It’s a common misconception that animals are immune to cold.
Although they are descended from wolves, dogs can still get hypothermia and frost-bite (especially of their ears and tails). Cold can aggravate arthritis and other medical conditions. Chemicals that go along with snow like ice melt and anti-freeze can irritate or even poison dogs. Snow and ice can cause pain when lodged between their toes.
The best method of protecting a dog from the cold is to limit exposure: keep him inside, warm, and dry.
Walkies? Go without me…
Kilroy would be perfectly content to never leave his cuddle couch, especially when temperatures are in the single digits. But there’s still that issue of having to pee and poop. He’s been taking quickie pees on our fenced-in back patio, but he still needs walkies around the block to work out a poop–and that needs to happen at least twice a day.
Kilroy is the best-dressed dog in the neighborhood. If his humans require layers for walkies, so does the very sensitive greyhound, who has little fur or fat to counter the cold. People stare at and comment on his attire (“he sure looks warm”) but we’ve become somewhat unfazed by the attention. Caring for our dog is more important to us than seeming ridiculous. Fortunately, Kilroy is a total clothes horse who thinks dressing is normal.
I didn’t think it was possible to become even more of a spectacle. But now, there’s a fully-dressed dog in purple booties prancing around the block.
Protected purple PAWZ
Kilroy recently developed some seasonal paw issues. After a snow and thick treatment of ice melt on paved surfaces, he would limp during walkies and hold up a paw. Rubbing the paw pads and between his toes would help, but it became apparent than Kilroy’s tootsies needed some protection from the cold, ice, and chemicals.
Advertisements Share this:
