Top tips for your pet this winter

Winter is here. Shorter days, colder nights and chilly mornings – who wants to spring out of bed and take their best friend for a walk?

But just because you feel like staying under the quilt doesn’t mean you need to neglect your best friend’s health. There are a few steps you can take to keep your pet healthy during the colder months – without sacrificing that sleep-in.

Walk this way
Keep up the regular walks, even if they’re shorter, because exercise is crucial for a dog’s musculoskeletal health. A regular walk keeps joints moving, works muscles (like us, if pets don’t use them, they lose them) and helps keep weight at bay. It also ensures your pet doesn’t get out of shape to the point that they injure themselves when physical activity resumes in spring. If you need an added incentive to get out, schedule a doggy date with a friend.

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The great indoors
Indoor exercise is a thing. If the weather is truly appalling, dogs and cats can be exercised indoors (though you may wish to rearrange some furniture). A few rounds of fetch in the hallway or larger rooms can burn kilojoules. Cats will often chase scrunched-up balls of paper, or you can throw a ping-pong ball in an empty bathtub for a version of feline roller derby.

READ MORE: Cats get arthritis too

Winter warmers
Short coated-breeds, dogs with low body fat and hairless cat breeds tend to feel the cold. Providing a well-fitting coat keeps pets warm and comfortable, not to mention looking good.

Too hot to handle
Supervise time in front of the fire or heater. Cats in particular are known to enjoy being so close to a heat source that they can sink into a “heat stupor” and forget to move away when they get too hot. They can also suffer from singed fur or burns if they get too close. Keep the heater on a low to moderate setting and place bedding a safe distance away.

Watch what they eat
Keep a lid on the calories. Winter is a time for comfort eating. Couple those additional calories with reduced exercise and it’s a recipe for gaining weight. If your companions are spending more time indoors and less time being active, reduce portion sizes by five to 10 per cent.

Beware of biters
Avoid a flea explosion. Fleas don't like the cold, but don't be lulled into thinking that they're gone. Flea eggs can survive for months on end and are just waiting for an increase in temperature and humidity to hatch. Keeping up routine flea control through the winter months means you won't have to endure the spring “flea explosion” that makes many pets miserable.

Monitor movement
Of course, winter wouldn’t be winter without indulging in snuggle time. Most pets are generally delighted to join you for a cosy TV marathon and a few cuddles.

 

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