It is the winter, flakes begin to fall, it is getting cold.
However, did we ask ourselves the question for our pets? Because we don’t all own big Husky Malamutes cut for the cold! In fact, they are more or less sensitive to it according to their lifestyle and their specie!
First of all, it is necessary to know that the sensibility to the cold is not the same for your puppy or kitten that your adult dog or cat, the youngest will be most vulnerable to it.
What generates then this difference of sensibility?
First of all, their size: the small-sized pets are more sensible to the cold than the bigger ones.
But also, their weight: the most wrapped will be the best protected.
And finally, their mass and their quality of hair. A French bulldog will be more sensitive to the cold than a husky, or an Egyptian cat with a Persian one.
Do we necessarily have to talk about coats? Not inevitably, certain animals do not bear them and more particularly cats. On the other hand, it maybe more comfortable for a small-sized dog such as a Chihuahua or a shorthaired dog in order to have longer outside walks.
For the small dogs, we would choose coats doubled with fleece.
Paw pads are very delicate and will get very quickly cold, as they are the first exposed. Do not hesitate to clean them with warm water (except for cats who don’t like the water) when going back home and to apply a cream so as to hydrate the tissues (same for the cats) and to avoid cuts. You can find these creams and ointments for damaged paw pads at your veterinarian.
So then, what do have to protect first and foremost?
For dogs, it will be a question at first of protecting the stomach where the mass of hairs is less dense and the ears of the cats which may literally freeze, the latter, fearless, don’t hesitate to go out in harsh weather.
Your pet can go out of course but make sure to evaluate the duration of the walks according to his weight, to its coat and to its corpulence. The wind, the snow and the rain are factors which speedup the loss of body heat.
A resulting cooling of your pet can generate diarrhea, cold or coughing fits.
You may ask yourself how do we notice that he is cold? It is very simple, his reactions will be the same as yours (shivers, tiredness). Just take care not to leave them outside too long!
