Dogs and Hypothermia

I titled this blog post ' Dogs and Hypothermia' as yesterday a neighbor of ours was rushed to the emergency with hypothermia. Temperatures lower than 32 degrees fahrenheit can cause hypothermia or frostbite and if our bodies are having issues with temperature fluctuations we need to be cautious for our pets too. 

Dogs bred for colder climates are more tolerant but no pet should be left outside in below-freezing weather. 

Our cockapoos typically feel the cold once it gets into the 40's and small dogs feel the cold faster. I notice this everytime Monroe is outside with the other two. 

He displays signs of being cold quicker than the others but he doesn't recognize this and would continue to play if we let him. Another issue with cockapoos is that snow and ice cling to their coat, ears, feet, and belly creating the snowball effect.

We all love to watch dogs play safely in the snow and if you take your pet outside for a short period of time when the temperature drops, you should still take precautions and look for signs that your dog is cold. 

Shivering and weakness are at the onset of canine hypothermia and more serious symptoms such as fixed pupils, pale gums, shallow breathing are signs your dog needs immediate emergency care.

Like much of the area, we are watching for another winter storm. This one may create dangerously cold air making it colder than it has been in years. This morning, there’s snow flurries and we've already dropped to 4F with wind chills of -16F. Next week the prediction is we will have a windchill that feels like -30F. Our dogs will be playing indoors.


 Winter Safety Tips for Dogs