The winter season presents unique challenges to all pet owners. Sometimes, these challenges will even require us to change our habits. If you’re a first-time dog owner, you may not know that tweaking your habits during the winter is necessary.
In the second set of our winter dog care articles, we’re focusing on the key habits pet owners must adjust. Keep these recommendations in mind so your puppy can enjoy great health for many winters to come.
Bathe Your Dog Less Frequently
For most of the year, dogs should be bathed at least once a month. Once winter rolls around, you can cut back on that.
Consider bathing your dog about once every six weeks during the winter to prevent them from getting overwhelmed by the cold. You can make bath time even more comfortable for your dog or puppy by using lukewarm water.
Reducing bathing frequency during the winter should not present a hygiene issue for dogs. That’s mainly because dogs often spend more time indoors during that time of the year anyway.
Change Your Dog’s Diet if Necessary
Some interesting things happen to your dog’s body once the winter season begins.
Dogs who are active and spend plenty of time outdoors even during the winter often end up using more body fat as fuel. Their body consumes fat to keep going so you need to take that into account when adjusting their diet. As odd as it may seem, dogs like that may actually benefit from having higher fat content in their winter diet.
On the other hand, dogs that spend more time indoors may end up gaining weight. According to PetMD, hormonal changes that occur during the winter can slow metabolism down in some dogs and they may also contribute to fat deposition. If you don’t reduce your pet’s food intake to account for those changes, then your dog will likely put on more than a few pounds.
By the way, cats also tend to eat more during the winter. Make sure you also monitor your cat’s weight so it doesn’t get out of hand.
Adopt a New Exercise Routine
Many dogs gain weight during the winter because of their diet. However, that is not the only factor you can control that directly contributes to your pet’s weight gain.
If your pet has gained a significant amount of weight during past winters, then you should consider changing their exercise routine.
Since the weather is colder outside, your dog may not be able to stay outdoors as long as they usually do. That may cause them to consistently get insufficient exercise as a result.
Address that problem by adopting a more intense exercise routine. Run more with your dog while the two of you are outside so they can put in max effort quickly.
Alternatively, the two of you can also spend more time exercising indoors. Engage your dog in playtime more often so they can stay active. You can also have them climb the stairs more to keep them moving.
We at TAILored Pet Services can help your pet stay active throughout the winter season. Hire us to be your dog walker and we will help keep your pet stay in shape year-round. Call us today at 425-923-7791 or contact through our website if you want to try out our services.
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