Keeping Your Dog’s Water from Freezing Outside in Winter
| Many dogs in our partner communities live outside a great deal of the time (some all the time). Making sure they have access to water is important for their health and survival. In the winter, this can be challenging with colder temperatures. You cannot rely on your dog eating snow as a source of water, it takes too much energy to melt the snow for drinking and they won’t get hydrated enough that way. Here are some hints to help you keep your dog’s water accessible at all times…. 1. Wrap the outside of the bowl (including the bottom) with Blankets This can help insulate the container and maintain a temperature that prevents the water from freezing (unless it is REALLY cold and it just can’t keep up, in which case, the dog needs to be inside). 2. Instead of stainless steel or plastic bowls, use Rubber Bowls – the rubber won’t crack like plastic bowls, and if the water in the bowl freezes, simply turn out the ice and replace it with fresh water (not easy with the other types of bowls). For faster thawing, you can add warm water to the bowl to help melt the ice. 3. IF you get lots of sunshine in the winter, placing the water bowl in a sunny spot can help prevent freezing. 4. If possible, move your dog’s water bowl inside a barn or shed (not inside a dog house as the will spill it and then have cold, wet bedding). However, if they have a shed or barn they stay in, the warmth from the animals inside can help keep the water from freezing long enough for your dog to drink, again, unless it is extremely cold, then the dog needs to be inside a warm environment. 5. If you have access to a power source, heated water bowls, that rely on electricity, keep the water from thawing. |
