What a winter we’ve had so far in Maryland! We all know how to take care of ourselves and our kids in the bitter cold, but are you aware of the special care your dog needs in the winter?
Rule 1: If it’s too cold for you to be outside, it’s too cold for your dog to be outside!
You want bathroom breaks to be short and sweet. If your dog wears a pet sweater or coat, now is the time to use them. These are great for helping your dog retain heat in the cold weather.
Dogs should not be left outdoors in a yard or outdoor kennel when it’s below freezing! Dogs are susceptible to frostbite and even hypothermia, just like humans are. Please bring your pets in.
Rule 2: If your skin is dry and itchy, your dogs skin is probably dry and itchy.
Dry winter skin affects your dog, too. Follow these steps to keep your dogs skin from drying out and becoming irritated:
- Increase water intake. Besides helping to avoid dehydration (more common in winter than most realize) it also helps your dogs skin. Sometimes the cure to dry skin is simply an increase in water intake. Try it.
- Limit bathing your dog in the winter months. Dogs do not need frequent bathing to start with, but they especially do not need to be bathed in the winter months. If you do need to bathe your dog be sure you’re using a shampoo and conditioner that is specially formulated to combat dry skin.
- Run a humidifier in your home to keep moisture in the air for you and your dog.
Rule 3: If you need boots, your dogs paws need extra care.
Salt, snow and ice are brutal on your dogs paws. The combination of cold and chemicals can cause drying, cracking, frostbite and possibly chemical burns. Protect their paws! Follow these tips to keep your dog comfortable:
- Apply a protective balm to their pads before going outside. When they come in wipe their paws with a warm cloth to remove snow, ice and salt, then reapply a thin layer of balm.
- Trim the hair between your dogs paw pads. Long hair will hold ice crystals and further irritate the skin.
- Keep your dogs nails trimmed. Long nails make the paw pads spread out when they walk, allowing more snow, ice and chemicals to make their way into the area between the paw pads.
- Consider boots for your dog. There are many different types that you can get. Just remember if you’ve never had your dog wear boots before it may take some time to get him/her used to them. Start with just a short period each day until your dog is comfortable.
Remember that not cleaning their paws is not only irritating but it can be fatal. Salt and some de-icers are toxic. If their paws are not cleaned, they will lick them and can become very sick.
If you do find that your dog has been outside for long period of time in the extreme cold weather, keep an eye out for signs of hypothermia such as excessive shivering, moving very slowly and lethargy.
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