Tips for dog safety when enjoying the winter months

Dogs love the outdoors, but too much outdoors in the winter can create problems for your pet.

“If it is below zero, you might want to really think about being outside with your dog,” said Dr. Spencer Anderson of Baxter Creek Veterinary Clinic in Bozeman, Montana. “It is very dog dependent, and a lot of it has to do with acclimation, but you need to know your dog.”

Anderson said he rarely sees cases of hypothermia in dogs. Many breeds, such as Labrador Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Alaskan Malamutes, are built for the cold. Even in shorthaired dogs like Hungarian Vizslas and German Shorthaired Pointers, which generally have low body fat in addition to a fine coat, hypothermia is uncommon.

If you see your dog shivering and they can’t stop, it is a clear sign that their core body temperature has dropped. Dogs that are too cold may curl up into a ball or repeatedly look for areas to bed down. Anderson said if you think your dog is too cold, give them food and keep them moving.

“They will be warmer and better able to generate heat when they are moving,” Anderson said. “If they can’t move, get them out of the wind or to a place you can build a fire and get them warm and dry. It’s just like treating a person with hypothermia.”

Anderson said more common winter maladies for our canine companions come in the form of frozen extremities, lacerations and orthopedic injuries.

Exposed or poorly insulated tissue around the eyes, ears, nose and tail can become frozen when exposed to extreme cold. The pads of the feet are also susceptible. Anderson said keep an eye in the snow for spots of blood, which could indicate frostbite.

Josh Allen, owner of Dee-O-Gee in Bozeman, said booties made for dogs offer a degree of protection during cold weather outings. Booties can be as simple as latex balloons that fit over your pup’s paws, or highly specialized footwear with Vibram soles and aggressive tread.

To prevent the ice chunks from forming between the pads of your dog’s feet, Allen recommends a product called Musher’s Secret. Developed by sled dog racers, the salve coats the hair between the pads and prevents snow and ice from building up.