We all want to keep our pets happy and healthy, but your furry friends' needs are different from season to season.
Martha Reilly and her colleagues from Shultz's Guest House share tips for the colder weather.
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6 Ways you Can Take Care of Your Dog During the Wintertime:
1. Let your pup stay home when you are running errands:
Just like in the summer when your car can get overheated, in the winter it can just as easily become too cold for your dog to be inside. So, Reilly recommends that you don't bring your pet along for the ride while you run errands.
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2. Protect your pet's paws:
If you live in an area where you don't know if the ice melt sold is pet-safe, Reilly encourages you to either put booties on your dog's paws for protection or, when they come back inside, be sure to wipe their paws clean from any remaining ice crystals that may be stuck in their paw pads. If they lick their paws with these leftover salt chunks, they could end up getting very sick, says Reilly.
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3. Skip the bath in the winter:
Bathing your dogs in the winter can remove all the natural oils and moisture from their skin that they need. Reilly says that just like us during the winter months, pet skin can get drier. We can moisturize our skin, it's not so easy for your dog.
4. Beware of Antifreeze:
Antifreeze can be one of the deadliest things for your pet to ingest, says Reilly. "It is sweet smelling and tasting, so they say, I've never tasted it myself, [but it can be] very enticing to pets... even the smallest amount can be fatal, so you want to be sure that your pets aren't being left in a garage or driveway area where there could have been a spill," she says.
5. Keep your pet on a leash:
The snow and the colder weather can dampen our dogs' superpower: their ability to smell. Because their ability to smell is lessened, its essential to always have your dogs on a leash when walking them, and if you do have your dog off-leash, make sure that they have a name tag on their collar.
6. As a good rule of thumb, if it is too cold for you, it is too cold for your dog to go outside:
If you find yourself outside, freezing, with a bunch of layers on, that is a good indicator that it's also probably too cold out for your dog as well.
Always remember, if you're looking to add a furry friend to your family, adopt don't shop. You can do so by visiting Shultz's Guest House website for their adoptable pets.
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