Winter can be a tough time for both pets and pet owners. While you bundle up in your warmest clothes and spend your days by the fire, your furry friend is stuck at home shivering. But with a little preparation, you can help keep your pet safe and warm during winter.
Here are four tips for keeping your dog safe and warm during winter.
1- Provide Adequate Shelter
When the temperature starts to drop, it's important to provide your pet with a warm and safe place to sleep. This can be as simple as a padded or insulated bed located some distance up off the ground.
2- Consider Pet Clothing and Bed Covers
You might need to bring out the big guns to keep your pet warm this winter. Pet clothing and bed covers are a great way to make sure they stay toasty.
Make sure to provide some extra padding and bedding for your pet. This will help them stay warm, and can also be a great place for them to hide away and burrow into when they need some extra warmth.
Never, ever shave your dog during winter months. The fur helps protect them from the cold, and you could wind up doing more harm than good by shaving them.
With a little bit of preparation, you can keep your furry friend warm all winter long!
3- Encourage Exercise and Play Indoors
The third tip for keeping your pet safe and warm during winter is to encourage exercise and play indoors. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean your pet can’t stay active.
There are a number of ways you can do this, such as setting up an obstacle course or treasure hunt, or simply playing fetch indoors. Not only will this help keep your pet’s body healthy, but it will also help keep their minds active and engaged, which is important for their overall wellbeing.
4- Adjust Pet Food for the Weather
Just like people, dogs burn more calories in the winter trying to keep warm. So, if your pet is spending more time indoors, you might need to adjust their food accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to add 10% more food in the winter.
And speaking of food, you might want to heat up your pet's food with some warm water in the winter. This will help them stay warm from the inside out.
Even though it might be cold outside, your pet still needs exercise. Make sure to bundle them up with a coat and some boots, and take them for a brisk walk or a run in the park.
If you're not able to get outside, make sure to play with your pet indoors. There are a lot of fun games you can play together, like hide-and-seek or fetch.
And last but not least, make sure to give your pet plenty of food and water. Keep them warm, safe, and healthy this winter!
