When the cold season comes, the air temperature drops, daylight hours decrease, and pets need special care. Immunity in animals decreases, drowsiness appears, and the need for more vitamins increases. That is why it is important to know how to properly care for your pets during the cold season.
Caring for dogs and cats in winter
Domestic dogs spend most of their time at home in a warm place, so they cannot stay in the cold for a long time. More often dogs with short hair are freezing. Some owners dress their pets before going outside. This provides additional protection from the cold. When walking your pet in winter, you need to monitor its behavior. If the dog shudders, tightens its paws, it means that hypothermia has begun. In this case, you must return home. It should be remembered that often in winter, roads on the streets can be sprinkled with a mixture with the addition of chemicals, which is dangerous for dog paws. These substances will erode the pads and may cause cracks in them. After each walk, you need to wash your dog's paws.
Cats become calmer in winter, they sleep a lot, eat more, and therefore gain extra weight. During this period, you should not overfeed pets. Some cats can get cystitis - they warm themselves on a radiator, then sit on the windowsill under an open window. If the cat screams when trying to go to the toilet and the litter box remains dry, take the animal to a veterinarian.
Winter care for birds and rodents
Parrots can hardly stand the cold. If the cage is on a windowsill, it should be removed to a warm place. But do not put it near the heater - due to temperature changes, the parrot may catch a cold. If the house is cold, you can cover the cage with a blanket, while leaving one side open.
Rodents are very sensitive to cold and drafts. The room should not be overcooled and the cage should not be placed in a draft. If for some reason it is cold in the apartment, you need to insulate the cage by covering it with an old blanket (do not forget that the rodent can drag the blanket into the cage and gnaw it). It is imperative to leave a path for air to enter.
Features of caring for an aquarium in winter
In fish, body temperature depends on the water in the aquarium. It is necessary to monitor the temperature regime in the cold season. A special heater can be used to make the water temperature in the aquarium comfortable for the fish. It is necessary to periodically check it for serviceability. If the water temperature drops sharply, the fish can get sick and die. The size of the aquarium plays an important role. If for some reason the heater turns off, a large aquarium will keep warm longer. You also need to monitor the plants in the aquarium. They produce oxygen in the light. In winter, the day becomes shorter, there is less oxygen, and more carbon dioxide due to the lack of light. Therefore, in winter, the aquarium needs additional light for up to twelve hours a day.
If there are pets in the house, do not forget that in the cold season they will need additional care and special attention from the owners.
