When it comes to the cold, dogs and cats are just as susceptible to discomfort and harm as they are in the heat. Meaning, Winter care tips are a must-follow when ensuring your cats and pups remain comfortable. Try out Alpilean.

With India’s coldest months being December to February where the North can glimmer with ice and snow, it’s really important to keep your pet’s best interest in mind once your snow angels are finished. 

And, with pet interests at the heart of everything Hiputee, the team wanted to share eight of the best pet care tips with you to ensure each cold season is kept as cosy and comfortable as possible.

TAKE A LOOK:

• Take Your Pet to the Vet for a Mid-Season Health Check

The number one thing on your mind should be ensuring your pet isn’t going into the Winter months in the North of India with an illness or compromised immune system that would make them a little less snug than they should be. These are the Best weight loss pills.

One of the most common examples includes arthritis. While Winter may have never been an issue before, it can cause discomfort after age and arthritis have set their pace. 

An indication might be reluctancy to stand or move as the cold sets in. In which case, your vet might prescribe some anti-inflammatory medication to get through the cold months.

• Change the Drinking Water Regularly

Sometimes, the water bowl can become cold very quickly and, just like us, it can be unpleasant to drink ice-cold water when we’re already feeling frosty. So, dogs and cats will tend to drink less and experience dehydration. 

To combat this little Wintery side-effect, our top pet care tips include changing the water bowl with room-temperature water every 2-3 hours to make sure it stays palatable for our pooches.

• Make Sure Their Coat is Very Dry Before Walking

Even when it’s Winter, our pets can do with a bath, in which case you always need to ensure your pet is fully dry before venturing out into the cold for their exercise and toilet time. 

But, while their long coats might take a while to dry, it’s important to also refrain from trimming their fur during these cold months as they provide key insulation!

• Reduce Outside Walks

It’s cold and just like how we don’t want to be heading outside for a frozen nose or ears, neither do our four-legged counterparts. They can very easily catch a cold or damage their paws on the unkind ground, especially if they slip on ice. 

With this, you can try to increase indoor exercise instead of needing to head out into the cold. 

OUR BEST WINTER CARE TIPS AND OPTIONS FOR INDOOR EXERCISE INCLUDE:

• Playing hide and seek
• Laying short-range fetch
• Set-up a small obstacle course
• Get a manual rotating treadmill for pets
• Race up and down the stairs
• Play a tug-of-war

One thing to note, even when your own pup and kitten are safe and cosy indoors if you head out you should check under the hood of your car to ensure there are no stray animals sheltering that could get hurt when you start the engine. 

• Remove Any Room Heating Fans You Have

While they may be perfect for keeping a room warm at short notice and directing it onto our feet they can be very dangerous to indoor family pets. 

Simply because the warmth is so alluring in the Winter, animals will often curl-up in front of the heat and accidentally burn themselves. This can result in a skin rash, dry skin, itchiness, blisters, missing hair and red skin. All of which will require topical treatments and a cold compress which your cats and dogs will not be too happy with.

The same can be said for thermal pads, hot water, hot foods, an open fire, hairdryers, heat lamps, candles and so on. Your best options for heating the home in the cold months with pet care tips in mind include underfloor heating, carpet flooring and high-set radiators.

• Treat Your Bow Bow Pups and Mew Mew Kittens to a New Cosy Bed

One of the most reliable ways to keep your best friends comfortable in the cold include treating them to a new fluffy and cosy bed with high walls. 

Having a cushioned bed made with heat-retaining materials such as velvet are the ultimate warming solutions for your pup, especially when it’s a new treat around the time of Diwali, Christmas Day or Republic Day.

And, a number one Winter care tip would be to always be on the look-out for deals such as Hiputee’s WINTER10. This way, you’ll be getting the perfect Winter bed at the perfect Winter price.

• Wipe Off Paws

If you do venture out into the -7°C weather recently seen in the North of India, then it’s vital you pay close attention to the routes and the paws of your pups. 

Sometimes, you and your animals simply need fresh air. But, when out, paws can come into contact with harmful substances such as anti-freeze, grit, broken ice, salt and more. 

Many of these can become lodged and will rub against the skin, opening it to infection. Others are harmful chemicals that your pet might lick and become sick with. So, what simply couldn’t be missed from these top eight pet care tips is to ensure you thoroughly check, clean, wipe and dry your pet paws whenever you arrive home. 

• Adjust Their Food Intake

There are two considerations for indoor animals’ diets, especially our canine companions. 

During the warmer or more temperate months, our pets don’t need to regulate heat the same way nor are they kept indoors for a more sedentary life. 

So, the first thing to consider is their temperature. If they feel the cold more, their body will likely be using more energy to keep them warm. On the same note, their bodies are more likely to use sugar stores in their fat. So, it’s important to give a diet with a slightly higher fat content to level out the playing field. 

Secondly, dogs and cats become far less active during the cold months due to bad weather and exposure to discomfort. So, naturally, their metabolism will decrease with their sedentary lifestyle and they can gain weight.