Keeping your dog safe in winter
Just like humans, dogs need a little extra care during the cold and dark winter months. Learn how to keep your dog safe, cosy and comfortable with our expert advice. You can jump straight to specific concerns around behaviour, health risks, how to keep your dog warm, and common winter poisons to watch out for.
Do dogs eat and sleep more in winter?
It’s normal for your dog to sleep and eat more in winter, especially if they’re exposed to colder temperatures outdoors or have a shorter coat. As their bodies need extra energy to stay warm, they tend to eat more to bulk up or sleep more to conserve energy.
While it’s normal for dogs to sleep more, you know them best. If they’re exhibiting other unusual behaviours, such as not wanting to go for walks or going off their food, schedule a check-up with your vet to make sure there aren’t any other underlying health issues.
How to keep dogs healthy in winter
Some dogs are more at risk of falling ill in the winter. If yours is in the list below, keep a closer eye on them and speak to your vet about how to best protect and care for them:
- Flat-faced dogs — brachycephalic dogs often experience breathing difficulties due to their shortened and narrowed airways. Make sure their vaccinations are up to date and schedule regular vet checkups, where you can discuss weight management and a routine of steady exercise.
- Dogs with short coats — animals with shorter coats may be more likely to feel the effects of cold weather. Keep them cosy with a coat for walks, and a snuggly blanket in the home.
- Dogs with arthritis — like humans, cold weather can increase joint pain in animals with arthritis. Warm and active can reduce the risk of flare-ups.
- Dogs with heart issues — if your dog has a known heart condition, limit their time outside to a maximum of 20 minutes at a time in the winter as low temperatures can place excessive strain on their cardiovascular system.
Common winter health issues for dogs
Look out for signs of common winter health issues in your dog and learn what to do if you're worried:
Symptom: If your dog is slower getting up when it’s wet and cold, this could be a sign of osteoarthritis.
Action: Take them to the vet, who may advise the use of heat and massage to help relieve the pain.
Symptom: If your dog has skin discolouration, swelling, blisters or ulcers on their ears, tail, foot pads, or nose, this could be a sign of frostbite.
Action: Move your dog to a warm, dry place. If the symptoms don’t improve, take them to a vet who may prescribe antibiotics or topical treatment.
Symptom: If you see your dog shivering, or in a sluggish state, this could be a symptom of hypothermia.
Action: Move them to a warm place using blankets and hot water bottles if you have them. Use warm water in hot water bottles to avoid burns. Always cover the bottles with a thick towel or blanket, especially for chewers. If you suspect your dog has hypothermia, contact a vet immediately.
How to keep dogs warm in winter
We don’t advise keeping dogs outside in any weather. Meeting the needs of dogs when they're kept outside is very hard — even more so in very low temperatures. To reduce the risk of health issues, owners should make sure their dogs have a clean, comfortable and dry sleeping area with a safe heat source so the temperature does not drop below 10°C (50°F).
If it’s very cold, or you’re outside for a prolonged period of time, you can buy a special coat or jumper to keep your dog warm on walks. Make sure it’s a good and comfortable fit, and that your dog can still behave normally (for example, that they can go to the toilet easily).
If your dog does get wet, dry them fully, by using a blow dryer, a drying coat or towel before they go to sleep. Damp fur can make your dog feel cold, as well as lead to skin irritation, matting, and infections.
How to keep dogs safe in winter
Follow these tips to keep your dog safe in winter:
- Be seen — try to stick to well-lit places and get reflective or LED gear for you and your dog, so you can be seen by vehicles when walking in the dark.
- Be chipped — ensure your dog is microchipped and the details are up to date in case they slip away from you in poor weather conditions.
- Wipe down — thoroughly wipe down your dog’s paws and tummy after walks to remove grit and rock salt, which are poisonous to dogs
- Snow go — snow can conceal deep or unsafe patches of earth, so keep your dog on the lead.
- Avoid icy ponds — keep dogs away from frozen ponds and lakes — thin ice may break under their weight.
Common winter poisons for dogs
Keep your dog away from these common winter poisons and call a vet immediately if you suspect they’ve ingested any.
- Antifreeze — the active ingredient in antifreeze, Ethylene glycol, can cause kidney failure and death.
- Alabama rot — a disease that damages the blood vessels in the skin and kidneys, can cause visible sores on the skin and kidney failure.
- Rock salt — a mixture of salt and grit is used to help de-ice roads in winter. Ingestion can cause thirst, vomiting, lethargy, and in severe cases convulsions and kidney damage.
Never ‘watch and wait’
If you suspect your dog's been poisoned, contact a vet immediately.