How to Keep Your Pets Warm This Winter
With the concerns surrounding energy price cap increases, it is understandable that many households are looking for ways to reduce their energy usage this winter. Turning the heating down and wearing more layers of clothes is a good solution for humans but if your dog is in a cold house then you need to find other ways to keep them warm.
Despite dogs having fur coats, domesticated dogs are not capable of staying in cold temperatures for long periods of time and they can develop hypothermia, so it is important to monitor them throughout the colder months. Even if your home is warm, there are weather-related health risks to your pet when you go out for walks.
You should look out for signs that your dog is cold, such as shivering, whining, a hunched posture or lifting their paws off the ground. A change in behaviour or reluctance to walk can also be their way of telling you they are too cold.
Here are some top tips for keeping your pets warm this winter:
Spend more time indoors
Try to avoid spending a long time outdoors, especially in the coldest parts of the day. If you normally go for morning and evening walks, this is when the temperatures are at their lowest, so you might want to change your walk routine to a warmer part of the day.
Finding more indoor play opportunities can help to give your dog some light exercise and stimulation indoors if you have adequate space, and you can buy dog treadmills to let them stretch their legs while keeping warm in winter. There are also indoor dog parks around the UK that will also help to avoid exercising outside on the coldest days of the year.
Buy a dog coat
Just like humans, dogs will feel the benefit of an extra layer and there are many retailers selling dog clothes such as coats and jackets designed for wintertime walks. You can also buy warm jumpsuits and full-body fleeces to make sure your dog doesn’t get cold.
Extra bedding
During winter the temperatures can drop very low at night time, so it is important to make sure your dog is warm when they are in bed. Beds should be raised above the ground to avoid draughts and they should have plenty of blankets.
Get a heat mat
Another pet product that is great for keeping dogs warm is a heat pad, and you can choose a self-warming pet mat that retains their body heat, or you can order ones that heat up in the microwave.
Make sure they have enough food
Leaving your dog plenty of food will keep their calories up, which is essential for the body to produce heat. Feeding your dog a bit more food during winter is recommended as long as your vet has not told you that your dog needs to lose weight for health reasons.
Add a blanket to their transit boxes for car journeys
Car journeys can be cold for your pets, so try maintaining a steady temperature throughout the drive that keeps them warm. A lot of animals seek comfort in having a steady bed whilst they travel with additional blankets in them – so it may be worth treating them to not only a transit box to maintain their safety, but to allow them to get tucked up within a couple of blankets to keep them warm, especially if they travel in the boot, which is the coldest part of a car’s interior.
For products that will keep your pet safe during transit, head to our website, where you can browse our extensive range of crates and products.
