Winter Care Routine For Your Dog

UK winters can be harsh and stingy, but your dog loves it. You will find your dog becoming more energetic with every drop in the temperature. They are running and playing more without being worried about overheating.

Dogs love going for a walk during winters and snow because they tend to manipulate and investigate their environment. In this scenario, snow acts as a toy to them.

Digging, running, pouncing in, and chasing are all that they look forward to during winters. But this season also asks for special treatment from the dog parents, which includes adding a lot of nutrients to their diet, taking them on a regular walk, and a lot more. Here are some tips that will guide you on how to take care of your dog during winters.

Make sure that a warm and comfortable space for your dog is ready

Just like humans, winters demand a cozy and warm space where they can be comfortable as well as snuggled up during the winters. Dog parents need to make sure that a warm spot, which includes a comfy bed along with a warm blanket, is ready during the winters.

You need to make sure that the position of the bed is away from the chilly wind that may blow in via doors and windows. You can also add lightweight and cozy dog sweaters or dog sweatshirts that are soft to the skin to keep your fur buddy warm.

But make sure that you don’t over heart your dog and the sweater is on only for a few hours. As your dog gets hot and uncomfortable, you need to take the sweater off.

Give your dog a balanced diet

For dogs, winter means spending a lot of time running and playing, which means you need to increase the amount of food and calories for your dog. This means you provide them with a small portion of frequent servings rather than feeding them with two meals a day.

You need to pay attention to your dog’s energy. If they are getting lethargic and are lazing around, you need to reduce carbs and cut down treats from their diet. You can replace these treats with healthier low-calorie options like raw dog food, which includes:

 

  • Raw meat which is still on the bone
  • Packaged Raw Dog Food
  • Bones which are ground or whole
  • Organ meat like kidney and liver
  • Vegetables like celery, spinach, and broccoli
  • Fruits like apple and other fruits
  • Raw eggs

Out of all food options mentioned above the best and safest option is packaged raw food. Packaged raw dog food will make sure that your bundle of joy has healthier skin, shinier coats, high energy levels, cleaner teeth, and smaller stools.  Get your raw dog food from a trustworthy brand. Just search for ‘Raw dog food UK‘ to buy the best raw food in the whole of the UK. To achieve this kind of diet with your dog, you need to make sure that the transition is not sudden.

Sudden changes in food can lead to digestive complications like vomiting or diarrhea, which will lead to dehydration. It can also lead to rejecting the food, which will lead to insufficient nutrition intake.

Therefore, make sure that the transition is slow and gradual. Add new food in the diet slowly along with decreasing the old for around a week to 10 days until the dog adapts to the new winter diet. There are many meals, suggestions, and raw food recipes online which will help the diet transition for the dogs simple.

Protect the skin and coat

Just like humans, winters can make your pet dry and itchy, which will lead to over-scratching and uncomfortable bundles on the skin. Over scratching can also cause skin bleeding and cuts on the skin hence, you need to make sure that you pay much attention to your dog’s skincare routine during this season.

Add cold-pressed organic coconut oil massage to the daily schedule of your dog, which will not only fight the dryness but will also leave a glossy finish on your dog’s skin.

Even if the weather is not favorable enough for bathing, make sure that you use dry shampoos and pet wipes between the baths to refresh your pet and to keep them clean and smelling good.

When the sun is shining and you can give your pet a good bath, use conditioners or conditioner-based dog shampoo, which will provide a protective coat on your dog’s skin. Use paw balms and snout buttercreams which is a perfect sure for cracked paw pads and noses.

Add the prescribed supplements

Winter is a time when your dog faces maximum digestion issues or arthritic joint pain. Even if your dog is having enough floor and pay time, or has a perfectly balanced diet sometimes these are not enough. You need to give your dog the required supplements as prescribed by your vet so that your dog transitions through winters effortlessly.

Hydrate you dog

Cold weather is a season that discourages your pet from drinking enough water, which increases the chances of dehydration. You need to make sure that your dog has enough fluid intake in its diet. Make sure that there is always water available for them so that they can intake water whenever they feel like it.

Even then, if the water intake is not sufficient, add wet dog food such as warm no-salt chicken broth or vegetable soup to their diet. This food will not only hydrate them but is also more appetizing and will help the dog fight food pickiness, which is faced during diet transition.

Conclusion

These are some tricks that can help the dog owner to bring the best out of your pet during winters. As a pet owner, you need to realize that every weather has its specifications about the pet’s care routine and winters are no less.

So as a dog owner, you need to make sure that you update your winter care routine and everyday schedule of your dog so that you keep the dog protected and healthy.