When winter arrives, in addition to worrying about finding sweaters and coats in the back of the wardrobe, we must think that dogs and cold they are not always a winning match!
We need to protect our Fido from excessively cold temperatures and humidity. What can we do? First of all it is necessary to know your dog and ascertain, with the help of the vet, what temperatures it can tolerate. Then, you will have to put into practice some little tricks. Let’s see which ones.
Do dogs feel cold? Some yes!
Not all dogs feel cold in the same way: their sensitivity to low temperatures varies according to breed, size, but also age.
The long-haired specimenssuch as the Newfoundland, the St. Bernard and the Husky tolerate the cold better than their similar miniature versions such as the Chihuahua and the Yorkshire.
Short-haired breeds, such as Greyhounds, are more sensitive, just like puppies and older dogs. In their case, a coat or a sweater are welcome when the temperatures are very low.
How to protect dogs from the cold?
When the dog sleeps outside…
If your dog spends his nights in a kennel, it’s important to offer him a warm and welcoming shelter. As a rule, the internal temperature is regulated thanks to the heat of the dog itself, for this reason we recommend a kennel that is suitable for the size of the animal.
Here, Fido must be able to lie down quietly, without fearing drafts or humidity. For this reason it is necessary to think about insulating the roof with special fabrics designed for this purpose.
Dogs and cold: when Fido stays at home
If Fido lives at home, on the other hand, it is advisable to dress him at the time of the daily walk, the time of which must be limited to prevent the dog from catching too cold.
For the more sensitive specimens, it is advisable to dress them even at home and reduce the frequency of bathing.
Anti-cold food for dogs
It all depends on animal’s lifestyle! A dog that goes out little doesn’t need big changes in his winter diet.
If, on the other hand, we are talking about a specimen that spends a lot of time outdoors, as it will burn a lot of energy to fight against the cold, it will be advisable to increase the food rations by 10 or 20%.
Don’t forget about too protect its water: if the bowl is outside, favor a plastic container rather than steel, to prevent the water from freezing.
Are dogs cold in the snow?
Dogs love roll around in the snow: let us not deprive them of this pleasure. However, let’s think about drying their paws after the walk, insisting on the area between the pads to avoid chilblains.
On the market it is possible to find products to be applied on the paws to protect the paws from snow, cold and humidity.
Caution: check that Fido does not ingest too much snow, he could have digestive problems.