Believe it: the weather impacts your dog just like it impacts you. From mood to allergies, the weather has a huge impact on your pup’s wellbeing, and it’s important to understand and see the signs of weather on your dog to ensure she is as happy as you are.

The weather. Winter. Summer. These seasonal changes have major impacts on us. Many of us become more depressed during the winter months without sun, and we often are foolish in the summer months and don’t protect our bodies from the power of the sun. In the middle, during fall and spring, when everything is growing and dying, we are often hit by new allergies and viruses that have a major impact on our overall health and wellness. This is the same for Fido! Let’s examine how the seasons impact our pups.

Mood

Although there’s no definitive way to measure it, there’s a good chance that seasonal affective disorder impacts dogs just as much as it impacts humans. A change in weather, like transitioning from fall to winter when there’s less natural sunlight and colder temperatures, can cause dogs to sleep more, eat less, and show general signs of fatigue and depression. To limit the impact of seasonal affective disorder on your pet, it’s important to keep her exercise routine up and find as much sunlight (even if it’s a lamp) as possible.

Allergies

Just like mood, allergies have a big impact on pups, mostly in the winter and summer months. Airborne allergies, and some food allergies, rear their ugly heads during the transitional seasons, which can cause a lot of problems for your dogs. Especially if your pup is already prone to allergic responses and is sensitive to food, chances are that he will have some reactions to changing temperatures and the allergens and bacteria that come with it.


In the winter, your pup might have respiratory issues associated with the cold temperatures and the different kinds of mosses and bacteria that come out to play when all the rest of the living world is sleeping. In the summer, like us with grass, pollen, and other flower-based allergens, your pup might have some issues with fresh grass, new flowers, and other trees that spread their wings when the sun is out. The best way to manage dog allergies is to just be aware. Unfortunately, there’s no puppy Claritin, so keeping puppy Benadryl on hand will be helpful with some of the worse reactions. If things get really bad, your vet will know what to do, and don’t hesitate to go there for advice.

Symptoms

Your dog is like you. When you are down in the winter or you have allergies in the summer, your dog might too. With that in mind, it’s important to look out for the symptoms associated with allergies and depression, such as lethargy, fatigue, itching, sneezing, coughing, licking paws, and redness on the nose and the stomach. Any time you see those symptoms, do something preventative to ensure your dog is happy during these stressful months!