5 ways to keep your pet warm during cold weather
For humans, winter means warm blankets and raging fires. While most pets have their fur coats to keep them warm and safe from the cold, on snowy winter days, they also need more than that to keep them toasty.
For winter, here are five ways to keep your pet warm:
Keep pets safe
Hold your dogs or cats with you and your family inside. Pet cats should not be left outside in any conditions, even though they roam outside during other seasons. Pets are happiest when taken out regularly for walks and training but try to keep them indoors the majority of the time. Especially when the temperature rises, don't abandon your pets outside.
Use pet clothing options like winter jackets. Puppies are less resistant to freezing conditions as compared to adult dogs and they have less body and fat mass. Muscle and fat improve their metabolism, keeping them warm. To give protection, puppy coats won't be as heavy or long. Little pups often have less body mass to create natural heat, and therefore benefit from a doggy jumper, especially when they work outdoors in the winter.
Provide a Warm Bed
If you have a dog inside, but a cool house, provide him with a comfortable heated dog bed. Make sure you take your bed off the floor and put it somewhere free of winds. To keep it extra warm during the cold season, adding a hot water bottle or a heating pad to the bed will also help.
Permit Your Dog to Stay in Your House
Hold the door open for the dog to see you. While dogs are accustomed to cold weather, even if they can withstand the extreme temperatures, make sure you allow them to reach your home. So, you can leave the door open or use an automatic door. Within the house, keep any blankets for your dogs that you can use to protect them while they visit you. Often, never permit the dog to sit overnight in the car or outside.
Keep Your Pet Hydrated
Dogs and cats usually burn more calories during cold weather, much like any other warm-blooded animal, because they need more energy to cope with the cold temperatures. It means that, during the winter months, your pet will enjoy an extra portion of food. Be sure, though, that you check with your veterinarian how much food you can add, especially if your dog is on a special diet.
Even, note that your dog can quickly dehydrate in cold weather combined with central heating. Make sure that you still have your water bowl full. Stop outdoor use of a metallic feeding dish during cold weather.
Give Insulated Shelter
It's especially important to insulate your dog's shelter whether he's an indoor dog, or he spends a lot of time outside. And if you have a dog designed to withstand the cold weather, it's a smart idea to keep it indoors when it gets extremely cold during the night hours.
It's important to provide him with a warm dog house to keep your dog warm outdoors. Padding can be helpful for this purpose. This can be accomplished by sticking the padding to the dog house's floor, insulating it with dirt, or applying a heating pad to the dog house's bottom. For extra warmth and illumination, some owners have placed heat lamps inside the dog bed. Make sure to set it up so that the dog can't pull on the wires or get burned if you do anything electric.
You will keep your dog warm this winter season with these tips. During high temperatures, make sure to keep a careful watch on your dog too and take care to avoid hypothermia, frostbite, and other ailments.