Seasonal Health Concerns for Dogs

Although many dogs enjoy the wintertime, the cold weather can actually be hazardous to their health. Indeed, hypothermia and frostbite can be genuine pet care concerns for dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors.

Hypothermia
Hypothermia occurs when an animal’s body temperature falls below normal. Symptoms include shivering and signs of depression, lethargy, and weakness. As the condition develops, a dog’s muscles will stiffen, heart and breathing rates will decrease and response to stimuli will stop.

Any pet owner that notices these symptoms must get their dog warm and take them to their local veterinarian. Hypothermic pets will benefit from being wrapped in blankets during their journey to the vet. If the condition is serious enough, a vet will keep the animal at their surgery to monitor their heart rate and blood pressure, and give warm fluids intravenously.

Frostbite
A dog’s ears, paws and tail can develop frostbite very quickly when exposed to wintry conditions. Frostbite occurs when a pet’s body gets cold and blood from the extremities is drawn to their body core in an attempt to retain warmth. The result of this is that ice crystals form which can damage the tissue.

Frostbite is not immediately evident; therefore, dog owners need to be proactive and take preventive measures, such as checking their pet’s extremities every day. Any owner that does suspect their dog has experienced frostbite should resist the urge to remove any ice crystals and instead take their animal directly to their local veterinarian.