Winter Care For Your Pet
The winter season is here and the joy of being indoors with family, friends, and pets is soon to follow. But the winter season also brings in its own unique set of challenges. From powerful winds and freezing temperatures that can break windows, to snowfall that can make coming outside a Herculean task. Keeping your pets safe during this time requires a well-thought-out strategy with reliable pet safety measures in place. A little preparation now can go a long way later, so read on for some useful tips to help you care for your pet over the cold winter months. Here is what Summerside vet recommends.
Feed your pet a well-balanced diet recommended by Summerside Vet
Pet food provides the nutrients that your pet’s body needs to grow and develop properly. Nutrition in pet food is key to supporting your pet’s immune system, helping them maintain a healthy weight, and preventing potential health problems. When feeding your pet, look for pet food that contains a combination of protein, vitamins, minerals, and fats that are essential to their diet. It’s also a good idea to check the ingredients of the food you buy for your pet and make sure the food includes a variety of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. In addition to the nutritional benefits, feeding your pet a well-balanced diet can help them maintain a healthy weight. Excessive weight gain can be harmful to your pet’s health. Excessive weight gain often occurs due to overfeeding, and feeding your pet only as much food as they need can help prevent this.
Keep your pet indoors
This may seem like common sense, but let’s take a deeper look at why this is a good idea. Natural light is vital to the growth and health of plants, and even animals. When indoor plants are not exposed to natural light, they stop producing the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that make plants healthy. The same is true for your pet—without natural sunlight, your pet’s skin and coat will become dry and irritated, and they will lose some of their natural colour. Indoors, on the other hand, your pet can be bathed in a warm, relaxing, and safe environment that is free from the harmful effects of the sun. Your indoor pet should also get regular exercise, which helps maintain a healthy weight, gives your pet a sense of purpose, and helps keep them happy and healthy.
Install weather stripping on doors and other entryways
Weather stripping on doors and around windows will allow indoor air to flow into your home, but not allow the wind, rain, and snow to enter. This will help keep your indoor air clean and fresh. Weather stripping on exterior doors can help prevent the wind from blowing them open and letting rain and snow inside. The same goes for any other entryways into your home like patio doors or sliding glass doors. These should be sealed to keep the wind, rain, and snow from entering your home. If you live in a climate where it snows, you may decide to keep your pet indoors during the winter months. Ensure that your pet has access to water and shade during warmer times of the day. Keep their food and bowls inside away from the snow and ice so that they don’t accidentally get wet and so that they don’t make a mess while you clean up the snow yourself. This way, you can feed your pet indoors when necessary without having to worry about them making a mess or getting wet while doing so.
Install an outdoor enclosure for your pet
An outdoor enclosure is a great way to give your pet access to the outdoors while keeping them safe, warm, and comfortable. An outdoor enclosure can be any type of structure, from a simple kennel to a large, custom-built structure. Whatever you choose, it should be well-built and sturdy enough to withstand the elements. It should also provide your pet with enough space to move around and relax. If you live in a climate with snowfall, an outdoor enclosure is a great way to keep your pet warm and comfortable indoors during prolonged periods of inclement weather. If you don’t want to keep your pet inside all the time, you can also use an indoor-outdoor pet door to let them out when they need access to the outdoors.
Install a smart heating system for your home
During the winter months, your home’s heating system is more likely to be producing more heat than your home needs. Plus, during the winter months, your heating system may be producing more heat than usual due to the cold outside temperature and the wet and windy conditions. This is not good for your home or your family. If possible, try to keep the heat in your home to a minimum. You can also use a smart thermostat to regulate your home’s temperature. If you do have to use your heating system more than usual, try to keep the heat down to a minimum. This will help keep your pipes and other parts of your heating system from expanding too much, which can lead to more problems down the road.
Protect your pets from harsh winds and rainstorms
During winter storms, strong winds, and heavy rain, outdoor animals are at a higher risk of injury, disease, and death. Try to keep your outdoor pets sheltered from strong winds and rainstorms. For example, if you have a cat, keep it indoors to avoid possible injury and disease. If you have a dog, make sure it is wearing an appropriate jacket and brought inside if the weather turns bad. You could also try to keep your dog indoors during bad weather.
Conclusion for Summerside Vet
The winter months can pose many challenges for both humans and their pets. Keeping your pet fed and hydrated, and providing them with shelter from the cold and rain are crucial to their safety and well-being.
Your pet deserves the utmost care and support. Lakeview Animal Hospital is a safe, welcoming, and accommodating place for you and your pet as a Summerside vet. We hope this article brought to you by your trusted vet Edmonton. As always, please feel free to reach out with questions about your pet as your Summerside Vet.