Animals and cold weather: even if they’re equipped with a pretty coat, our four-legged friends are not immune from the winter freezing and from its effects.
Of course, the tolerance from the lowest temperatures changes according to different factors: the size, the type of coat, the fat storage and the general health condition.
As we know, cats highly enjoy staying warm, but for them, as well as for dogs, the skill to handle cold changes, not only depending on their breed, but also depending on every single individual.
There are some dogs that naturally are more familiarized with the winter cold: the Scandinavian Dog Breeds (as the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky), the Mountain dogs (like for example the Saint Bernard), the breed of Guard dogs (like the Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog or the Bernese Mountain Dog) and all the Wolf Dog Breeds (as the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog or the Swiss Shepherd Dog or the German Shepherd).
Vice versa there are some dog breeds which, for their short hair and for their little size, are more sensitive to low temperatures: for them a little coat protecting them is always a good choice when it deals with getting out to have a walk during winter.
Short-haired dogs suffer for cold a way too much.
What to do to protect our dogs and cats from cold?
Here you are some tips.
Setting up a proper shelter
There are a lot of people making their dogs, especially those of large size, sleep outside all year long. This could turn out to be a problem during the coldest winter nights, for this reason we suggest you, as far as possible, to allow your Pet sleep indoor so that he can stay warmer.
If possible let your animals sleep inside the house during winter.
Otherwise, you can think to set up an outdoor comfortable space to assure him some heat: for example, a correctly sized doghouse (as compared to the dog size), some centimeters floor lifted with a wool coating on the ground which could also be composed by old sweaters or quilts. In any case, remember to change the inside material, especially in rainy period
Be aware of sudden changes of temperature
Usually it’s not actually the cold that creates problems, but rather the sudden change to temperatures really different. It can happen to people too to get sick by frequently moving from a warm to a cold environment, the same happens to dogs and cats as well.
Let’s therefore try to make the transition from low to high temperature as progressive as possible.
Preserving the coat
Dogs and cats, those short-haired as well, have a natural protection against the weathering and the winter cold: their external coat. At both wintertime or summertime, the coat of our animals plays a thermoregulatory function that protects them from the most extreme temperatures.
Nevertheless, it’s essential preserving the coat as best as possible, by bringing dogs and cats to a trusted groomer to remove hair knots and impurities. Don’t forget then to frequently brush your four-legged friend to free the coat from natural hair fall.
Adapting the nutrition
When it’s cold, we normally consume more calories to get warm as compared to periods with a hotter climate. This also applies to our pets. That’s why during winter their nutrition has to be adapted to climate conditions, by raising the caloric intake through food supplements or more abundant food doses.
Contact your vet to discover the best diet for your dog or pet, which takes into account not only the season, but also his breed, his size and his health conditions.
Adapt your animals’ nutrition to temperatures.
A further protection
In conclusion we have one last helpful advice for the love of your four-legged friend, especially for his cute paws: Yuup! Paw Balm.
A 100% natural product that, thanks to its ingredients as the Shea butter, Jojoba oils and the Sweet Almond, it moisturizes and protects your dog’s paws from winter cold and from icy asphalt.
The perfect moment to apply it? Smearing it on paws just before a lovely walk!
