How To Protect Dogs From The Cold?
As with us humans, cold can be a risk factor for animal health. Being able to protect dogs from the cold therefore becomes very important.
Our four-legged friends are the pets most exposed to the winter cold. The daily walks necessary for their physical exercise make them susceptible to colds or the contraction of some pulmonary pathology, even of serious entity.
To protect dogs from the cold , it must be borne in mind that not all breeds need the same treatment. The most sensitive to cold are in fact the small sizes or those with short hair. Let’s find out in this article the advice of veterinarians on how to protect dogs from the cold.
Advice on how to protect dogs from the cold
- Avoid abrupt changes in ambient temperature. Usually, the owners take the dogs for a walk without thinking about the drastic thermal difference between the domestic, air-conditioned environment and the external environment. To protect dogs from the cold, the suggestion is to regulate the internal temperature of the thing in order to reduce the sharp climatic contrast between inside and outside when they are taken for a walk.
- Protect dogs from the cold with coats and raincoats. Creating a physical barrier against wind, rain and cold is the most effective method to cope with particularly harsh weather conditions. However, we must be careful. Most of the accessories of this type sold in pet shops often have an almost purely aesthetic value which, in addition to being ineffective against the cold, could also be uncomfortable for the dog.
- Clean and dry dogs thoroughly after each outing. Even when covered in dedicated clothing, dogs still get wet, especially on the paws and muzzle. Removing mud residues and excess moisture is essential to avoid colds and possible skin lesions.
- Avoid or reduce contact with snow. The pads that dogs have under their paws can be damaged if they come into contact with frozen surfaces for too long. Dogs should also be prevented from ingesting snow, as it causes indigestion.
- Ensuring the well-being of the pet in the home. To protect dogs from the cold it is important, in the home environment, to keep a blanket of the right size in the kennel to prevent the animal from being exposed to drafts. Dogs are animals prone to movement, but when they are alone or the weather conditions are bad, their energy decreases and it is therefore important to help preserve their body temperature.
- Keep the vaccination booklet up to date. Especially during the cold season, maintaining regular dog vaccination is very important. Likewise, it is equally important to continue with the preventive deparasitation measures that some owners usually postpone to the summer.
- Proper nutrition. Dogs often ask for more food during the cold season. This is because their energy consumption is higher in cold weather. Furthermore, the winter months coincide with various holidays, which pushes owners to be more flexible on the quantities to give to their four-legged friend, without being aware of the digestive problems that a poor diet entails.
As a general rule, small, short-haired dogs are the most sensitive to cold. But the age of the animal also plays a key role; puppies and especially the elderly tend to get sick more easily.
Some of the symptoms that can help owners understand if their dog has a too low body temperature are tremors, excess sleepiness, dry face or cracking.
If you can’t help but take your dog for a walk in the coldest moments of the day, the preventive measures mentioned above can be very useful in protecting the health of the animal.
