Maltipoo Winter Care

Every season is different when caring for your Maltipoo. The bitter, cold winter is the most important time of year to take some extra care to help your Maltipoo adjust to the new weather. In this article I am going to give you some tips for helping you furry friend to have a safe, healthy and warm winter.

Maintain Moisture levels in the air.

The air is much more dry during the winter because cold air holds much less moisture than warm air. When you turn your heater on it can make the air even more dry. This can cause puppies to suffer the effects of arid air throughout the winter. The effects include sensitive itchy skin, irritated eyes, and increased snoring or coughing due to dry nasal and breathing passages.

So what can you do to keep the moisture levels up? There are plenty of DIY tricks and tips that you can use, but keep in mind that they may not be effective enough to see noticeable results. A couple of things you can try are leaving bowls of water out, especially over heating elements, keep the bathroom door open when showering, and add houseplants

Humidifiers are one of the best ways to add moisture to dry air. If you can’t obtain enough moisture to cover your entire house, at least place one next to your Maltipoo’s sleeping area.

Protect your Maltipoo’s paws

Your Maltipoo’s paws can become overly dry from walking on cold surfaces during the winter time. Snowballing can happen when bits of snow melt between the toes due to warm body heat and then refreezing into ice. This may stretch out the skin and make it very uncomfortable for your Maltipoo. There is often a loss of traction due to slippery surfaces as well. Another issue is chemical burns from de-icing products like salt or wear on the paws due to gritty road sand.

If you Maltipoo has an issue with dry paws, it could potentially lead to bigger problems like peeling and cracking which is hard to heal due to daily contact with the ground.

The most important part of winter care for your Maltipoo is applying a quality paw wax and it should be massaged into the paws once every two weeks. This is also good to use all year long. It adds a barrier to help protect from hot surfaces and also works well at repelling allergens and irritants.

Protect Your Maltipoo’s Nose

We all know the feeling of chapped lips. It is painful and uncomfortable. Dogs can get chapped noses and it’s just as bad. The dogs nose is very vulnerable to this because they lick their nose hundreds of times per day sometimes. Usually they are quick flicks that owners never really notice, but the nose holds the moisture from saliva and when a dog goes outside, cold air and winds can cause the nose to chap.

If a Maltipoo develops a chapped nose during the winter, this can lead to peeling and even cracking which leaves it open to possible infection.

To keep your Maltipoo’s nose in good shape during the winter, use a nose balm or butter. The best time to start applying this is in the fall as a prevention method before any chapping develops. This said, if your Maltipoo’s nose is already chapped, overly dry, peeling, or has minor to moderate cracking, a good balm can help clear up these issues.

I would suggest using an organic, fragrance free balm that contains a blend of shea butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, hempseed oil, Fukui nut oil, jojoba oil, chamomile, rosemary and natural Vitamin E. To protect a healthy nose during the winter, apply this once per week. To take care of nose cracking or chapping, apply it two to three times per day.

Protect your Maltipoo’s Skin and Coat

You may have noticed that your hair becomes more dry during the winter. The same thing happens to Maltipoos as well because they have hair instead of fur. It is a combination of the cold, dry air and the manufactured heat that plays a role in drawing moisture out of the hair. Your Maltipoo can develop dry patches with or without flaking. Sometimes the hair follicles can even become damaged, leading to hair loss. The dry skin can be very itchy and irritating for you puppy.

Keeping humidity levels up in the house as mentioned above can help out, but you will want to do a couple of other things to stop your Maltipoo’s skin and coat from drying out.

1) Use a quality shampoo and conditioner every 3 weeks. Since dogs tend to stay indoors more during the winter, owners may give baths less often. Baths should not just be given to wash off dirt and debris, but they can be used as an opportunity to thoroughly soak your Maltipoo’s body in something that will promote a healthy skin and coat.

If you use a harsh product, you can actually do more harm than good during a bath. Dog shampoos that don’t have the right PH can be hard on a dog’s skin. Many pet shampoos are formulated incorrectly for dogs since they usually base their product on human shampoos as a way to save money. They are usually close to a level 5 PH, but what dogs really need is something in the 6.5-7.5 PH range.

Generic shampoos often contain ingredients that can cause allergies or skin reactions and in some cases, are even linked to causing serious health conditions. Sulfates (ammonium laureate sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate) paragons, sodium chloride, polyethylene glycols, and artificial dyes or perfumes are found in many dog coat products.

I would recommend you use an all natural product when washing your Maltipoo. There are 100% all natural formulas with ingredients like coconut and contain blends of soothing and restorative ingredients. These natural ingredients are an excellent choice to prevent or heal dry winter skin.

2) Use a coat spray. A leave-in coat spray works around the clock to offer many benefits. It will help the coat repel dirt and debris, and irritants and will help lock in moisture to prevent dry air, it also adds shine, creates a softer texture, and prevents tangles for dogs with longer coats and will help your Maltipoo smell great.

Use the spray 2-3 times per week, but a light mist can be used daily. This can be done while brushing your puppy or can be sprayed on and rubbed throughout the coat by hand.

3) If your Maltipoo has very itchy areas or you’re late to the game and winter has been brutal to your dog’s skin, you might want to use a topical product to help resolve the issue.

For itchy areas, a natural spray can offer fast relief. This is an all natural topical spray with two of the most effective ingredients for itchiness. This can be used every 3-4 hours, or just as needed, and be sure the last application for the day is when your little guy or gal is just about ready to go to sleep.

Keep your Maltipoo Active while staying warm

One of the biggest challenges during the winter is keeping a dog active when the outdoor weather is brutal and makes you both want to stay inside. It certainly does’t help that the Maltipoo has a fine coat of hair as opposed to thick fur like with many other dog breeds.

Getting regular exercise is vital for a dog to maintain good physical health and will help them stay emotionally healthy since being cooped up inside for too long can lead to restless behavior. Additionally, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which is a certain type of depression triggered by much shorter days in the winter, can affect dogs as well. Spending some time outside can help counter this.

Unless there is an active snowstorm or otherwise dangerous weather, try to stick with regular scheduled walks with your Maltipoo. You should spend a minimum of 20 minutes and at a pace that is brisk for your dog.

The best method to help a dog tolerate the cold is by using a warm vest that is lined and helps keep the core body warm. Some of them have fleece lining and windproof and water resistant outer layer. Once you have your Maltipoo bundled up, don’t forget about yourself. Often, owners want to rush back inside before dogs do.

On very cold days with temperatures below freezing it is important to set aside 20 minutes for indoor fetch or something to encourage your Maltipoo to be more active. A couple of options could be hiding treats around the house or playing hide and seek with them.

Plan ahead for bathroom needs

1) Choose a closer, sheltered location if possible. A spot near bushes or a fence may have less snow than other areas. An overhang or outdoor umbrella would be even better.

2) Keep the area shoveled. You might be exhausted after finishing your driveway, but it’s a lot easier to shovel right after a snowfall than it is after the snow has been compacted.

3) Set up alternative indoor bathroom area in another room. If your Maltipoo is in training or is trained to go outside you might want to stick with a method of leading your dog to a designated area, stay to supervise and give praise and reward once the deed is done. This ensures that when it is eventually spring, your dog’s understanding of the rules are set.

If you choose this method, it is best to set up a spot like a garage or four-season porch area. You can place down pee pads or use a grass mat which mimics what your dog is used to outside.

4) You can also use pee pads in your Maltipoo’s normal resting area. This works of you already have a set-up for your dog for times when you are away from home. You can lead your Maltipoo to the pee pads to use the bathroom, and keep the door closed when you are not there to supervise so that pee pads are used by default.