As the winter months approach and the temperature drops, you may be wondering if you need to make changes to your pet’s diet. The amount of food you need to feed your pet depends on factors such as exercise and housing.

So when it comes to the winter season, let's take a closer look at what all pet owners need to know when it comes to what to feed your dog, cat or rabbit in winter.

Should I Increase the Amount of Food I Feed My Pet in Winter?

Pet parents often think that their pet needs to be fed more during the winter months, but this isn’t always the case. Colder weather and less daylight hours can have an impact on the amount of exercise that your pet gets.

You may be less inclined to take your dog for their usual daily dog walks when it’s dark, cold or wet. Some cats continue their normal daily activities whereas others choose to stay indoors where it's nice and warm. Rabbits generally maintain their normal level of exercise. If your pet is getting less exercise, this means they’re burning less calories and therefore don’t need extra food during winter.

Housing is another important factor when considering a winter diet. If your pet is housed outside, they’ll be more exposed to any drop in temperature. When animals shiver, they burn calories which can lead to weight loss. Fur density and fat deposits help to keep animals warm.

Increase the amount you feed your pet during winter so that they get the extra calories they need to build fat deposits and keep them warm. It’s unlikely that you’ll need to increase your pet’s food if they live indoors but keep an eye out for any weight loss.

Always make sure your pet has access to fresh clean water. Outside water bowls or bottles are prone to freezing during winter, so check them regularly.

What to Feed Your Dog in Winter

You don’t need to drastically change your dog’s diet during winter. Continue to feed them their normal dog food but consider adding some extra items for health benefits.

Broccoli is a superfood! It’s high in fibre so aids digestion and is packed full of vitamins and minerals. It helps to fight inflammation and allergies, and is helpful for flushing out chemicals in the body. It’s best served steamed so that your dog can enjoy the whole tree (stem included) without needing to blend it.

Bone broth helps to support the immune systems as its rich in minerals. It also adds a nice warming and comforting aspect to their meal, like eating a healthy bowl of soup. Soak the dog kibble in the broth so it absorbs the liquid and softens the biscuits.

Coconut oil is also very helpful at keeping the body warm because it’s high in mono-unsaturated fats and medium chain fatty acids. You can add coconut oil to your dog’s food or give as a treat, but make sure it is raw, organic, cold-pressed and un-refined.

Cooked sweet potatoes and squash can be added for extra fibre, vitamins and minerals needed for immune support. But don’t give them too much. Add 1-4 tbsp (depending on the size of your dog) to their meal or give as a treat.

Oily fish are high in omega-3 and unsaturated fats, which are a great form of energy, help to improve skin quality, reduces joint inflammation and helps with mobility. Omega-3 is also great for cognitive and mental health.

What to Feed Your Cat in Winter

If your cat continues to venture outside during winter, you’ll need to increase the amount of calories they have to help keep them warm. They may love to hunt and might be lucky enough to catch something, but don't rely on this for extra calories.

You can continue to feed them their normal cat food, whether that’s dry biscuits, wet food or a mixture of both. There are other items of food that you can add for calories, energy, vitamins and minerals which will help to keep your cat healthy in winter.

Similar to dogs, you can soak cat kibble in 1-2 tbsp of bone broth for both comfort and immune system support. If you don’t already, try adding oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel or black cod to your cat’s diet. Most cats love fish and omega-3 in oily fish provides many health benefits.

Coconut oil can also be given to cats, but only in small amounts (¼-½ tsp daily). Your cat would also benefit from eating some broccoli, but they may reject it if it doesn’t take their fancy.

When adding any new foods to your cat’s diet, do so slowly to prevent any tummy upsets and to check for any reactions.

What to Feed Your Rabbit in Winter

You don’t need to make any changes to your rabbit’s diet during the colder months. Regardless of the time of year, a rabbit's diet should consist mostly of a good quality hay.

During winter, there will be less grass and leafy greens for them to forage for in your garden, which they need for a healthy balanced diet. Provide your rabbit with some leafy greens every day, like kale and spring greens. You could also plant some grass seed in trays to give to your rabbit.

Continue to feed your rabbit vegetables daily like celery and broccoli, but be mindful of quantities. It’s best to give them around midday when the temperature is at its highest to prevent the vegetables from freezing. Remove any frozen vegetables immediately as they're a choking hazard. Always wash your rabbit’s vegetables and greens, and don’t feed them any that have started to wilt or rot.”

You may also wish to feed your rabbit a commercial mix but be careful of selective feeding which leads to an unbalanced diet. Rabbits can survive and thrive year-round on a diet of grass, hay, vegetables and leafy greens.

Making sure your pet has the right number of calories during winter will help to keep them warm, prevent weight loss and help protect them against illness. A good diet will strengthen their immune system and help them to fight off those winter bugs. When adding new foods to your pet’s diet, make sure you do so slowly. These foods can be continued year-round for the added health benefits but remember to keep any eye or your pet's weight. 

Everypaw Pet Insurance

Everypaw's Pet Insurance comes with 24/7 unlimited access to vets and vet nurses that can help with your pet's health, care, nutrition and behaviour. So you can rest assured your pet will be well looked after.

Get a quote

 

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis - www.vetstream.com/treat/canis, Felis www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis, and Lapis www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.