Preparing Your Pet’s Immune System for Colder Winter Months

Posted - January 9, 2025

By Carol Bryant, Professional Pet Blogger

During the winter months, your pet’s immune system faces additional challenges due to cold temperatures, reduced outdoor activity, and increased exposure to seasonal illnesses. Providing your pet extra support is crucial to keeping them healthy and happy.
Your dog’s immune system is a complex network of tissues, cells, and organs that work in tandem to protect the body from invaders. These invaders include parasites, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The immune system is critical in identifying and neutralizing threatening invaders while separating them from your dog’s own cells.
Here’s how to prepare and protect your pet’s immune system from the inside out during colder months.
Why Winter Is Tough on a Pet’s Immune System
When your pet’s defenses are down, they are more susceptible to illness. Some things that are taxing on the immune system include:
• Cold Temperatures
• Less Physical Activity
• Dry Indoor Air
• Germ Exposure
• Seasonal Allergies
• Nutritional Challenges
• Stress and Holidays
• Pre-Existing Conditions
• Age

Fortunately, there are proactive steps every pet parent can take to ensure their pet’s immune system is resilient as the temperatures drop.
Pro Tips to Support Your Pet’s Immune System

Keep It Lean: Veterinarians agree that exercise is one of the best ways to stimulate the immune system, which releases endorphins. Consistent exercise encourages the gastric system to normalize stools and eliminate bodily toxins.

Hydration Station: Chlorine in tap water may weaken a pet’s immune system. Fortunately, a carbon filter eliminates most chlorine. Ensure your pets are drinking enough water, especially in the cold months.

Supplement Consideration: Talk to your veterinarian about adding omega-3s like fish oil (1) to reduce inflammation in the body. Not all fish oils are created equal, so choose one that is both high-quality and well-known. Your vet can offer suggestions.

Consider a Humidifier: Adding moisture to the air may help prevent dry nasal passages and itchy skin in pets, which are keys to a strong immune system. The humidifier should be in the room where your pet spends most of their time. Keep the unit at 30 to 50 percent humidity to provide comfort without encouraging mold growth.

Manage Stress: Like people, pets are affected by stress. During the holidays, when routines change and people are in and out, pets can feel the stress. Offer a calm space where your pet can retreat if things get too hectic. This may be a pet bed or comfortable crate that acts as a refuge.

Hygiene and Grooming: Regular grooming is essential to keeping skin healthy in the dry winter months. Cleaning paws after walks helps remove salt and chemicals. ZYMOX offers a multitude of products to keep pets healthy all winter long.

ZYMOX Products to Support Winter Wellness

Dry, cold air combined with more indoor time is ripe for irritated skin, dry coats, and an increased risk of ear infections. Fortunately, ZYMOX offers a host of products to keep your dogs, cats, horses, birds, small animals, and reptiles.

Ears

Dogs and cats need ear-care year round, no matter the season. Gently clean and soothe ears with ZYMOX Advanced Enzymatic Ear Wipes and ZYMOX Enzymatic Ear Cleanser.

Like all ZYMOX products, the wipes and cleanser are gentle, non-toxic, and free of harsh antibiotics. Veterinarian-recommended for being safe and effective, these products are suitable for dogs and cats of all ages.

Skin

Don’t let itchy, dry winter skin ruin your pet’s winter. We recommend keeping two products on hand: the ZYMOX Topical Spray with 0.5% hydrocortisone and the ZYMOX Topical Cream with 0.5% hydrocortisone.

Make a point to look and touch your pet’s skin at least once or twice a week. Any dry skin or flaking can be related to winter air. We recommend the ZYMOX Leave-In Conditioner,, which nourishes, detangles and relieves itchy, dry skin.

Oral

Bacteria, plaque, and decay don’t take the winter off. Keep up with your pet’s oral care routine or start one. Here is a list of our favorite ZYMOX oral care products and what they do:

Oratene Enzymatic Brushless Breath Freshening Spray: Ideal for pets with dry mouth, this spray helps freshen breath while inhibiting plaque.

Oratene Enzymatic Brushless Oral Gel: This antiseptic formula is flavorless and provides oral protection from bad breath, plaque, periodontal disease, and dry mouth. Best of all, no brushing is required! Like all ZYMOX and Oratene products, they contain no alcohol, Xylitol, chlorhexidine, or detergents.

Oratene Enzymatic Brushless Toothpaste Gel: This daily periodontal brushless gel deep cleans your pet’s teeth and freshens breath.

Oratene Enzymatic Brushless Water Additive: Round out your easy-to-do dental routine by adding some water additive to their daily water bowl. This enzyme-rich formula is odorless and works magic with little effort.

When to Consult Your Veterinarian

Proactively supporting your pet’s immune system is ideal all year long, especially when it gets cold, and immunity decreases.

During winter, if your pet shows signs of pain, has no appetite, or has prolonged skin or oral issues, always seek veterinary help.

Don’t stop now; here are a few more articles to read for pet health support:

Ultimate Winter Survival Guide for Pet Skin and Ears

Winter Wellness Guide for Senior Pets

Here’s to happy, healthy pets and strong immune systems all year!