Winter Pet Tips

Except for outdoor pets, most pets spend much of the time during the winter months indoors.  It is important that your pet stays groomed and cleaned regularly even though they may not appear as dirty.  Their skin will continue to produce dander and oils which can build up.  The accumulation of dander can cause family members with allergies or asthma to be uncomfortable.  Pets that have allergies or are prone to skin conditions may also suffer when dander is left to accumulate. While your pet may not need a haircut, regular bathing is important to keep the pets skin and coat clean, healthy, and odor free.

PJ Noah PetSalon in addition to the bath packages, offer “Essential Spa Treatments”. Our Exhilarating Tea Tree Treatment is great for pets that have skin conditions such as yeast. This treatment is wonderful for certain breeds that tend to have extra oily coats and get a musky odor when they are dirty such as Shepard’s and Chow Chows.   After their treatment their skin and coat will smell and feel great, and everyone can snuggle with them and love them even more!

Most think that the winter months insure that you no longer must worry about your pet getting fleas.  And although it is true that fleas go dormant when it is cold and dry, if the weather changes suddenly to warm then your pet will possibly pick up fleas.  Other considerations, it may be cold outside, but the inside of the house is usually kept warm and can become humid.  This creates the perfect flea environment.  The Tea Tree Treatment is PJNPS’s botanical solution for flea bite dermatitis and pets with fleas.  Our expert stylist will be able happy to help you with other flea control solutions for flea problems in your home.

The winter months are not only cold but can be very drying on your pet’s skin and coat.  And just like our skin if your pet’s skin is dry, it can become itchy.  Why not treat your pet with our luxurious “Awapoochi Treatment”?  Your pet’s skin and coat will be left feeling soft and silky as Awapoochi nourishes, replenishes, and soothes your pet.

Winter months can be particularly challenging for young active dogs and puppies due to the inclement weather limiting their outdoor play activity time.  Make sure to have plenty of toys to choose from to keep them busy so they will not be destructive in the house. It is a clever idea to have a toy box and only put 5 or so out and every few days switch to others.  Rotating toys helps prevent boredom and keeps an active pet stimulated.

Winter is typically the time of year that your pet may naturally become less active and their body will naturally want to store fat reserves.  It is important that you always monitor your pet so that they maintain a healthy weight. For outdoor dogs a little extra weight will help keep them warm during the winter months but be careful not to overdue.  You can ask your veterinarian what weight your dog should be for his breed type.  Age, breed, and activity are always taken in consideration when regulating diet.

The wintry weather conditions can affect older pets that have arthritis and other orthopedic conditions making their movement stiff and uncomfortable, especially in the morning.  It is important that older pets have plenty of blankets, so they can stay warm, even if they live inside.   Outdoor pets or pets that sleep in the garage need to have plenty of clean warm bedding available so that they can keep warm especially at night.  If you keep your pet shaved down for the summer hopefully his coat has grown back. The pets coat provides naturally insulation during the winter.  If the coat is has not grown back, make sure that in addition to keeping the pet inside, provide warm bedding, and have your pet wear a sweater or sweat shirt when they do need to go outside.

Holiday Tips:

Holidays are an exciting time of year for both your family and your pet.  The coming and going, hectic schedules  decorations, celebrations and more.  For pets there are a few holiday hazards that you will need to remember in order to keep your pet safe, healthy, and happy.  Chocolate becomes popular from October through the winter holidays which if ingested can be highly toxic and in large amounts fatal to your pet.  Make sure to always keep chocolate of any type as well as other candy out of the reach of your pets.  Mistle -Toe, Poinsettia’s, Crab Apples, Nuts, Turkey, as well as, Tinsel, Angel Hair, Holiday Lights, Ornaments, and gift packages, ribbon, etc. are particularly attractive to curious young pets and if ingested all can cause serious life-threatening health issues for any age pet.  So make sure to keep your pet safe.

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