Pet Winter Feeding Plan: Keep Your Dog Warm for the Winter

Winter is here, and the wind is blowing. Is your dog more active or less interested? The low temperatures in winter are a challenge for our canine friends. Let us take better care of your pet with the help of the pet winter feeding plan.

How to feed your dog in winter?

When the temperature drops, dogs usually need more energy and warmth from their food. Novice pet owners should give more help and love to short-haired, small or elderly pet dogs. Let’s get into the details of feeding dogs in winter to ensure that they are warm and healthy!

Before adjusting your dog’s winter diet plan, we need to fully understand the nutritional needs of dogs in winter so that we can make adjustments. If necessary, you can also consult a veterinarian to develop a diet that suits your dog’s needs.

Feeding your pet in winter: Increase energy intake

Cold weather causes your pet’s body to consume energy more easily to maintain body temperature, especially for dogs who spend more time outdoors, or older pets. In order to cope with this extra energy demand, the proportion of food needs to be adjusted appropriately.

Increase the ratio of protein and fat

Increase fat and protein intake: The temperature is low in winter, and pets need more energy to maintain body temperature. Providing food rich in high-quality protein and appropriate amount of fat can help pets maintain body temperature and enhance immunity. For example, choose high-protein dog food containing chicken, beef, and fish, and increase the amount of flaxseed oil, fish oil and other foods containing healthy fats.
Adjust the calories of food appropriately: In winter, you can increase the daily food intake of pets appropriately, but be careful not to overfeed to avoid overweight. Adjust the amount of food according to the size, activity level and age of the pet to avoid overweight.

Dividing meals and warming food

• Multiple meals: You can try to divide the daily food intake of your pet into two or three meals to avoid indigestion caused by eating too much at one time. Dividing meals can help pets digest better and maintain a stable energy supply.
• Heating food: Cold weather will make dry dog ​​food less attractive to pets. You can try to make some dog nutritious meals with a certain temperature, which can stimulate the appetite of pets and help improve the palatability of food.

When pet owners are tired of multiple feedings in a day, use Dokoo automatic feeder to help you. Dokoo automatic feeder for large dogs can set multiple feedings in a day, and deliver dog dry food at fixed locations and quantities without the dog owner having to worry.

Feeding pets in winter: provide extra water

The air is dry in winter, and many pets ignore drinking water because they don’t feel thirsty. However, maintaining proper water intake is important for maintaining healthy digestion, metabolism and body temperature regulation.

• Ensure adequate drinking water: Provide pets with fresh water every day to ensure that they can drink water at any time. Pets are more likely to become dehydrated in dry environments.
• Humidifiers help with air humidity: Indoor humidifiers can help keep the air moist and reduce the discomfort caused by dryness in pets, such as chapped skin and respiratory problems.
• Warm water for drinking: Some pets may not like to drink cold water. You can adjust the water temperature to a suitable temperature to encourage them to drink more water.

Feeding pets in winter: Choose the right pet food

Winter is a critical period for pet health, and choosing the right pet food is particularly important. Choose the right food for your pet based on its age, size, activity level, and health status.

Diet for older pets

Older pets have a slower metabolism rate and need fewer calories in winter, so be careful not to overfeed and gain weight in winter.

Choose low-calorie, easy-to-digest, joint-health foods designed specifically for older dogs and cats. These foods usually contain more vitamins and minerals, which help improve immunity and maintain joint health.

Diet for younger pets

Young, active pets, especially those who spend more time outdoors, may need more energy to maintain body temperature and consume energy.

Provide high-protein and high-energy pet foods to ensure that pets get enough nutritional support in cold environments.

Combination of wet and dry food

During the cold winter, the taste of wet food is more suitable for some pets, especially older pets or pets with dental problems. Wet food helps maintain water intake while increasing appetite. Consider feeding wet and dry food together, which not only increases food diversity but also increases pets’ interest in eating.

Feeding dogs in winter: Strengthening immunity and health care

Winter is a season when pets are prone to illness, especially for elderly pets with weak resistance or pets in poor health. The cold weather in winter is more likely to cause colds, respiratory infections and other problems.

Supplement vitamins and minerals

Vitamins C and E: These help to enhance the immunity of pets and help them resist the challenges brought by cold weather. You can use pet-specific vitamin supplements, or choose pet food rich in these ingredients.

Regular health check-ups

Winter is a season when pets are prone to illness. Take your pets to the veterinarian for health checks regularly to ensure that they are not affected by the health effects of seasonal changes. Especially for elderly pets, check whether there are hidden dangers in the heart, joints, respiratory tract, etc.

Maintain weight control

Many pets reduce outdoor activities in winter due to the cold, which is easy to cause weight gain. Maintain a healthy weight for pets through proper diet control and regular indoor exercise.

Feeding dogs in winter: Improve the living environment

It is cold in winter, and properly improving the living environment of pets is also one of the key factors to ensure their health.

Keep warm

Warm living environment: Ensure that pets have a warm and comfortable sleeping environment. For outdoor pets, it is recommended to provide them with heating pads, insulated beds or cabins to avoid long-term exposure to cold environments.
Avoid moisture: Make sure the pet’s sleeping area is dry. Moisture can easily make pets feel cold and even cause problems such as arthritis.

Dress appropriately

For some short-haired, small or older pets, they need to wear warm clothes in winter. Especially when going out for a walk or exercise, wearing cold-proof clothes can prevent pets from catching cold.

Reduce wet and cold contact

Avoid pets standing on wet and cold ground for a long time, especially pets with arthritis. Use floor mats and comfortable beds to avoid direct contact with cold ground.

Feeding dogs in winter: Increase outdoor activities

Despite the cold weather in winter, pets still need regular exercise. Moderate outdoor activities can help consume excess calories, keep the body healthy, and enhance immunity.

Arrange walking time reasonably

The temperature is usually lower in the morning and evening, so try to avoid taking your pet out during extremely cold periods. Choose a milder period for short walks.

Indoor activities

If it is too cold outside, you can provide your pet with exercise opportunities indoors, such as toy interactions, training games, or simple Frisbee or ball games, to help your pet stay active. The Dog Camera Treat Dispenser allows owners and dogs to fully enjoy the game of throwing treats indoors, and can train dog behaviors, such as simple lying, sitting, standing up, etc.

Conclusion

The winter feeding plan needs to start from multiple aspects, including food adjustment, water intake, immune support, health checks and environmental improvement. Through a scientific and meticulous feeding plan, you can not only let your pet enjoy a warm winter, but also ensure that they stay healthy and energetic.

Remember, pets’ needs vary from person to person, so make adjustments based on your pet’s specific situation to ensure they have a healthy, enjoyable winter.