Winter is coming. Have you "winterized" your cat dog and horse?
It's important to think about how to keep them healthy and warm during the winter months.
What needs to change for them as the cold weather comes? How do we protect their insides and their outsides?
Outside In Tips
Obviously, as the weather gets cold, we need to be conscious of our animal's physical warmth.
* Don't walk them or leave them out as long. Be aware that they are bare footed and ice, snow or just frozen ground is not terribly inviting and can be downright painful, unless you're a northern breed with a nice think coat and feet designed for cold climes.
For huskies, malamutes, Samoyed's, spitzes, chows...cool and cold weather is their favorite time of year! But if your dog is small and/or short-coated, be sure they are not left outside unless you have heated beds or dog houses.
* Some dogs love sweaters and coats, but be sure to take them off inside unless the house is kept cold, especially if you turn the heat down when you go to work.
* Cats are not cold-loving beings. Keep them indoors. Smart cats will always seek out the best sunny windows, spots by the fire and rugs closest to the heating vents!
* Horses, donkeys, especially young ones, ill ones and elders, may need blankets, and will need shelter to go into when there's wind, snow, ice and cold.
* Be sure outside water doesn't freeze and remember, eating cold foods disturbs digestion.
Inside Out Tips
Speaking of cold water, cold food and water tend to negatively effect or shut down digestion. in Holistic, Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, drinking ice water or other cold drinks are strongly discouraged. The same goes for our animals.
* Never feed your beloveds cold food right out of the frig. I always boil a little water and mix it into cold canned or raw food. It helps the food smell more appetizing, feels better going down and digests better. Better digestion = better absorption = better nutrition.
* Give them room temperature water, not cold. Never leave dogs outside without available water. If the water in their bowl might freeze, don't leave the dogs out!
Warming Foods
In Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, food is critical to balance and healing. In Chinese medicine there are cooling meats, warming meats and neutral meats, as well as herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables that are either warm, cold or neutral. Correctly chosen, these foods provide the foundation for healing every condition or disease.
Winter is the time for warming or neutral foods for our beloveds, as busy bodies need more calories to keep warm.
* Look to healthy fats (butter, chicken, ghee, goats milk) and meats like chicken, pheasant, lamb, venison and ham to warm them. Turkey sometimes appears as warming and sometimes not, since it's not native to China.
* Beef, pork, bison, salmon, tuna, wild rabbit are neutral. Cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples are also neutral.
* Pumpkin, squash, asparagus are warming.
* Fall squashes like pumpkin, acorn, spaghetti, etc. are also designed by Nature to help those who consume them put on fat for the winter, so use sparingly if your dog or cat is overweight.
* Beef, pork, bison, salmon, tuna, wild rabbit are neutral. Cabbage, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples are also neutral.
NOTE: Please be mindful of your animal's health and constitution. If your animal is experiencing inflammation, hot spots, dry, itchy skin, you DO NOT want to add warming foods as they will add more heat to an already "overheated" body.
Learn more about how to re-balance them ASAP. Get with a vet trained in holistic modalities for optimal results. Click on and check out the Holistic Vet List if you need to find one in your state.
For more on Chinese medicine for dogs and cats, my favorite source is DVM Cheryl Schwartz's book, Four Paws, Five Directions. For more on western herbs, see my article, "Safe Herbs for Dogs and Cats."
Enjoy the last days of autumn, eat and feed your beloveds with the season and stay warm!