How do you protect your dog in the winter?

With the cold weather here and in full throttle, it is important that one stays warm and protected from the chilly weather. The same goes for your dog. Here are a few tips on how to keep your fury friend happy and healthy during the wintry months.

  • Paw Protection: Often you will see dogs wearing shoes in the wintertime. Despite how fashionable one may think it is, dogs paws need protection from the ice-melt, or salt, which is often put on the ground. The reason why dog’s paws get irritated from the salt is because of two ingredients: sodium chloride and calcium chloride. Digestion of the salt can be dangerous to the dog, and high consumption may lead to death. So to keep your dog in the clear, monitor him and make sure he doesn’t drink from puddles outside as well as eat snow off the ground. Always make sure to wipe your dog’s paws too.  Luckily, most pet stores sell ice-melt designed to have no harmful ingredients for your dog!
  • Alternative for Dog Shoes: If you have a fussy pup that does not like to wear shoes, there are paw waxes that do the trick! A popular brand that is sold in a lot of pet retail stores is called Musher’s Secret. This wax acts as a barrier to keep your dog’s paws safe and protected! Musher’s Secret is also great for the warmer months when the ground gets too hot.
  • Jackets & Sweaters: Not all dogs necessarily need clothing in the wintertime due to their already natural warmth technology (also referred to as hair and fur). However, not all breeds are equipped with the same amount of warmth as the next. For example, a Goldendoodle can adjust to the cold a little bit better than a Chihuahua. If you notice that your dog shivers or refuses to walk when it is too cold outside, then a sweater may be very beneficial. Clothing is also great for older dogs that suffer from weaken immune systems or may have hair lost causing lack of warmth. Keep in mind, despite how chic and handsome your dog may look in that new sweater, dogs with thick fur and hair can find clothing to be quite uncomfortable. So be sure that the clothing choices you make for you dog are helpful, not harmful.
  • Stay Indoors: When it starts to get really chilly outside, limit your dog’s time spent outside. Focus on making sure that he uses the bathroom and try to keep the exercise to a minimal. The less time spent outside when the weather gets cold and messy will decrease the chances of your dog have to suffer from the chilly weather and have encounters with the toxins found in the ice-melt.

Article Source: Accu-Weather (www.accuweather.com), PetMD (www.petmd.com), American Medical Veterinary Association (www.avma.org)