Cold Weather Tips to Keep Your Canine Safe
November 22, 2014
Cold Weather Tips to Keep Your Canine Safe
In Canada we’re having an early snowfall this year – with our first pretty heavy snow fall already in mid November. Sometimes we don’t even have snow for Christmas in late January! I know to those of you who aren’t Canadian – this may come as a surprise, as you probably think it snows all the time in Canada. But, nope! We’re a very multi national, multi cultural and multi weathered country!
So, I thought it would be appropriate to start pumping out the tips and precautions that you MUST take into consideration when walking your dog this winter and every winter to come.
- A doggy jacket: Is your dog a shorthaired pooch that could easily catch the chills?? If so, make sure you get him/her a good quality doggy jacket. Sometimes people focus on styling their pooch for the winter weather and forget to focus on why they’re getting their pooch a jacket in the first place – to keep warm.
Booties! Yes, that’s right – make sure you get your canine friend little booties for his or her feet to make sure the salts (put on the gravel to get rid of ice) don’t get stuck between their paw pads. Also, the salt can really dry their paws out and cause them to crack and bleed – so make sure their paws are protected!
- If you have a terrible time getting the booties on – just like I do – you can try out a balm that is meant to keep their paws moist and to prevent the salt from sticking. I’ve heard mixed reviews though – so make sure it works
- Some dogs just won’t wear the boots! My little pooch is not only impossible to get boots on to but she’s also so energetic and feisty that the booties just wont stay on her feet! So sometimes salt does get stuck in her feet and here’s a little trick you can try if this happens to you:
Because they have fur between their toe pads the salt and ice can really get stuck and it can be painful for your pooch to have the chunk of ice or salt ripped out. So, you have to rub your fingers on the area of the ice that has fur stuck to it – that way you’ll melt the ice and loosen the fur, so you can easily remove the chunk that is bothering their paw.
Don't keep them out in the cold: If you tend to let your dog out in the backyard to romp around or sometimes leave him or her outside tied to a rope – make sure you don’t forget them out there! Too many winters we hear horrible stories about how bad pet owners leave their dogs outside in the freezing weather. Don’t be that dog owner! Make sure your pooch has a safe and warm home this winter.
Well there you have it - some tips to care for your dog during these coming winter months!
Source:
Author: Aileen Schultz