Your dog's snow vacation

Dangers and precautions for a successful snow vacation in the mountains with your dog.

During the winter vacations, many owners head off to the mountains for a snow vacation with their dog. To ensure maximum enjoyment and avoid worries, certain precautions need to be taken:

- Don't forget that walking in deep, loose snow is very tiring, and if the dog isn't used to it, he can quickly become exhausted. So don't hike with sealskins or snowshoes unless your dog is trained for this kind of exercise.

- When walking for long periods on snowy paths, you should also bear in mind that your dog's paw pads, which are more accustomed to asphalt or earth, can be attacked by the snow and especially by the salt, which is sometimes spread generously. You can minimize the harmful effects by protecting your dog's paws with Vaseline, milking grease or a special paw pad ointment before going out, and then washing them with lukewarm water before drying them thoroughly. It's also important to remember that on sunny days, the snow can be intensely reflective. A supply of drinking water will be very welcome!

- When sliding on skis or sleds, we sometimes forget that our speed is important on slippery ground. So it's always a good idea to make sure your dog is sufficiently trained (cardio-pulmonary and muscular) for this sport, so that he can follow without danger.

- The final danger can come from the sharp edges of skis or snowboards. These two sports are often incompatible with walking your dog. Cuts, particularly to the paws of dogs who have got too close to the slats, are common and usually bleed a lot. They often require immediate suturing by a veterinarian. What's more, the presence of pets on ski slopes is generally forbidden.

- Some dogs also enjoy eating snow. Large quantities of snow can cause vomiting. They should not be allowed to do this.

- Dogs suffering from severe rheumatism or those whose coats are not very warm (e.g. poodles) can wear a coat to protect them from the cold.

If you take a few precautions, your dog should have a fantastic vacation, because as a rule, most of them love to roll around in the fresh snow, play in it or jump around in it, or even try to gobble up every falling flake... !