How To Take Care Of Your Pet During Winter
Winter has officially started and for all of us pet parents, it’s important to know how to care for our fur babies in this chilly weather. In this guide, we’ve curated the best ways to tend to your pet from grooming and nutrition to safety.
1 - Essential wintertime grooming rules:
- Keep the skin, nose, and paws hydrated
- Supplement your pet’s diet with products beneficial to their skin and coat
- Get a humidifier
- Apply a skin, nose, or paw balm daily
- Encourage your pet to drink more water
- Don’t shave your pet
2 - Watch out for rock salt and other deicing chemicals
Rock salt (sodium chloride) and calcium chloride are commonly used to keep city streets and sidewalks safe when things get icy. Both of them are caustic and can irritate or burn your pet’s paws and skin. They can also make your pet sick if ingested.
3 - Proper wintertime nutrition
As a general rule, dogs and cats who live outside during the winter or are outside for extended periods of time require 10% to 15% extra food to maintain normal body temperature. A study by the University of Liverpool found that cats eat about 15% more food in the winter regardless of how much they exercised.
Moreover, don’t forget to offer fresh water throughout the day, pets do get dehydrated in cooler climates as well!
To sum up, it is critical that you keep an eye out for any changes in behavior, food and water intake, and the overall health of your fur babies during this cold season.