{"id":211,"date":"2025-12-01T15:20:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T20:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petbutler.wpengine.com\/dog-overweight-ways-to-not-help-maintain-and-control-your-dogs-weight-copy-6\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T15:24:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T20:24:20","slug":"winter-tips-protect-dogs-cold-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/winter-tips-protect-dogs-cold-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Tips: How to Care for and Protect Dogs this Winter Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Baby, it\u2019s cold outside! If we are feeling the early chill of winter, you can bet our pets are too.\u00a0 While we can turn up the heat, throw on some extra layers, and break out our waterproof boots, our dogs don\u2019t have that same luxury.<\/p>\n

Certain northern breeds such as the Akita, Husky, Alaskan Malamute, and Keeshond have dense coats and furry feet that help to insulate them from the cold as well as allow them to navigate icy terrain.\u00a0 A tiny chihuahua or dacshund with their short coats and reduced muscle mass may suffer from exposure much more quickly.<\/p>\n

How should we care for our dogs, great and small, in cold weather? Here a few tips to protect your dog for the winter season.<\/p>\n

Protect Your Dog in the Winter\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bundle Your Dog Up<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some dogs can use an extra layer of fluff, just like people in the winter. Thin-skinned, delicate breeds such as the Italian Greyhound and Chihuhuas can use a coat or sweater that protects the belly and torso.\u00a0 Excessive hair between a dog\u2019s toes can be trimmed to avoid slipping on surfaces and to limit the snowballs that form on the feet.<\/p>\n

A well-groomed pooch can also be outfitted with booties for insulation and to provide traction on slippery surfaces. Most dog booties are elastic or have Velcro fasteners and can be laundered.<\/p>\n

Protect Your Dog’s Paws<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your dog can\u2019t bear to wear boots in the winter, consider a paw wax or petroleum jelly massaged into the pads to provide protection from the elements and to prevent cracking.\u00a0 Here is a favorite DIY\u00a0paw balm recipe<\/a>\u00a0to help moisturize and condition your dog\u2019s pads in the winter time.<\/p>\n

Pets are more likely to sustain injury walking on ice or salt; to protect your pet in cold weather, always rinse, dry, and carefully examine their feet after returning from the great outdoors. And a good belly rub to remove ice and debris is always appreciated!<\/p>\n

Limit Play Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acclimating our dogs to the colder temperatures is best done by limiting outdoor playtime to 5-10 minutes and extending that period gradually.\u00a0 Caring for senior or young pets when the weather is cold may mean keeping them indoors or providing a warm, padded shelter.\u00a0 Just like humans, these dogs are less able to regulate body temperature and may suffer from frostbite more easily.<\/p>\n

Dogs are more likely to develop frostbite on delicate skin such as the ear tips and tail.\u00a0 The most noticeable change in affected areas is a color change from pink to white or blue-grey. A good rule of thumb when it comes to dog winter safety is if you are uncomfortable outdoors, so is your pet!<\/p>\n

Additional Winter Safety Tips For Dogs\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Be Cautious of Antifreeze<\/strong><\/p>\n

Additional winter care tips include being aware of some toxins that may be particularly accessible during the season. Antifreeze ingestion can be lethal and cause a drunken appearance, kidney damage, vomiting, and seizures.\u00a0 Clean up any spills immediately as it has a sweet taste that is appealing to dogs.<\/p>\n

Ethylene glycol is the ingredient that will lead to poisoning; it is possible to buy antifreeze that has propylene glycol as the active ingredient and is less toxic. Poinsettias, holly, and mistletoe are common plants we may use for winter decorations and will lead to oral irritation, drooling, vomiting or abdominal pain if ingested.<\/p>\n

Heating Things Up<\/strong><\/p>\n

Leaving a pet in a car that is running increases the likelihood of carbon monoxide poisoning; while it may seem tempting to run one last errand with your companion, drop them at home first! Likewise, space heaters and electrical cords can cause fire or electrical burns if your dog decides to make them chew toys or knocks them over while playing.<\/p>\n

Holiday Decorations<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike their cat counterparts, most dogs stay away from the Christmas tree.\u00a0 BUT, the tree water or edible ornaments can be a great temptation and lead to injury.\u00a0 Keep the tree, needles, glass decorations, and edibles inaccessible to all your pets. Here’s additional holiday tips<\/a> to keep your pet safe.<\/p>\n

Diet and Hydration<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nutrition and hydration should be carefully considered when the weather is cold.\u00a0 If your dog is active in the snow or spends time outdoors, they utilize more calories to maintain their body temperature.\u00a0 To care for your dog in the winter, you might find additional kibble is necessary to maintain body weight and optimal health.<\/p>\n

Dehydration is a concern in winter time just as it is in the summer.\u00a0 Some dogs may drink more water to offset the lack of humidity in the air. Provide ample fresh water, ice cubes to snack on, and heated water bowls if necessary.<\/p>\n

Remember these tips this winter season and stay warm. We’re already counting down the days till spring!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Baby, it\u2019s cold outside! If we are feeling the early chill of winter, you can bet our pets are too.\u00a0 While we can turn up the heat, throw on some extra layers, and break out our waterproof boots, our dogs don\u2019t have that same luxury. Certain northern breeds such as the Akita, Husky, Alaskan Malamute, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":19372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"Winter Tips: How to Care and Protect Dogs This Cold Season | Pet Butler","description":"How should we care for our dogs, great and small, in cold weather? Here a few tips to care and protect your dog for the winter season."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[15,26,16],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pet-safety","tag-safety","tag-holidays","tag-seasonal"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petbutler.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}