HOW TO KEEP YOUR DOG WARM IN THE WINTER (8 most important tips to know)

Are you feeling cold during winter? If “Yes”, you must know that your puppy also feels the same.

Do you know that your dog’s mortality increases in winter due to raised risk of hypothermia and frostbite? As you need to get warm during winter, your pet needs to be friendly and safe against cold too. Knowing essential tips on how to keep your dog warm during the cold winter is the aim of this article. Let us dive into those crucial elements that will help you to keep your pup dry, safe and healthy during this difficult season of the year

1. Reduce the time spent with your dog outside.

Winter does not mean remaining indoors. Physical activities remain essential, particularly during this challenging period. This is because winter can be marked by reduced activity of the body, so what you and your doggie wish is getting warm to overcome the cold. Inactivity reduces calorie breakdown and heat production by the body. This weakens the muscle, decreases the body’s reaction, and further leads to an increased risk of depression or other illnesses linked to a sedentary lifestyle.

During physical exercise, calories are burned, this increases the body temperature and keeps your dog’s muscles active and warm. That is why you cannot restrict the activities. What you should do is reduce the time spent outside to avoid your pup from getting cold. When you start noticing shivering, weakness, or reduced participation compared to before, you have to get in and keep him dry and warm. Do not persist because he reached his tolerance level to cold. You will predispose your doggie to hypothermia, frostbite, or death if you persist. Sure, you don’t want to get there.

The duration you spend outside with your puppy can depend on if he has good protection against cold, or if his body size can help him to maintain his temperature adequately. The more the weight is low, the more they can quickly lose their body temperature and get hypothermia. Always check for signs of cold intolerance.

Indoor activities like playing mini fetch, hide and seek, some indoor parkour, and following the leader should be practiced to keep a regular time for exercise.

2. Hydrate and feed your breed well.

During winter, the body burns many calories to produce heat and overcome the excessive cold. The need for energy is high in this crucial period, make sure your dog eats well. The increase in body temperature is accompanied by the loss of body fluid which can lead to dehydration, so you have to give enough water to your pet frequently. Feel his water dish and check if the water is not frozen by the cold weather. It’s advisable to use plastic bowls rather than metallic ones. Metal bowls ice quickly, and can gum with the tongue of your breed, injure it and lead to wounds which result in reduced ability to eat.

During winter, you must increase your pet’s food quantity by improving it by 10% or more if he can tolerate it. Encourage your dog by giving appetizing food that he likes and increasing the serving gradually. Remember that the demand for calories is higher during winter for his body to produce heat. Avoid making sudden changes in his diet habits. Good feeding and good hydration help the body to produce heat and fight against cold.

3. Take care of your pup’s paws

The best way to protect your puppy's paws is by preventing any injury that can occur while walking outside. Without adequate protection, the snow and ice can easily injure their paws during this period. You have to watch your step and be careful where you are moving on with them. Wear them the right pup’s shoes that will provide a perfect protection to their paws and will make them feel comfortable and enjoy themselves with you. To move outside, you can choose booties since they keep warm and can resist snow and ice.

After a walk outside, it is advised to wipe and massage the paws of your husky. The extremities receive less blood supply and your dog can easily get injured there. It’s important to massage and clean the pawn to improve the circulation of blood and inspect the presence of any wound, discoloration, or erythema. Also, note that the rock salt and other chemicals that you use to melt the snow and ice can irritate the paws of your pet’s feet. Always wipe all paws with a warm towel to avoid your dog from licking these chemicals that can irritate his tongue and mouth. The pup shoes can still be helpful inside the house if you use these chemicals frequently.

4. Provide a warm dog jacket to your furry baby.

During winter, can you go out without your jacket? No, you can’t. That is why you have to keep in mind that as you are feeling cold, your cutie pie is feeling cold too. It’s important to use a thick layer jacket to protect your pup. This will prevent and keep him from hypothermia caused by low-temperature ranges during winter. Hypothermia is so dangerous in the way that it can affect the heart and the circulation of blood. Your doggie will no longer be able to maintain his body temperature necessary for physiological functions and this can lead to decreased breathing rate, decrease heart rate, hypotension and death. In such cases, you must seek a veterinarian immediately for proper management.

The best way to prevent this is to wear a suitable thick-layer jacket that covers the base of your dog’s tail and limits body temperature to drop.

You can follow this link to know more about this best-selling thick-layer jacket that will protect your husky from the upcoming cold winter.

5. Warmth his bed.

The use of a heater to warm your dog’s bed is advisable. You have to consider if your husky is old or has short hair, as they lose their body heat quickly in these various states. A proper blanket warmth will increase his temperature and make him feel comfortable. Avoid cutting your puppy’s hair during winter because the longer the hair, the better the resistance to cold because the dog’s fur traps air inside and acts as an insulator.

6. Spend less time when bathing your puppy.

Never use cold water when bathing your dog during winter. It takes much time for him to dry and there is a risk of your puppy getting into hypothermia. You have to wash your pet with warm water, reduce the bath duration, and use moisturizing shampoo with fewer irritant components to avoid skin irritation. After bathing, dry your puppy for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure that his fur is not wet. For that, you can use a heater to perform it correctly. 

7. Groom him after a bath.

Groom your dog well. This will help to remove any trapped ice or snow in his fur. A well-groomed dog has good insulation, keeps his temperature trapped and allows him to stay warm. Due to temperature drop, your pup’s coat will get thicker during the winter. To avoid it getting right and forming matted fur, you must brush his coat regularly or daily if required. After every wet or bath, he should dry well to reduce irritation. Must strictly avoid his fur getting matted.

8. Cut the hair covering your pup’s paws.

Though the fur on their paws protects them from getting injured, excess hair on the paw pads can lead to difficulty to move around. The paw pads allow your puppy to exercise traction movements, grip slick surfaces and move freely. Excess fur will then disable your dog, especially during winter, where it can easily trap crystals or ice and cause injuries to their pads. Trimming your cutie pie also helps you to inspect if wounds are present.

The nails should also be cut for safety because your pup can injure you while playing with him or their excessive growth can irritate nerves found on the extremities, leading to discomfort and pain during motion. As the leg is directly in contact with the germs of the floor, any breakdown of their skin continuity can lead to infection.

The key takeaways.

If you have been looking for how to spend a safe winter with your puppy, those tips will help you to be happy with your dog during the cold winter. Remember to consider your dog’s age and health condition, and to daily practice those 8 tips:

• Reduce time spent outside with your dog.
• Provide good nutrition and hydration, as the energy demand is highly increased during winter.
• Take care of your puppy’s paws.
• Provide a jacket layer to keep your pet warm.
• Keep your puppy warm by warming his bed with a heater and giving them protection.
• Bathe your dog with warm water, reduce the time spent and dry him very well following a bath.
• Groom his hair to provide good insulation.
• Trim him to favor good insulation and make your puppy feel good.

If you notice your dog is getting weaker, consult the veterinary doctor for a proper diagnosis and management of the condition. Always keep in mind that if you are getting cold, your puppy too is getting the same.

Do you want to provide the best protection for your doggie in this upcoming cold winter? If “YES” this the best opportunity to have one free jacket for two bough. Click the button below to select the size and the color of the jacket that will fit, protect and give comfort to your pup.