Winter Pet Safety Tips
With the heart of winter upon us, frigid temperatures and extreme weather conditions are at our door. This means dealing with snow and ice, often putting pets in dangerous situations.
While it won’t stop their urge to play outside or need to potty, there are plenty of ways to keep them safe and out of the elements as much as possible.
CBD dog treats are an ideal way to encourage your pets back inside after the excitement of playtime. It’s also wise to keep these outdoor periods short and only take the dogs out when necessary.
Exposure to brisk weather for an extended time can result in them catching something nasty and getting ill. The pup doesn’t know his limits, so you must be the parent and set the schedule.
Tips For Keeping Your Pet Safe in the Winter Season
Winter can be a barrel of fun for pet parents and their furry friends, but you need to be mindful of their wellbeing. Learning and paying attention to precautions for keeping your pup safe is important.
One very handy way is to incorporate CBD for dogs to keep them calm and relaxed while you’re shoveling for the 16th time. Let’s cover more safety tips for outdoor pets in winter below.
Paw treatment
When ice and snowstorms cover a community, residents often use sodium chloride or rock salt to rid the sidewalks and roadways of the weather. This treatment is great for ridding the roads of ice but not good for your canine’s paws! Before taking him out, apply topicals to the soft pads of their paws for added protection.
Ice and snow can dry out the pads when playing around the house, leading to irritation and cracked areas. So, after spending time outdoors, clean and dry the paws and soft pads and apply CBD topical for optimum protection.
CBD benefits for pets, especially topicals, include soothing and keeping the targeted areas soft and supple. Here are a few more tips.
•Clean the paws gently with warm water to eliminate the rock salt or other products.
•Dry the pads and paws thoroughly.
•Apply the CBD topical gently to the pads.
•If you have pup socks, it would be good to use these to avoid licking the topical.
Pet Check
It’s the age-old ritual to wipe pets down after they’ve been out having a mudbath when it’s been raining heavily outside. This keeps them nice and clean, and your house will be too! But it’s also good practice to do this after they come in from playing in snow and ice and being cold.
Not only should the animal be wiped down, dried, and warmed, but you should also look over its paws, ears, and tail to ensure no snow or ice has accumulated or that it has suffered frostbite.
The pup should have its belly, paws, and any area it can lick wiped thoroughly to eliminate the weather and any products it might have encountered so it doesn’t ingest them or become irritated.
Calming Effects
Some pets are timid of cold conditions, especially if these animals have been in a situation where they might have been exposed for extended periods. If your dog avoids the outdoors when it’s time for a potty break, it’s wise to consider adding pet supplements to their wellness regimen.
Supplements, like CBD can contribute to pet health in winter with a wealth of benefits, including helping pets relax and bringing a sense of calm. Thus, you can bring your pet feelings of comfort and safety in the healthiest way.
Pet Hydration
A common misconception during this season is that dogs shouldn’t receive as much water as they do when it’s cold outside. Animals can become dehydrated under any conditions and throughout the entire year.
The air is incredibly dry in the extreme cold, making it comparably hazardous to the summer’s sweltering heat. Pet hydration in winter is critical. You should also feed them a nutritious winter pet diet and keep their water freshened to keep it clean and cold all day.
•Speak with the vet to find the most nutritious meal plan for your pup and a feeding schedule to maintain a healthy weight.
•Offer CBD dog treats as a reward between meals and after potty breaks
•Also, when you come in from playtime or have a meal, clean the water bowl and offer fresh and cold water.
Final Thoughts
As a pet parent and animal lover, if you notice strays in your neighborhood spending much of their time in the frigid temperatures, offer them shelter and enough space to lie down comfortably but the right size to retain body heat.
If you have enough space and it won’t create anxiety for your pets, bring the stray indoors when temps fall to subzero extremes or find a proper indoor shelter for them too. Make winter wonderful for all your furry friends.