Keep Your Furry Friend Warm This Winters Winter Tips for Keeping Your Dog Active and Fit
The winters are here and understanding how to take
care of your dog during the season takes special consideration. Some
long-haired breeds, such as German Shepherds and Huskies, are better suited to
cold winters and love the weather, but even these dogs need protection as the temperature dips.
Winter is a time when you
have to shield your furry friend carefully. Change in weather conditions,
decreasing temperature and other dangers of winter may pose a number of
expected and unexpected health threats to them. Therefore, being a responsible
pet parent, you have to take care of your best friend just as you would for yourself
with proper clothes, food and restriction from unnecessary outdoor activities.
According to Dr.
KG Umesh, Waltham Scientific Communication Manager, South Asia, Mars India,
“By taking some basic precautions and paying attention to the needs of your four-legged
friend, responsible pet owners can help their dogs make it through the winter
in good health.
To keep your pet fit and healthy this season, make
sure you're feeding them an appropriate diet and follow some simple indoor
tips.
Feeding: Give your pet
more food during cold weather than you do during hot months. Dogs, for example,
may need up to 25 per cent more energy in the winter than they do in the
summer, especially those who exercise outdoors. Pets need extra food because
exercising outdoors in cold weather takes more energy. Ensure that you feed them energy dense food
like Pedigree “Active” or any other complete and balanced nutrition. However, please
be cautious that pets are more likely to be prone to gain weight during winter
time. Overweight pets are more likely to suffer injury and illness than pets
who maintain a normal weight range.
Exercise: Most Pets will not exercise by themselves, although they may play
with another pet/family member or entertain themselves briefly with toys. So,
it is our job to help keep them keep by increasing household activities. Take
advantage of breaks in the weather by taking short walks with your dog. Even a
few minutes of exercise will help make a difference.
Dry Cleaning: Don't neglect pet grooming in the winter. Your dog probably won’t
get very dirty in the winter, and you may not need to bathe them. But if you
do, it’s very important that you keep them warm after the shower. Towel him
dry, or use a good dryer, and don’t let them go outside until dried. Instead of
bathing them with water, you could try ‘dry’ bathing by brushing corn starch or
baby powder.
The Big Chill:
Don't leave your pet outside for long because low
body temperature (hypothermia) can lead to death. If the wind chill index is
below 20 degrees, do not take small pets, older dogs and cats, or short-haired
dogs outside. However, dress them in a knit sweater, if you wish to take them
out. This will help them to curb the chill.
Hair Shedding: Hair loss is a common complaint with dogs in India. Photoperiod
(light intensity) is the main factor behind nutrition, genetics, health that
can cause dog to shed hair excessively during some seasons. Every winter, dogs
shed out their summer coat and grow a nice thick for the winter season. and there,
is nothing that one can do to stop this process. However, we suggest visiting a
veterinary doctor and getting your dog examined to rule out any parasites like
fleas, ticks, mange or allergy, hormonal imbalance, bacterial or yeast
infection that causes hair loss.
Bedding: Dogs exposed to extreme wet and cold weather
conditions may become hypothermic or even develop frostbite if they live in an
area where snowfall is common. Therefore, it is advisable to check there are no
draughts near the sleeping area of your loved one. Dog owners may select from a
number of bedding options for their pet during the winter such as pads,
blankets or quilts and straw or hay. The pet parent can also add a thick
blanket to the bed. Not only will this add extra warmth, it will also provide
extra padding for painful joints.
Older dogs are usually
more vulnerable to the adverse effects of winters. Dogs with health conditions
like a hormone imbalance, heart problems, kidney disease or diabetes are not
able to regulate their body heat appropriately. Older dogs who are suffering
from arthritis can experience considerable discomfort as cold weather can make their
stiff joints stiffer. Talk to your vet about medication, treatment options, and
ways to keep your arthritic dog fit and warm through winter.
Vaccination,
De-worming and regular health check are important considerations during winter
periods.
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