The Season Change Brings New Risks and New Routines

Winter pet care is mostly about keeping animals warm, dry, and safe from the cold. Spring pet care is more complicated. As temperatures climb, days lengthen, and the world outside comes back to life, your pets face an entirely different set of weather-related challenges: allergens, parasites, unpredictable temperature swings, spring storms, and the sudden temptation to spend hours outdoors after months of being cooped up inside.

Getting ahead of these seasonal shifts now—right as spring begins—means fewer vet visits, healthier pets, and a smoother transition for the whole household.

Parasites Wake Up With the Warm Weather

The single most important spring pet care task has nothing to do with outdoor time or coats—it’s parasite prevention. Fleas, ticks, and heartworm-carrying mosquitoes all become active once temperatures consistently stay above 40°F. In most of the country, that threshold arrives right around now.

Ticks in particular deserve attention this spring. Tick populations have been expanding geographically for years, and species that were once limited to specific regions are now found much more broadly. The first warm weekends of spring—exactly the days you and your dog are most eager to get outside—are prime tick exposure days, because ticks become active before most pet owners think to start protection.

If your pet’s flea, tick, or heartworm prevention lapsed over winter, restart it now before the first outdoor adventures of the season. Talk to your vet about whether your current prevention method is appropriate for your region’s current parasite landscape, as recommendations have shifted in recent years.

Check your dog or cat thoroughly after any time spent in grass, brush, or wooded areas. Run your fingers slowly through their coat, paying particular attention to warm areas: around the ears, between the toes, under the collar, and in the groin area. Remove any ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping close to the skin.

Pets Have Allergies Too

Spring pollen doesn’t just affect people. Dogs and cats can develop environmental allergies, and the symptoms often look different than they do in humans. While people sneeze and get watery eyes, pets more commonly show allergy symptoms through their skin—itching, scratching, licking paws repeatedly, rubbing their face, or developing red, irritated patches.

If your pet seems unusually itchy or uncomfortable in spring and it’s not attributable to fleas or another identifiable cause, seasonal allergies are a real possibility. Wiping your dog’s paws and belly with a damp cloth when they come inside can reduce the amount of pollen they track in and contact their skin. Regular bathing during high-pollen periods helps too.

Pets with known spring allergies may benefit from starting any prescribed medications a week or two before symptoms typically appear—just as human allergy sufferers are advised to begin antihistamines before the season peaks. Talk to your vet if your pet has a history of spring discomfort.

Gradually Rebuild Exercise After Winter

After months of shorter, slower winter walks, your dog’s fitness level has likely declined—and so has their paw toughness. A common early-spring mistake is immediately jumping into long hikes or extended outdoor sessions on the first nice days, which can lead to sore muscles, worn paw pads, and overtired joints in older dogs.

Rebuild outdoor activity gradually over two to three weeks. Start with walks slightly longer than your winter routine, then increase from there. This matters especially for working breeds, dogs that love to run, and any pets with arthritis or joint issues that may have stiffened over the cold months.

Watch paw pads closely in early spring. They can become raw or cracked from extended time on rough pavement after a winter of limited exposure. If you notice redness, limping, or excessive licking of paws after walks, scale back distance and consider a paw balm to support healing.

Spring Temperature Swings Are Hard on Pets Too

March and April are famous for unpredictable weather—warm afternoons that drop into the 30s overnight, sunny mornings followed by cold afternoon rain. These swings affect pets in ways owners sometimes don’t anticipate.

Dogs that shed their winter coats in response to warming temperatures can find themselves under-insulated when temperatures drop again. Small dogs, short-haired breeds, puppies, seniors, and dogs with health conditions are most vulnerable to these temperature reversals. Keep a jacket or sweater on hand for cold snaps even as the calendar says spring.

Never leave pets in parked cars during spring, even on mild days. A 60°F day can push a car’s interior to 80°F or higher within 20 minutes when the sun is strong—and late March sun is substantially more intense than midwinter sun, even when air temperatures feel mild.

Spring Storms Require Preparation

Spring storm season brings severe thunderstorms, high winds, and heavy rain across much of the country. Many pets—dogs especially—experience significant anxiety during storms. Thunder phobia is one of the most common behavioral issues in dogs, and spring’s first loud storms of the season can be particularly startling after months of quiet winter weather.

If your pet has storm anxiety, now is the time to identify their safe space and make it comfortable before the first storms hit. A crate covered with a blanket in an interior room, a closet, or a spot under a bed can all serve as refuge. Some dogs respond well to snug-fitting anxiety wraps. Others benefit from calming supplements or, in more severe cases, medication prescribed by a vet. The time to talk to your vet about storm anxiety is before the storms begin, not in the middle of one.

Make sure your pet’s ID tags and microchip registration are current. Spooked animals that bolt during storms are one of the leading causes of lost pets in spring.

Watch for Spring Hazards in Your Yard

As your yard comes back to life, new hazards appear for pets. Many common spring flowers and plants are toxic to dogs and cats, including tulip bulbs, daffodils, hyacinths, and azaleas. If you’re planting or if bulbs are emerging in your garden, keep pets away from those areas until plants are established and out of reach.

Lawn care products applied in spring—fertilizers, herbicides, and pre-emergent weed treatments—can be harmful if pets walk through treated areas and then lick their paws. Check product labels for pet safety guidelines and keep pets off treated lawns for the recommended drying time, typically 24 to 48 hours.

Standing water from spring rains can also harbor bacteria and parasites. Discourage dogs from drinking from puddles, ditches, or stagnant ponds, where leptospirosis and giardia are possible risks.

Schedule a Spring Wellness Visit

The transition into a new season is a natural time for a veterinary checkup—especially if your pet is due for annual vaccines, parasite prevention renewals, or bloodwork. Spring wellness visits catch issues that may have developed or worsened over winter before they become serious, and give you a chance to ask about any behavioral or physical changes you’ve noticed as the season changed.

For senior pets especially, the shift from winter’s reduced activity to spring’s longer walks and outdoor time can reveal joint issues, cardiac changes, or weight shifts that a vet should know about.

The Best Season, With the Right Preparation

Spring is most pets’ favorite time of year—more outdoor time, more smells, more activity, more of the world to explore. With a little preparation now, you can make sure they enjoy all of it safely. Get ahead of parasites, ease back into exercise, watch for the season’s unique hazards, and let your pet do what they’ve been waiting all winter to do: get outside and enjoy it.