Myths About Dogs & Winter

When winter weather is amongst us, we have to remember to take extra care of our canine companions. The cold, dry air can be harmful to our furry friends, even though some of their luscious coats might make it seem otherwise. To help keep your pup safe and healthy during the winter, it’s important to know the difference between fact and myth, which is exactly why we wanted to clear up some of the biggest myths about dogs and winter.

All Dogs Have Fur That Protects Them From the Snow

When it comes to frigid temperatures, all dogs are not created equal. While you could probably already guess that a Siberian Husky is much more prepared for snowy weather than an Italian Greyhound, it’s important to realize that a furry coat doesn’t always mean a pup won’t get uncomfortable in the cold or suffer from hypothermia in extreme temperatures. Dog coats are a great way to give your pooch some extra warmth in the winter. They’re made to fit a variety of canine bodies and are easy to get on and off.

It’s Safe for Dogs to Eat Snow

Snow does an excellent job at concealing garbage, animal waste, as well as salt and chemicals used to defrost snow and ice. Since Fido could easily get ill from any of those things, it’s best not to allow them to eat snow – no matter how excited they get about the “magical solid water” outside. While you might still think that freshly fallen snow is alight, it still has the potential of hiding a variety of dangerous things underneath. Additionally, snow will lower your furry friend’s core temperature, making them even colder than they already are – so play it safe and stick to the fresh ice cubes and water you have inside.

Dogs Can’t Get Fleas or Ticks in the Winter

Even though the cold temperature tends to kill off most pesky insects like fleas and ticks, they still can seek warm shelter to stay alive. Since your home is probably one of the warmest places around during the winter, that could be a prime spot for them to end up. This means that you shouldn’t give up your routine flea and tick inspections or medications just because you think all the bugs might be frozen. Plus, due to the cold, dry air, your pup’s skin is already dry, so any excessive scratching or itching will only cause them severe irritation.

If It’s a Short Walk, Your Pup Doesn’t Need Paw Protection

Doggy booties and paw wax can sometimes be a pain to get on and off your pooch. So, you might think that if you and Fido are only going outside for a few minutes that they’ll be fine without it. However, even though your furry friend has pretty resilient paws, it doesn’t make them exempt from frostbite. Sometimes, the salt and antifreeze thrown on the ground to melt the ice are even more harmful. Those chemicals are extremely toxic for your pooch to digest and can end up burning their paws. You don’t want Fido’s paws absorbing any chemicals or licking it off their paws later, so do your pooch a favor and use paw protection no matter how little you plan to be outside.

Dogs Can Get Rid of the Excess Snow on Their Fur

If your pooch comes inside with some snow on their coat, you probably try to towel most of it off. While you may think that a little bit of snow leftover is perfectly safe to let them remove themselves, you might want to think again. If there’s snow or ice leftover on Fido’s coat, they may try to remove it by excessively licking, chewing, and gnawing at it – damaging their skin in the process. It’s also possible that some of that snow could contain salt or antifreeze from outside, which you definitely don’t want them consuming. So even if it takes a bit longer, spend a bit of extra time making sure all the snow and ice are properly removed from your dog’s fur.

You’ve probably heard a lot of myths about dogs and winter, which is exactly why you should always double-check any information you don’t hear from your pup’s vet or a reliable source.