Understanding Pet Needs

Posted on: 11 January 2018

In the winter time, you need to make sure that you attend to your dog's grooming needs. Your dog's coat is going to be longer in the winter and will need more attention to make sure that their coat stays healthy and doesn't become matted. All the cold, wind, snow, and ice, as well as the salt and sand used on the streets, can be harmful to your dog's coat. The forced dry air inside of the home can also be tough on your dog's coat as well.

Dry Your Dog Off

When your dog comes in from outside, spend a few minutes making sure that your dog is dry. Take a towel and use the towel to dry your dog off thoroughly. Make sure that you dry your dog's underbelly, legs, and paws off. Being wet from the rain, snow, and moisture outside can give your dogs the chills. Drying your dog off will help your dog stay healthy. It will also help keep their hair from getting matted with all the moisture and debris that can get in their coat when they go outside.

Brush Your Dog's Coat

Try to sit down with your dog and brush their coat every day. You don't have to brush their entire coat each day, but try to get in at least 100 strokes each day. This will help prevent your dog's long coat from getting matted and tangled, which can harm not just your dog's coat, but can also harm their skin and lead to infection.

Brushing your dog's coat every day will help distribute the oils in their coat. This will help prevent your dog from experiencing dry skin from all the forced heat inside of your home. Your dog's coat will be more protective and better looking if you brush out your dog's coat on a regular basis throughout the winter.

Bathe Your Dog

Next, make sure that you bathe your teacup yorky puppy. Don't skip out on baths just because it is cold outside. Your dog may get dry skin during the winter time, so be sure to use moisturizing shampoos and conditioners when you bathe your dog in the winter time. After your dog gets out of the bath, make sure that you put shea butter or aloe treatment on your dog's paws and nose, as well as their skin if necessary.

Treat Their Feet

Your dog's feet need to be in good shape during the winter time. Keep your dog's nails trimmed during the winter time. Your dog's nails are not going to wear down as much naturally when it is all snowy and icy outside, so you may need to pay more attention to them than normal.

If your dog will keep them on, but dog boots on your dog when they go outside. If your dog doesn't like dog boots, be sure to clean your dog's paws off whenever they come inside to get the dirt, ice, sand, and salt off them. Just keep a warm bowl of water near the door to soak your dog's feet in when they come back inside.

If your dog's paws get a little dry, be sure to put shea butter or aloe on them to keep them from cracking, which can be super painful for your dog.