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how to take care of Fido?

Not all dogs suffer from the cold in the same way: the sensitivity of dogs in winter at low temperatures varia according to breed, size and age. But in general, the dog is an animal resistant and often prefers cold to excessive heat.

You still have to always be traffic wardenprovide your friend with protection from the cold and don’t overestimate its resistance to low temperatures. This and other tips in this article!

What to feed the dog in winter?

Knowing how to best feed dogs in winter is essential to preserve them their health. Il energy requirements of your four-legged friend will be greater as temperatures decrease.

Indeed, dogs in winter consume energy to combat the cold. Naturally, many pets will tend to be hungrier from November onwards and later they will demand a little more food out of habit.

You will have to take into account this phenomenon variably depending on his lifestyle he was born in place where you live.

The lower the temperatures, the more the dog will need more food. © Inga Gedrovicha / Shutterstock

The dogs that spend most of their time outdoorscome i social utility dogs and the dogs that perform lots of exercise and sports like agility or hunting need a adaptationof their food intake during the winter.

What to feed a dog that is often outdoors?

In case dogs live outside in the winter, they need to be given more energy to “burn” during the winter season because their body has to fight more when the heat goes away.

It is necessary increase food ration by 10 to 20% depending on weather conditions and animal activity.

For very active dogs, it would also be advisable to switch to a more energetic food if that’s not already what they eat.

You can also consider giving your friend a probiotic cure to help boost his immune system during cold weather.

What if dogs are sedentary or live at home in winter?

For dogs that live with us in the city, increasing their food intake during the winter months is not recommended.

In fact, by spending most of the time indoors, where temperatures are more or less constant throughout the year, the four-legged animals would risk becoming overweight!

How to prepare your dog for the winter outside?

As we have seen, in general, dogs are animals that tolerate the cold much better than the heat.

But it can happen that dogs in winter get seriously ill due to the cold, developing respiratory pathologies, from simple rhinitis at the severe infectious pneumonia. Your 4-legged must be able to take refuge in the event of a sharp drop in temperature.

If your dog lives outside all year round, it can remain there for the winter, but it must have a shelter, be isolated from the ground, from bad weather and from the wind.

Some breeds tolerate the cold badly (especially a small breed dog or Greyhound). © eva_blanco / Shutterstock

If, on the other hand, your furry friend is used to live at home all year, it will be much more sensitive to cold from November onwards and you will have to take more precautions such as, for example:

In any case, going outside must not be eliminated for any reason: they are very important for our 4-legged friends, both for their health and for their well-being.

Which dogs suffer the most from the bad season?

I puppies and above all i very old dogs they are less able to fight off a cold than adult dogs whose metabolism is optimal.

Similarly, a skinny dog is more sensitive to cold than a pet of normal weight. Having few physical reserves, he will be less able to fight hypothermia in case of prolonged exposure to cold.

Contrary to what one might think, i obese dogs are no longer hardy when the heat goes away compared to dogs of normal weight. On the other hand, they are often very sensitive to the cold, because they move less and therefore spend fewer calories to keep warm.

Therefore, if your dog is sensitive to the cold, we strongly advise you to buy a coat that allows him to maintain body temperature.

Dog in the mountains in winter? that’s how

Some simple solutions will allow your pet to protect it in the snow. © Dudarev Mikhail / Shutterstock

If Fido will participate with you in the winter sports it is advisable to anticipate some small inconveniences relating to the conditions in the ski resort.

Pack one in your dog’s travel kit protective cream for bearings or some stivaletti specific. If your four-legged friend loves to run or walk in the snow for a long time, the intense cold can ruin his pads. It’s the same for the snow removal saltVery aggressive for his paws.

L’altitude normally this won’t be a problem for your pet unless they have heart disease. Better, in these cases, avoid to take him on vacation to the mountains: he could get very sick once there.

If you have doubts about his condition, consult a veterinarian which will give you the green light (or not) for a holiday in the mountains with your Fido.

Last thing: the reverb. If it’s dangerous for us, it’s also dangerous for them. Expect one total sun protection for dogs with fair skin and fine coat, covering the nose and ears to prevent burns.

Risks during the holidays: beware of poisoning!

Christmas temptations can endanger the health of our faithful pets. So, at all costs, avoid giving them chocolate, onions, garlic o shallot. These ingredients are especially toxiccausing disorders ranging from simple vomiting to very serious neurological damage.

Christmas plants like the mistletoel’hollybut also the Jerusalem cherry and the tasso I am poisonous plants: do not let your dog play with them. These substances will cause neurological disorders (salivation, trembling, unconsciousness) e digestive disorders (diarrhea and vomiting).

If unfortunately your dog ingests one of these substances, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Finally, know that even if they are not toxic, chestnuts are brown they are not very digestible for our dogs and cause swelling and possibly diarrhea. To be avoided anyway.

What are the common diseases in dogs in winter?

As for us humans, dogs in winter are victims of a considerable increase in respiratory diseases. These pathologies are contracted due to sudden changes in temperature between our home and outside and will cause bronchitis, tracheitis and other pneumonia.

In the puppieswe will also notice an increase in gastroenteritis in the winter period.

Vaccination is one way to to prevent the occurrence of these diseases (including parvovirus), but the vigilance and observing the suggestions mentioned above should help prevent your dog from contracting them.

Article written for Todocat.com by:

Dr. Matthew Ardibus
Veterinarian in Cuers at the Clauvade Veterinary Clinic

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