a reputed veterinarian for treating their health issues.

Dr. Ron Resnick is the owner of Dr. Ron’s Animal Hospital and Emergency. He is also one of the few trained to perform Stem Cell therapy on dogs and continuing practice with over 23 years. He graduated from the Tufts University and member of the AVMA.