Many people adore these high-energy hunting dogs. However, since Vizslas have a thin coat, people often wonder if they need coats in the winter.
Do Vizslas need coats in the winter? Yes, Vizslas have a very thin coat and find it difficult to tolerate the cold. Excessive exposure to cold can cause health problems. However, with proper exercise, a balanced diet, a coat, and other tricks and tips, Vizslas can withstand the cold.
Since excessive exposure to cold can lead to potential problems, it’s important for responsible owners to be aware of their dog’s cold tolerance.
Will Vizslas feel cold if they don’t have coats on during the winter?
Since Vizslas have a thin coat, they can feel the cold more than other long-haired dogs. But if they have many activities to get involved in such as hunting, playing, exercising, they will be okay.
Like humans, The Vizslas have abilities to tolerate the cold up to some degree. But the matter is each dog has different strengths to withstand the cold.
So, you need to be a little bit mindful when your Vizsla is outside during the winter. No matter what we say, if the outside is freezing, keep your Vizsla inside and put him a nice coat. Or else, you will see your Vizsla start to shiver as the temperature drops.
Important: Don’t bother to build a dog house. Instead, give him/her some space inside the house. Because it doesn’t matter how comfortable the dog house is. If the outside is freezing, most likely, the dog house will also be freezing. Watch the video below of a small experiment by Dr. Ernie Ward to verify what I said.
How do you feel now? I think now you have a good idea of what I said. This experiment shows how much trouble dogs face when sleeping in dog houses during the winter. So think about this as a good human being and as well as a responsible owner.
Moreover, dog boots also would help your Vizsla to withstand the cold. So it would be appreciable and a good sign of humanity. Why? There is a fair reason for that.
Look at their paws carefully and you will find that vizslas have webbed feet. What does it mean? Basically, it is a thin membrane between their toes. It helps them in a lot of ways.
When they play and walk around through the snow, the snow can get into their webbed feet. Believe me, it’s excruciating for them. That’s why vizslas need protective booties too.
They can feel cold inside the house as well.
Do not misunderstand. Your Vizsla can feel cold even at home. So, It is recommended to provide coats for Vizslas when they are inside the house during the winter. Moreover, it’s important to be concerned about his sleeping area or place. If he sleeps on the floor, it can lead to bad health situations because the floor is freezing during the winter.
Do vizslas like cold weather? Can Vizslas survive the cold without coats during the winter?
To be honest, Most Vizslas don’t even think about the cold. Because they are too high-energy dogs, and they love to play and exercise even during the winter.
But the matter is the freezing temperature can be slightly risky for these short-haired dogs. I know Vizslas are incredibly playful, but you have to care about loads of things.
If you wanna do some outside tasks with your Vizsla during the winter, put him on a nice coat and dog booties. Suppose you used to hunt with your Vizsla, then they may be exposed to,
- Colder temperature
- Rain
- Mud
- Standing water.
These things can badly affect the health of your Vizsla, so don’t forget to put
- protective dog booties
- Waterproof vest
Moreover, Vizslas love swimming but don’t take them during the winter for swimming activities. Because it can lead them to occur some critical health issues.
Important: Consult a licensed veterinarian in your area to check their health status during freezing cold seasons.
But the problem is these active dogs cannot stay inside homes for a long time without engaging with any kind of strenuous activity. Because Vizslas are high-energy dogs, and they require proper daily exercise.
But can we simply leave them in the houses during the winter without giving any exercise? Nope! If you do that, it can lead occur so many physical and mental issues.
Which exercises can vizslas do in the winter season?
As we discussed before, Vizslas have a vast amount of energy in their body. They require strenuous exercises on a daily basis. So staying inside without any exercise can lead to anxiety situations.
Since they have endless energy, Keeping them inside during the winter is not an option. But the fact of the matter is if they engage with outside activities during the winter, they can easily burn loads of energy more than a normal day.
As I always remind you throughout this article, putting coats and protective booties to the Vizslas will be so much helpful when engaging with outside activities.
When you hang out with your Vizsla for a walk or something else during the winter, look at his body signs, whether he is getting frostbite or cold. Remember, guys, it’s so crucial because these obstinate dogs usually won’t stop until it’s too late.
When vizslas are protected with coats and booties, you can go with them for regular walks, hiking, cycling, off-leash runs, etc, during the winter. But I strongly suggest you consult a veterinarian. Because we don’t know precisely what the health status of your Vizsla is.
As I mentioned above, they don’t need exercise as much as a summer day. If you are warking 9-5, giving exercises can be a little bit difficult. So I suggest you read “can vizslas be left alone“ to get a piece of extra knowledge.
What can you do to keep your Vizsla warm during the winter?
Putting coats on Vizslas even inside the houses also helps to withstand the cold during the winter. In fact, Pay a little more attention to their sleeping area and try to figure out what you can improve or possibly provide.
Heating pads
Moreover, you can set up heating pads (click to buy from chewy) to their sleeping area. Then they can sleep comfortably and warmly without worrying about the cold.
Important: When you are connecting the heating pad, be careful, and make sure there is no current leak or some kind of other problem.
Heated dog beds
Here the heated dog beds work the exact same way as heating pads do. But it was manufactured by inserting heating pads into the bed. So your Vizsla can have a comfortable sleep with the heating bed and a nice coat.
keep a thick blanket.
You can provide a thick blanket to your dog to his/her sleeping area. Often Vizslas tend to burrow. They can have a comfortable sleep with thick blankets.
But make sure to wash these blankets regularly. Otherwise, there might be some potential health issues.
Think about their diet
This is very crucial, and you have to be mindful when it comes to choosing the right diet for your Vizsla. Get the instruction from a Vet or pet Nutrition Specialist and follow the instructions.
Things to consider
There are loads of things to consider to protect your Vizsla from the cold during the winter. We will go ahead and understand what they are.
- Don’t ever let your Vizsla to sleep on the floor during the winter, even with a coat.
- Stick with a suitable exercise routine, but don’t forget to put them on safety wearing to survive from the cold.
- Know that Vizslas also have a limit for their energy. So, Be sure to give the amount of exercise recommended by your trainer or veterinarian.
- Do not let them to be exposed to the freezing temperature for long periods of time. Know that the time Vizslas can survive during the winter is way less when compared with a normal day.
CONCLUSION
Most people love vizslas. But there is a good problem among vizsla lovers. “Do vizslas need coats in winter?” as they have a thin coat, that a pretty reasonable question. So this article is an in-depth review of this problem. You can see a little overview of it below.
- Introduction
- Do vizslas feel the cold?
- Do vizslas like cold weather?
- Which exercises can vizslas do in the winter season?
- What can you do to keep your Vizsla warm during the winter?
- Things to consider
