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Saturday, January 6, 2018

Is It To Cold Outside for Dogs and Cats?

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.

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.

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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Author Amber Higgins

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Welcome UK and worldwide visitors and friends to Family Disaster Dogs online! Although I'm an American author and dog professional the worldwide web has given me the opportunity to connect with some wonderful folks who have contributed pictures for my books. The "Start Mantrailing" book features RRI K9 North Scotland trained Search and Rescue Dog "Amber" on the cover and her teammates training in the book, plus American dogs using my training methods. A portion of sales of the Start Mantrailing book or copies were donated to RRI North Scotland. The children's picture book "My Puppy Can Find Me" has my daughter and bloodhound as illustrations by UK cartoonist Scotty King. You can find the books on Amazon UK or use the contact page to order from me. When you click the links will take you to your own county pages of this site.

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