17 thoughts about putting pets in warm clothes in the winter

Here are 17 thoughts about a current popular trend: dressing their pets in warm clothes during the winter. It mainly applies to dogs for obvious reasons.

1. Some fabrics used as pet jumpers can irritate pets.
2. The general advice is that playing safe with pure cotton is best.
3. The topic is important today because it's reported that sales of festive jumpers for dogs have jumped by 284% this month.
4. A veterinarian, Sean McCormack, the head veterinarian at tails.com provided some advice about clothes for pets during the cold weather.
5. Some fabrics can cause an allergic reaction.
6. The vet says that many dogs don't actually enjoy wearing jumpers.
7. Perhaps an allergic reaction is much less likely than the rubbing and restrictiveness of some garments.
8. Wool can be one of the main offenders and it can be very uncomfortable for puppies and cats with sensitive skin.
9. Another fabric that can cause irritation as nylon as it can cause an allergic reaction resulting in inflamed skin. If your cat or dog is in regular contact with nylon without problems then of course this wouldn't apply.
10. Faux fur can also cause itchiness in certain breeds of dogs says the veterinarian. And it can cause dogs with thick coats to overheat.
11. Any product with feathers is a definite no-no. Cats can certainly be allergic to feathers and they can cause extreme irritation in dogs and are a potential choking hazard.
12. It might be difficult to recognise discomfort in a dog wearing a pet garment. Discomfort can lead to stress.
13. Garments can lead to overheating including panting and salivation which would be an indication of a problem.
14. Finally, inside the home, pets with pet clothing should not be left unattended near potential hazards including an open fire.
15. It's important that pet clothing fits properly and is not too tight or snagging.
16. One aspect of putting a cat or dog in clothing is the humanising of pets. People tend to anthropomorphise their companion animals and therefore putting them in clothes makes them happy as it reinforces their personal view about the companion animal but the question is: is it good for the cat or dog? Is it good for their welfare and are they happy about it?
17. That said, a lot of people at the moment are putting dogs in jackets when they go for a walk in the park for obvious reasons as it has been very cold in the UK. I'm sure this is beneficial but this page presents some caveats.

Source: Daily Mail.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.