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Pet Care for Cold Weather

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Powered by Mom Talks About Pet Care for Cold Weather 

There's no denying it that for most of us the cold weather is here. For those who are lucky enough to live in warmer climates we envy you. However for those of us with the chilly cold weather upon us and who also have pets we need to think about our pet care for the cold weather too.

Pet CareAbove is our Oliver who we call Ollie, even though he's sitting up he's still quite sleepy as you can see. He's a little rascal but oh so cuddly. All of our cats have always been indoor cats except Ollie the escape artist. He gets out as he's so darn fast, we've never had issues keeping our cats indoors until Ollie. He gets out sometimes even in the winter so we've had to take some pet care precautions for our wayward kitty. Fortunately with this cold weather when Ollie does manage to escape he doesn't want to stay outside for too long. He likes to come in after a bit and take a good catnap. That said though as mentioned for our pet care plans for the cold weather we've taken a few steps for Ollie and when we take our dogs outside too.

Provide shelter

Some pets spend a lot of time outside, either by their own choice or by necessity which as we've mentioned that's Ollie. We've got a large dog house right next to our house that also has a cat bed that is raised off the ground of the dog house. We built this one ourselves and the one wall is actually the wall of our house. So for those times he doesn't come in at night (which is very rare in winter) he has somewhere to go to be out of the wind, rain etc... As well we keep a bowl of water in there for him with a bowl heater. That's a big part of our pet care plan, especially for Ollie.

Use pet-friendly snow melters

Choose pet-friendly ice and snow melters that won’t irritate paws or stomachs, especially if your dog or cat licks its paws after being outside. This can be huge as part of your pet care plan. Many don't know that some snow melters can be toxic to pets.

Ollie does love to sleep when he's indoors. He'll sleep on about anything including our stuff for wrapping gifts this holiday season apparently. 

Paw protection

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Protect your dog’s paws with a wax product designed for this purpose that forms a dense, breathable bond, which helps prevent snow buildup during outdoor exercise. After walks, wipe away any snow or ice from your dog’s feet, legs and belly. This is very important for both of our dogs Luna and Little Zeus aka LZ. LZ is a chihuahua and his little paws get cold quick.

For extended periods outside, you can purchase boots for your pup’s paws. The first time you put them on your dog, there may be a comical reaction. Some dogs decide they simply can’t move with those things on their feet. Others walk around lifting their feet up exceptionally high like a prancing pony. But don’t worry, it doesn’t take long to get used to the boots! Distract your dog with treats or a fun activity while he is wearing his boots and soon he will forget all about them. You could also try putting socks on your dog before you introduce the booties so he feels comfortable with something on his feet. Make sure the boots don’t fit too tightly so as to cut off the circulation and invite frostbite.

Coat or no coat?

If you live in a particularly frigid zone, you may want to consider a jacket for an extra layer of warmth for your pup while outside. Cats generally don’t fare well in jackets but dogs who don’t have a ‘double coat’ may benefit from wearing a jacket while outside for their walks. There is a huge variety available, from a simple sweater to a full-blown waterproof jacket with hood. However, do reserve the wearing of such warm apparel only for when you are outside. Our chihuahua LZ of course gets a coat when we go outside but our dog Luna who is a Blue Heeler does not. She always seems to be warm and when given the choice she even sleeps near our back door (inside) as she likes the bit of coolness she feels from the door.

Normally we take LZ's coat off when he comes inside but on this particularly cold day he was very happy to have it on even inside.

Use a humidifier

Cooler weather usually brings dry air, so using a humidifier will help to keep the noses and throats of our dogs and cats from drying out. It’s the same for their coat and skin.

Show them extra love with Tasty Treats

The holidays are all about showing love and appreciation so give your cat or dog some extra belly rubs and treats to make up for the chilly weather and any cold shoulders you may receive due to holiday travel. Petcurean’s SPIKEtreats for dogs are great because their packed with superfoods like Chia Seeds, Pomegranate and Kale, plus they’re portable. For Cats, try Petcurean’s new NOW FRESH Stews and Pates, you can feed these as a complete meal, but they’re also perfect as a topper or served as an extra treat. Added bonus – they’re made with 100% human grade, fresh ingredients including turkey bone broth, sweet potatoes, peas and carrots, and feature zero grains, gluten, wheat, beef, corn or soy.

Be safe and alert when walking at night

Poor weather and decreased daylight may cause limited visibility for drivers at night, so take extra precautions when walking your pets and make sure you use a leash. Nowadays there are all kinds of reflective aids to help drivers see you in the dark. Reflective collars, leashes, harnesses and vests for both you and your dog are great ways to stay visible.

Pet care ollie

Keep them inside

Lastly, if it is cold enough outside that YOU don’t want to be out in it, you should assume the same for your pet, especially the very old, the very young, or the sick. Keep them inside with you.

It doesn’t take much to prep your pets for cooler weather. But thinking a little ahead and getting ready for Old Man Winter in good time will ensure you don’t get ‘caught out in the cold’, and neither will your pet!

What other pet care tips for cold weather do you use do? Please feel free to share we love to hear from you.

Don't forget to check out some of our other pet care tips in our pet section HERE.

By on December 22nd, 2017

About Powered by Mom

I’m Michelle aka Powered by Mom. I’m married with one daughter, my hubby was my high school sweetheart, our two dogs Nyx and Cleo and our cat Oliver. As you can see we’re a family of animal lovers. We love to travel when we can, try different food and activities all over the world and enjoy being together. My passions are writing, travelling, creating new recipes, encouraging people to adopt not shop and just to enjoy life while we can.

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27 thoughts on “Pet Care for Cold Weather”

  1. Very similar to my boy. I miss him so very much. Just over 3 mo., but it seems like a yr. I need him to make me feel better and take my mind off my newest health problem. Give yours an extra hug and kiss for me.

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  2. We also use an old dog house with a cat bed in it for a feral cat that we have been feeding for several years. We have made attempts to catch him but he is very smart and wary, so this at least gives him some shelter when he chooses to use it.

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  3. The best advice is keep them inside. If its freezing for you it is freezing for them! I use sand rather than ice melt/salt because of the animals. Its a bit of a mess in the spring, but worth it.

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  4. I sew my kitty coats using patterns made for small dogs, couldn't find and cute ones for kitties and they fit just the same.

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  5. Sand is a good way to help prevent slips and falls and potential huge vet bills when allowing your dogs outside in the winter. Never use a commercial grade de icing product it can irritate their paws and their stomachs. Always leash your dogs around vehicles and be sure that they don't step on oil or anti freeze that may have been spilled on the ground. Our cats aren't ever allowed outside, however it is important to also take care of the animals other people may let outside unattended.

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  6. Read a lot about pets inside and out on winter care. But I have never read or even thought about using a humidifier for them. I run one in the winter 24/7 for me because of dry skin etc so it would apply to our furbabies.

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  7. Its so important to remember our pets during cold or poor weather! My old dog would never wear a coat (she'd try to eat it), but we did always bring her in when it was cold. As a mainly outside dog, she didn't like coming into the house & would whine to go out, but we trained her to come in the garage & had a special space for her and all her stuff during poor weather. As soon as the bad weather was over, she was itching to get back outside. lol

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  8. My favorite tip is keeping pets inside! I don't believe they belong outside for long periods of time ...ever. Especially in the dead of winter or summer.

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  9. When I had my home I always had a cat house sitting my the porch so that any strays could at least get in out of the weather. I see so many DIY project that you can make a house that is extra warm for them.

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  10. My Mom puts a bowl of warm water and a towel by the door when she leaves for a walk with her dog. When they return home, she gently wipes her dog's feet to remove anything dirty and possibly poisonous.

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  11. I have two cats, one strictly indoors and the other likes to go outside multiple times during the day and night(never out overnight). These are all great tips to keep in mind when caring for our pets during the cold months.

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  12. My cats just generally stay inside when it's winter, though one is getting the thrill of going out when the weather is stormy. Lately I have to fight her to keep her in, which is very odd for her - she's a quiet homebody usually.

    Mishelle

    Reply
  13. I feed 2 feral colonies, one is a feeding station not far from the house. I shovel around everything. I dont think I have ever used an ice melter, I have thrown sand if there is an ice storm just so the senior dont slip so much!

    Reply
  14. I have never used a snow melter, but I will keep in mind a pet-friendly brand when I do purchase. Never thought about that! thanks for the tip.

    Reply

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