Posts Tagged ‘pet care in winter’
Pet Care in Winter Season
The winter season can be a dangerous time for your pets and they need special care and attention during this time. Firstly, ensure that if your pet sleeps outside the house, that he/she has a warm spot to sleep in. Pets can succumb to very cold weather and risk catching a chill. Ensure that your dogs kennel does not bear the onslaught of the wind and faces against it. If your dogs kennel is just small enough to give him/her space to get up, turn and lie down, then it is likely to be warm in the winter.
Secondly, ensure that your pet is drinking adequate fluids and is eating a nourishing meal as the cold could lead to dehydration. Give your dog or cat a warm drinking bowl with water as frequently as possible. Thirdly, your pet could be suffering from dry skin on account of the dry air during winter. One effective way to solve this problem is to brush frequently, try an oatmeal shampoo or provide your pet with fatty acid supplements. Fourth, ensure that your parked car does not have any cats or other animals that are sleeping under it. The engines warmth attracts many animals and you should be careful to avoid a fateful accident.
Fifth, certain kinds of anti freeze chemicals used on pavements and in cars can lead to fatal consequences for your pet. Pets can be poisoned to death by such chemicals and you should keep them safe by practicing washing of paws after a trip outdoors. Sixth, your pet could injure his/her tongue by getting it stuck on a metal bucket or bowl in extremely cold weather. To avoid this, in the winter, switch to a plastic or ceramic bowl to minimize the threat to your pet. Seventh, pets face a serious danger from frostbite and so you should ensure that they dont retain any snow on their fur after returning from a trip outside.
Eighth, ensure that your pets stay indoors if their coats are not too thick or if they are not used to temperatures that are too cold. A pet can experience hypothermia if exposed to very cold weather and if left unprotected. Ninth, get yourself a mobile space heater that has an automatic shut off function if tipped over. Pets can start a fire at home if left unattended with a mobile space heater. Lastly, dogs tend to go in search of warm places in the winter and are thus in danger of getting lost and you should thus keep a close watch on them.
Tips for your Pet Care:
If one owns a small puppy or an older dog, try to keep him inside, so as to provide protection from cold, as they are very sensitive towards weather. For grown ups limit the time of keeping dog outside in cold air.
Winter is a time for great fun and distress. But consider buying booties for your dog when he walks on snow or ice. It will provide him little warmth.
Take Care of Your Pets in Winter
It is natural that change in the season also brings some changes of our needs same way pets also bring about some changes in their needs as the season changes. Owners should take precaution during winter season to prevent any last minute major problem that could spoil your Christmas holidays.
Most of the dogs don’t like to go outside in winter; many pet owners make the mistake by taking their dogs outside thinking that they would enjoy themselves better, when they are allowed to roam outside. If your dog is specifically a winter breed then it is ok to get him/her out side in winter, some pet experts give advice to keep your dogs inside the house when the temperature falls significantly. They do not like to stay in fresh cold air for long time; they need to stay lot of time with their owners and family members. And when they are separated from their owners they would have some behavioral problems.
If you want to be sure that your pet is healthy in winter season, check for hypothermia, if they are spending lot of time outdoors in winter, of even if they are in at cold houses. These are the symptoms of the hypothermia in which they are trembling of shriving, gums that are pale, unusually large breeds of dogs, one can be sure that his/her pet is suffering from hypothermia by checking his/her pets heart rate and by checking the body temperature which is less than 95 degree Fahrenheit.
If your pet really feeling cold then provide him/her a warn cloth or booties. Your friends may laugh at your for such a thing but this is to be done to take care of your pet in winter. You should make sure that you keep cleans rags or old towels near the door for when your pet comes from outdoors. You need to rub them down and clean them thoroughly.
If your pet is spending lot of time in house then make sure that the house is big and he/she gets proper space to stand up and turn around. The house should be constructed in such a way that it doesn’t face direct wind. The doors must be proper insulated to keep snow and ice out. And if you are going out for a holidays with your family then your pet should be checked everyday, ask for your friends or relatives to make daily visits.