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It’s winter and the temperatures keep dropping here in the Pacific Northwest. Admittedly we’ve been so focused on the Florida vacation that we just returned from that we didn’t do nearly as much winter prep around the property as we should have by now. Thank goodness for the in-laws and their help with taking care of all the animals while we were gone. We’re back now though and it’s time to make sure we’re winter ready and that includes making sure our precious dogs are ready for the season. Different breeds handle cold temperatures in different ways so making sure each one is prepared for winter conditions is super important to keeping them happy and healthy through these frigid months.
Inside or Outside: Some dogs can handle cold temperatures, but many can’t. That’s not what they’re designed for. All dogs need shelter and a place they can get warm (dog house with straw or dry blankets at the very least) but some just simply should not be left outside in bitter cold temperatures. Very small breeds and breeds with short hair, like my Boxer for instance, they can’t handle the cold. Their short hair offers very little protection from the elements so even if you have a mostly outside dog, make sure there’s a mud room or a hallway that can be sectioned off to give them a warm place to sleep and get out of the elements at night.
Fresh Water: Water can freeze over very quickly in cold temperatures so it’s very important to make sure that animals have a source of fresh water if they are staying outside for any length of time in the winter. In the past we’ve used heated water bowls, stock tank heaters in larger water containers and simply leaving a faucet in the backyard dripping so that the water is constantly moving has worked on some occasions.
Diet: Most animals will get less exercise in the winter (kind of like people right?!) which means that they won’t burn as many calories. Sometimes we may need to adjust their food intake accordingly to keep them from plumping up too much over the winter and reaching an unhealthy weight. Like humans, it’s harder to get it off in the spring than it is to put it on over the holidays!
Protect Those Paws: You wear gloves and warm boots in the winter right? If you’re pet is going to be outside walking around in the snow, cold concrete, or salty ice melt, you’ll want to be sure to take good care of their paws because they are susceptible to injury as well. Consider investing in a pair of booties or at the very least limit their exposure and be sure to wash their feet off when bringing them in to keep them healthy and pain-free.
Flea and Tick Protection: Some people don’t realize that fleas and ticks are still something to worry about even when snow is covering the ground. Ticks can remain throughout the winter if the temperature is above freezing and to escape the freezing cold they attach themselves onto animals in the wild, as well as your dog. Often, when the temperature starts to dip, fleas and ticks can also crawl within warm pockets carved out by grass and leaves, which are more hidden and warm once the first snow falls and covers the ground. It’s hard to believe but they can survive an entire winter hibernating in these warm spots! Of course once fleas and ticks are brought inside by pets, they can survive in the warmth of your home. No Bueno! The fact is, year round protection is critical and one of the easiest ways to keep your dog protected is by talking with your vet about BRAVECTO® (Fluralaner).
BRAVECTO is a tasty chew that provides protection from fleas and ticks for up to 12 weeks* and starts killing fleas within 2 hours and kills 100% of fleas within 12 hours. BRAVECTO is FDA approved but to be sure it’s the best option for your dog, it is only available from your veterinarian or veterinary clinic. My favorite thing about BRAVECTO, it is convenient; all it takes is 1 tasty chew for up to 12 weeks of flea and tick protection*. That’s nearly 3 times longer protection than a monthly treatment and that works for my busy schedule! Ask your veterinarian about BRAVECTO® and make sure your holidays stay flea and tick free!
*Bravecto kills fleas, prevents flea infestations, and kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks. Bravecto also kills lone star ticks for 8 weeks.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published. However, it remains the responsibility of the readers to familiarize themselves with the product information contained on the USA product label or package. More product information is available here: https://intervetus.naccvp.com/product/view/1047512?e=d97b22ed63e734e84c1a5910a9c8f531z1688.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BRAVECTO®. The opinions and text are all mine.
Welby says
December 29, 2016 at 4:19 pmRight! And for the outdoors, not only shoes, but coats might be a game changer. Small dogs with short fur, but also dogs suffering from arthritis or with paralyzed limbs are particularly fragile to cold. A coat (you can also tailor it to larger dogs) can prolong the dogs’ walks outside. If the winter is long, that can make them much happier!
Sarah says
January 15, 2017 at 9:16 amGreat tips here, diet is definitely a big one and something we are trying to improve on this year with our dogs. It is always a bit too easy to spoil them. Thanks for the great write up.