29/11/2024
PeRiHab Winter Advice for You and your Dog
As winter is approaching, we, at PeRiHab, think that it’s important to take several things into consideration, to help keep your dog safe and healthy throughout this colder time.
The following are our ‘Top Ten Tips’:
1. Keep your dog warm: we make sure that we dress up warmly when going out in the cold, so why not your dog? They may have a ‘coat’ themselves, but some dogs are definitely negatively affected by colder weather. There are many different coats on the market, to keep your dog warm and comfortable, there will be one to suit your dog for sure. This may be a fleece coat, or a waterproof coat, or something else, perhaps including cover for their legs. Make sure that, whatever you use, it fits well, snugly but not too tight (make sure you can always get 2 flat fingers underneath it).
2. Keep your dog’s feet happy: after a walk in the snow, clear all snow or ice from their feet, including in between their toes and stuck to hairs. Also, if the local authorities have spread salt or grit, make sure you wash your dogs’ feet thoroughly after a walk, as some salts and grit can cause skin burns and irritation. Some dogs benefit from wearing special boots, especially when walking in the snow or over rough terrain. Many different brands are available. You may choose to use a special dog paw balm, designed to protect and nourish your dogs’ paws’ sensitive pads. PeRiHab produces its own dog paw balm, called PeRiBalm, made of all natural and organic ingredients!
3. Make your dog visible: during the winter days are short and we often walk them in dusk or even dark conditions. Make sure your dog is seen, by you and others, by making them wear a high vis jacket, or a flashing tag on their collar for instance. Alternatively, some dog coats have reflective strips incorporated in them, which also helps.
4. Make sure they can be identified: all dogs must, by law, have a microchip implanted. Make sure the details on the database are correct and up to date. But they should also always wear a collar and identification tag, by law.
5. Keep them active: even if we don’t necessarily walk them quite as far, or as frequently, as during warmer months, make sure they get their activity, needed to keep them from mischief. This may mean that you do some extra play indoors, or play games, or do obedience exercises, on top of the outside walks.
6. Don’t overfeed your dog: as they may have less outdoor exercise than during warmer months, you may have to adjust their food intake, to prevent them gaining weight over the winter months. This is especially important for older dogs, or dogs with osteo-arthritis for instance, as they are more likely to suffer from being overweight, or find it harder to lose the weight again once the warmer months come along.
7. Snow and Ice: apart from the above-mentioned potential paw issues, snow and ice carry other risks for dogs too! As much fun as it is for us, dogs may find snow and ice uncomfortable, or even scary, to walk or run on. Slipping and sliding, or subsequent falling, can cause muscle and other soft tissue injuries, or even broken legs. Beware also of frozen ponds, as the sharp ice can cause injuries, apart from the obvious risk of drowning if the ice is over deep water.
8. A comfy bed: make sure that when your dog comes home, that there is a soft, warm and comfy bed waiting for them. Again, this is especially important for older or arthritic dogs.
9. Medication: if your dog seems especially stiff, or slow, during the winter time, please do ask your vet for advice, as they may need medication to keep them from being in pain. Remember, there are many more ways than medication, to keep your dog from being in pain. At PeRiHab, we have access to many different ways to help your dog, such as acupuncture, laser treatment and much more.
10. Dangers: remember that some products we often use during the winter time, can carry significant risks for dogs (and other pets too of course!). The most common poisoning we see in the wintertime is the one caused by the ingestion of anti-freeze, as it’s commonly used and actually very attractive for dogs, as it’s sweet tasting! It can cause severe poisoning, often leading to death, especially if not treated immediately.
PeRiHab hopes that with these 10 simple tips, we can all try and keep our dogs safe and healthy during the colder winter months.
