About Your Dog or Cat in Freezing Weather
Is it to cold outside for furry friends?
While
it is true that dogs and cats have fur coats that insulate them from extreme
weather they can become stressed by the weather just like we do. Older, younger
pets and animals that are kept in a heated or air conditioned home are
especially prone to stress during extreme weather.
The amount of cold or heat an animal can take depends on the animal's internal comfort zone due to the environment they live in and not the breed of the animal.
The amount of cold or heat an animal can take depends on the animal's internal comfort zone due to the environment they live in and not the breed of the animal.
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| My dogs outdoors in play yard, Arkansas winter 2001 |
Animals have to acclimate to new climate changes and this
means their body has to make internal adjustments and the body has to have time
to get use to making this adjustment in order to stay comfortable.
If the body is not given the time to adjust to the climate changes then the body goes into shock like leading to hypothermia, this can happen quickly when the animal is working or slowly if the animal is resting.
All of a sudden you might find your dog or cat panting and unable to stand, they will get worst and can die if the temperature of the body is not brought back a comfortable level fast.
Either extreme reaction to the climate is treated the same. You have to reverse or bring the animal back from the extreme.
If the body is not given the time to adjust to the climate changes then the body goes into shock like leading to hypothermia, this can happen quickly when the animal is working or slowly if the animal is resting.
All of a sudden you might find your dog or cat panting and unable to stand, they will get worst and can die if the temperature of the body is not brought back a comfortable level fast.
Either extreme reaction to the climate is treated the same. You have to reverse or bring the animal back from the extreme.
 |
| My Incredible Sue staying warm 2000 |
If pets are to hot, then you must cool them. If they are to
cold, then you must warm them.
Primary Cause
Hypothermia can occur
in any of the following situations:
1 Exposure to cold for a
long time
2 Wet fur and skin
3 Submersion in cold
water for long time
Shock
5 Anesthesia given for a
long duration
Immediate Care
1 Warm some blankets on
a radiator or in the clothes dryer with haste.
2 Wrap the dog in the
blankets.
3 Wrap a hot water
bottle in a towel and place it against the dog’s abdomen. Do not use it
unwrapped, as this will burn the skin.
4 If the dog is
conscious, give him warmed fluids to drink.
5 Check the dog’s
temperature every 10 minutes: if it is below 98°F (36.7°C), get immediate
veterinary attention.
6 Once the temperature
is above 100°F ( 37.8°C), you can remove the hot water bottle to avoid
overheating. Keep the dog in a warm room.
 |
| Wear a hat in cold weather so body heat does not escape! |
Read about summer heat and overheating pets in my
other article
Leaving a dog or any animal exposed
to harm is against the law!
Detroit Dog Rescue said
a man abandoned a Pomeranian mix in a cage outside their facility during the
night. It was so cold outside fleas stuck to the poor little dog that froze
before being found.
A
dog named Nanas found dead in Toledo, Ohio, curled up on the porch of a home
after getting out of the house. “She was frozen solid,” Megan Brown, cruelty
investigator with the Toledo Area Humane Society, told The Toledo Blade.
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