Kuri K9 Massage
  • Home
    • COVID-19 Safety
    • Blog Posts
    • Hydrotherapy Wraps for Dogs
    • Home Care
    • Freemiums
  • Why Pet Massage?
    • Types of Massage
    • Related Treatments
    • Precautions, Informed Consent
    • Massages for Cats, too!
    • Fitness Programs
  • Praise from Clients
    • More About Me
  • Reiki
  • Book Now!
    • Book your appointment
    • Services, Fees, and How it Works
Picture

Keeping your dog (or cat!) occupied and exercised indoors when it's just too cold to go outside...

2/25/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Let’s talk about how cold it’s been over the past month. And snowy. So. Much. Snow.
 
I don’t know how much better (or worse?!) February is going to be this year, but I can tell you one thing—my wee Chihuahua, Raxl, is going to be spending most of this month the way she has spent January—inside.
 
That has meant getting creative with keeping my little dogger stimulated, not to mention making sure she gets enough exercise. I doubt I’m the only one experiencing this dilemma. Even if you are able to take your dog out, it may not be possible every day, or perhaps not as many times or for as long as you normally would. So, your poor pup may be going a little stir crazy…and then passing the crazy on to you. Let’s take a minute to talk about things to do with your dog indoors…to keep them occupied and exercised!
 
First things first, though. How cold is too cold? There are a few things that factor into this—body weight (the less fat and fur, the quicker your dog gets cold). Larger dogs can also handle a little more cold than the little guys. And if your dog is a senior, the cold is much harder on them (think arthritis and other joint issues being aggravated).
 
If you’ve got a Siberian Husky or a Samoyed, with a thick, double-layered coat, they can tolerate much colder temperatures. If you’ve got a breed with a thin coat, like a greyhound or a pit bull, they don’t tolerate the cold nearly so well. And let’s not forget that there may be a windchill factor to consider.
 
Generally speaking, if you have a small dog, 7 degrees Celsius (or 45 Fahrenheit, if you prefer) is still pretty safe. -1 to 4.5 Celsius (30-40 Fahrenheit) is potentially unsafe, depending on the breed (Are they a Northern breed? What is the length of their coat?). -4 Celsius (25 Fahrenheit) is dipping into dangerous weather for the little guys, and -6 and lower Celsius (20 and lower Fahrenheit) is potentially life threatening.
 
Medium dogs would be given similar consideration as small dogs, but they can often tolerate slightly more cold. Large dogs do best in the cold compared with the other sizes, but at 1.5 to -6 Celsius (20-35 Fahrenheit) you need to keep an eye on them, and once you’ve hit -9/-10 Celsius (15 Fahrenheit), it’s getting dangerous for most breeds.
 
If you notice weakness, shivering, trouble breathing, whining, slowing down, looking for warm places to burrow, your dog may be experiencing hypothermia.
 
Getting back to keeping those pupsters indoors…this can be a challenging time of year! All that pent-up energy—whether they’re simply on a reduced outdoor walk and park playtime schedule or if they’re trapped indoors full-time. What can you do to keep them occupied? Here are a few ideas:

Read More
0 Comments

    Author

    Regan is a certified Canine Massage Therapist (CCMT), has certification in First Aid and CPR for Pets, and some beginner training in Herbal Remedies and Aromatherapy for personal use.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
    • COVID-19 Safety
    • Blog Posts
    • Hydrotherapy Wraps for Dogs
    • Home Care
    • Freemiums
  • Why Pet Massage?
    • Types of Massage
    • Related Treatments
    • Precautions, Informed Consent
    • Massages for Cats, too!
    • Fitness Programs
  • Praise from Clients
    • More About Me
  • Reiki
  • Book Now!
    • Book your appointment
    • Services, Fees, and How it Works