8 Winter Pet-Safety Tips for Dogs and Cats

(Fur) baby, it’s cold outside. And to help keep our dogs and cats warm, comfortable, and healthy this winter, Chewy Pet Health Representatives Leslie Gillette, DVM, and Stephanie Howe, DVM, share eight winter pet-safety tips.

In particularly frigid climates, it’s best to keep your pup out of the cold and keep them warm inside your home. But how cold is too cold for dogs and cats? Typically, if it’s too cold for you to be outside in your winter wear, then it’s probably too cold for your pet to be outdoors for more than a few minutes.

Generally, pet parents should limit their pet’s time outdoors when the temperature hits below 35 degrees F for dogs or below 45 degrees F for cats. And when the weather reaches freezing temperatures—32 degrees F or below—pets would be better off indoors.

A couple of cold-weather safety concerns to especially watch out for include:

• Hypothermia: Hypothermia can happen when pets are exposed to extreme cold for an extended period, especially if their fur and skin remain wet in the cold. Signs of hypothermia in dogs and cats include paleness, shivering, and lethargy. Consult your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet is experiencing hypothermia.
• Frostbite: Frostbite freezes and kills the skin cells, and most commonly affects the paws, nose, ear tips, and tail of dogs and cats after exposure to extreme cold conditions. The skin often appears pale, bluish-white, or gray and feels significantly colder and firmer than surrounding skin to the touch. Bring your pet to the vet immediately.

Here are some ways to keep your pet warm in wintertime:

• Bring them indoors when the temperature reaches 35 degrees F and below.
• Dress them in insulated winter coats and water-resistant booties/shoes during outdoor potty breaks and walks.
• Keep walks short once the temperature dips below 32 degrees F. You can, however, keep your walks to a normal length when temperatures are in the 40s and 50s.
• Use self-warming pads indoors. With self-warming pads, the pet’s own body heat is reflected back, conserving that warmth. No external power required!

It’s one of the most common problems in the winter for both pets and their parents: dry, itchy skin.

Not only is dry skin downright uncomfortable, but for pets, it can also lead to excessive scratching, excessive licking, and inflammation.

So, how do you alleviate and soothe your pet’s dry winter skin?

• Use an oatmeal- or aloe-based shampoo the next time you give your pet a comfortably warm bath, Dr. Howe says. Burt’s Bees® Oatmeal Shampoo is a good option, while the Zesty Paws® Itch-Soother™ Dog Shampoo contains both oatmeal and aloe vera. Don’t bathe your pet too often, though. Most dogs only need a bath every month or two, while only a few types of cats need regular baths (hairless cats, long-haired cats and cats who can’t groom themselves).
• Use a humidifier in your home. When it’s cold out, we naturally turn on the heater. But what you may not realize is, when you do, it takes moisture out of the air, leading to a drier environment that can irritate a pet’s skin. Humidifiers add water back into the air.
• Turn to supplements that contain omega-3 fatty acids, like EicosaDerm® Omega 3 Liquid. Adding omega-3 fatty acids to your pet’s diet promotes a healthy coat and skin, and a healthier coat and skin may acclimate better to the changing climate. “Utilizing [supplements] targeted to skin health can help keep your pet’s skin and coat healthy during dry weather,” Dr. Howe says.

Harsh winter weather can cause pets’ noses to become cracked, chapped, and calloused.

To protect and treat this area, use balms, like Dermoscent Bio Balm® for dogs or Bag Balm® for dogs and cats. Once applied, the balm relieves discomfort by moisturizing dry, damaged skin. Plus, it forms a protective layer from the harsh elements.

“Think of it like ChapStick® for dry, cracked lips,” Dr. Howe says.

Live in an area where it snows and the ground turns into an icy slip-and-slide? Protect your dog’s feet on your daily walks with booties.

More than a cute accessory, booties can help prevent frostbite. And while frostbite is not super common in pets, it can happen—so, better to be proactive.

Plus, booties act as a barrier between your dog’s paws and freshly salted walkways, as salt can be corrosive to a pet’s paws. (And if you do encounter any antifreeze or antifreeze spills, clean it up immediately; just one lick of the fluid can be fatal.)

Our favorite protective dog boots are:

If your dog gives those booties a hard pass (or you need more time to train your dog to wear the boots), take the following three steps:

1. Trim down paw hairs (especially on long-haired dogs) to prevent ice balls from forming between pads and toes.
2. Rub a wax product directly onto their paws. Musher’s Secret™ Paw Protection Dog Wax is a popular option among pet parents. It forms a breathable yet dense barrier that not only protects against the salt and cold but also helps with ice accumulation.
3. Wipe down your pup’s feet, legs, and belly when you return from your walk, just in case those areas picked up antifreeze, de-icers, or other toxic chemicals.

Pets need to eat more during colder months to:

• Maintain enough fatty tissue: “This acts as insulation for the internal organs,” says Dr. Gillette.
• Maintain their normal body temperature: Pets may need to consume more calories in cold months, particularly if they spend much time outdoors. “Adding an extra meal or increasing the portion size of each meal can help pets take in the calories they need to maintain weight and body warmth for the winter months,” Dr. Gillette says.

To help keep your pets’ appetite (and body heat) up in colder months, Dr. Gillette advises feeding pets a warm meal. (Heating up food helps enhance the aroma, making it more enticing.)

You can feed your pet a warm meal one of two ways:

• Warming up canned diets
• Adding warm water to dry food

If your pet isn’t eating enough during the winter, talk to your veterinarian about possible next steps.

Live in a warmer climate and spend more time outdoors with your dog during winter? Consider boosting your dog’s diet with additional healthy calories to help them maintain a good weight or body condition score.

“Dogs [who] live in the South are actually more likely to be energetic and will have an increase in activity because of cooler temperatures,” Dr. Howe says.

Dehydration? In the winter? Yes!

With winter’s dry weather and lower humidity, pets can easily become dehydrated. And not only is winter dehydration just as dangerous as summer dehydration, but it also looks very similar. 

The common signs of dehydration are:

• Sleeping more
• Lethargy
• Tenting of the skin
• Sticky gums
• Sunken eyes
• Vomiting

To help keep your pet hydrated:

• Keep your pet’s water bowl filled with plenty of fresh water.
• Add water or low salt broth to your pet’s dry food.
• Consider getting a water fountain, which can help entice your pet to drink more.

When the weather is below freezing (32 degrees F), keep your pet indoors, especially if they have respiratory issues, like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“Pets with respiratory conditions may experience increased breathing difficulties if left outdoors for prolonged periods of time due to constriction of the airways in response to inspiration of frigid air,” Dr. Gillette explains.

Let them ride out the cold weather indoors with a plush, heated bed, like the K&H Pet Products® Thermo-Snuggly Sleeper Bolster Bed. This electric-heated bed has soft foam walls that’ll cradle your pet—as well as a removable cover and pillow for easy cleaning.

During the winter months, one of the common issues cats and dogs face due to cold weather is occasional joint stiffness, Dr. Howe says. Atmospheric pressures may play a role in causing joints to expand and stretch tissues in our pets, she adds. Supplements can help maintain healthy joint fluid viscosity.

Dr. Howe recommends pet supplements that contain glucosamine, chondroitin, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), and green-lipped mussel. They help enhance the functions of joint and connective tissue, helping to maintain cartilage, mobility, and more.

Vetoquinol® Flexadin® Advanced with UCII® joint supplement chews for dogs and cats, for example, contains glucosamine and chondroitin.

Joint supplements containing these ingredients can be helpful to maintain healthy joints and flexibility in most pets, including geriatric pets or those with a previous orthopedic injury, explains Dr. Gillette.

Check with your vet before giving your pet supplements.

Oh, and one more important pet-safety tip? Regardless of the season, always keep your furry friend’s microchip and ID tag up to date. It’s the best way to keep track of your pet should they become lost.

This content was medically reviewed by Chewy vets.