{"id":935,"date":"2012-12-28T17:55:04","date_gmt":"2012-12-28T17:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/?p=935"},"modified":"2014-01-13T20:37:55","modified_gmt":"2014-01-13T20:37:55","slug":"skin-and-paw-care-tips-for-the-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/skin-and-paw-care-tips-for-the-winter","title":{"rendered":"Skin and Paw Care Tips For The Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Now is the time to visit the mountains and go skiing or take a trip to the snow with your family. If you are bringing your dog with you, please keep these winter tips from the ASPCA in mind.<\/h3>\n<p>Exposure  to winter\u2019s dry, cold air and chilly rain, sleet and snow can cause  chapped paws and itchy, flaking skin, but these aren\u2019t the only  discomforts pets can suffer. Winter walks can become downright dangerous  if chemicals from ice-melting agents are licked off of bare paws.<\/p>\n<p>Says  Dr. Louise Murray, ASPCA Director of Medicine, \u201cDuring the winter,  products used as de-icers on sidewalks and other areas can lead to  trouble for our animal companions, potentially causing problems ranging  from sore feet to internal toxicity. Pet parents should take precautions  to minimize their furry friends&#8217; exposure to such agents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To  help prevent <em><strong>cold weather dangers<\/strong><\/em> from affecting your pet\u2019s paws and  skin, please heed the following advice from our experts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Repeatedly  coming out of the cold into the dry heat can cause itchy, flaking skin.  Keep your home humidified and towel dry your pet as soon as he comes  inside, paying special attention to his feet and in between the toes.<\/li>\n<li>Trim  long-haired dogs to minimize the clinging of ice balls, salt crystals  and de-icing chemicals that can dry on the skin. (Don\u2019t neglect the hair  between the toes!)<\/li>\n<li>Bring a towel on long walks to  clean off stinging, irritated paws. After each walk, wash and dry your  pet\u2019s feet to remove ice, salt and chemicals\u2014and check for cracks in paw  pads or redness between the toes.<\/li>\n<li>Bathe your pets as  little as possible during cold spells. Washing too often can remove  essential oils and increase the chance of developing dry, flaky skin. If  your pooch must be bathed, ask your vet to recommend a moisturizing  shampoo and\/or rinse.<\/li>\n<li>Dressing your pet in a sweater or coat will help to retain body heat and prevent skin from getting dry.<\/li>\n<li>Booties  help minimize contact with painful salt crystals, poisonous anti-freeze  and chemical ice-melting agents. They can also help prevent sand and  salt from getting lodged in between bare toes, causing irritation. Use  pet-friendly ice melts whenever possible.<\/li>\n<li>Massaging  petroleum jelly into paw pads before going outside helps to protect from  salt and chemical agents. And moisturizing after a good toweling off  helps to heal chapped paws.<\/li>\n<li>Brushing your pet regularly  not only gets rid of dead hair, but also stimulates blood circulation,  improving the skin\u2019s overall condition.<\/li>\n<li>Pets burn extra  energy by trying to stay warm in wintertime, sometimes causing  dehydration. Feeding your pet a little bit more during the cold weather  and making sure she has plenty of water to drink will help to keep her  well-hydrated, and her skin less dry.<\/li>\n<li>Remember, if the  weather\u2019s too cold for you, it\u2019s probably too cold for your pet. Animal  companions should remain indoors as much as possible during the winter  months and never be left alone in vehicles when the mercury drops.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more information about pet care in winter, please read our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/pet-care-tips\/cold-weather-tips.aspx\">Top Ten Cold Weather Tips<\/a>. If you spot wounds or redness on your pet\u2019s feet, please contact your veterinarian immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Read more at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/pet-care-tips\/top-ten-winter-skin-paw-care-tips\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/pet-care-tips\/top-ten-winter-skin-paw-care-tips<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now is the time to visit the mountains and go skiing or take a trip to the snow with your family. If you are bringing your dog with you, please keep these winter tips from the ASPCA in mind. Exposure to winter\u2019s dry, cold air and chilly rain, sleet and snow can cause chapped paws [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12,3,5],"tags":[229,17,69,500,19,24,25,38,501,502,503,20,65],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=935"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":937,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/935\/revisions\/937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cleartheair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}