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How Cold Is Too Cold For Pets?


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How Cold Is Too Cold For Pets?

Many pet owners are aware of the dangers to dogs and cats in extreme heat, but the risks can be even greater during a cold snap.

With record low temperatures across the nation, and the East Coast preparing for a winter storm this week that forecasters are calling a "bomb cyclone," owners should protect their pets from freezing temperatures. A common misconception is that dogs and cats are more resistant to cold weather than humans because of their fur, according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation.

So how cold is too cold to take dogs outside for a walk? Dr. Kim Smyth, a staff veterinarian with Petplan insurance and a pet health writer, adapted guidelines from the Tufts Animal Condition and Care system to help pet owners determine if the weather is safe.

She tells Here & Now's Robin Young that there is no one right answer for every dog, but owners should consider the size of their dog, breed and their overall health. Smaller dogs with thinner coats are more at risk, she says.

"Under 30 degrees, factoring in the wind chill, it's not going to be safe for any dog to be outside for an extended period of time," Smyth says." You can buy yourself a little bit of time with warm weather clothing," such as dog sweaters and booties to cover their paws.

Just like people, dogs are at risk of hypothermia when they are left out in the cold for prolonged periods.

"Shivering would be the first sign ... so you want to get these dogs inside, wrap them up in a warm towel or blanket and get them to the vet if you need to," Smyth says.

Not only do booties keep dogs' paws warm, but they protect paw pads from toxic chemicals on the ground, such as deicing agents and antifreeze. After a walk, owners should wipe down their dog's feet and check lighter paw pads for redness or swelling, Smyth says.

As NPR previously reported, pets are attracted to antifreeze because "ethylene glycol, the main antifreeze ingredient, is sweet, but it's also quite toxic."

A dog's age and overall health can also help determine its tolerance of cold temperatures. The AVMA suggests winter is a good time to take your dog to the vet for a checkup, so owners can be aware of any new or worsening health problems.

"Pets with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or hormonal imbalances (such as Cushing's disease) may have a harder time regulating their body temperature, and may be more susceptible to problems from temperature extremes," the AVMA writes on its website. "The same goes for very young and very old pets."

For outdoor cats, Smyth recommends providing an insulated shelter outside and access to water that is not frozen.

"Cats are really good at hiding, finding nice warm hiding spots, including under the hood of your car," she says. "So in the morning when you go out, before you start your car please bang on the hood, scare the cat out, so they don't get trapped in the fan."

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2 minutes ago, DAVE said:

My dogs feet get cold around -10c....my cats on the otherhand would still not come in the house at -38c...we had to grab them and bring them in. :lol:

 

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I thought cats hated the cold.  Ours likes to lay on the furnace vent.:lol:

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my daughter got 2 cats here at home, things are worse than a dog always trying to get in the garbage. i walk by the one and he jumps from the floor and lands on my shoulders. done it to my wife one time and she thought the cat was attacking her:lol:

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15 minutes ago, ArcticCrusher said:

I thought cats hated the cold.  Ours likes to lay on the furnace vent.:lol:

These 2 love it...they are always rolling around in what little snow we have. :lol:

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My old fart was absolutely fine to whatever mother nature threw at us when he was young but as he aged his tolerance got less and less. I think he could have endured it he had to but he figured why bother when he could just go inside and get a cookie and a scratch behind his ear.

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1 hour ago, toslow said:

my daughter got 2 cats here at home, things are worse than a dog always trying to get in the garbage. i walk by the one and he jumps from the floor and lands on my shoulders. done it to my wife one time and she thought the cat was attacking her:lol:

 

download (2).jpeg

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3 minutes ago, xcr700 said:

 

download (2).jpeg

:lmao:

 

 

My maly and husky went out and slept in their insulated dog house pretty often in -20/-30 temps but they always had the choice to stay inside.  Since my big boy is gone now, the husky stays inside.  I think his big fat ass was providing the central heat in that house.

:lol:

 

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2 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

:lmao:

 

 

My maly and husky went out and slept in their insulated dog house pretty often in -20/-30 temps but they always had the choice to stay inside.  Since my big boy is gone now, the husky stays inside.  I think his big fat ass was providing the central heat in that house.

:lol:

 

Damn. Ours is a light weight.  Within 5 min, into a walk when it's cold out,the paws start coming up . I remember when I first got her ,first winter winter and she started to lift her paws, I thought she stepped on something  ,so I picked her up (90 lbs at the time) and carried her home. It was a nice 30 min walk for me:lol:

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16 minutes ago, xcr700 said:

Damn. Ours is a light weight.  Within 5 min, into a walk when it's cold out,the paws start coming up . I remember when I first got her ,first winter winter and she started to lift her paws, I thought she stepped on something  ,so I picked her up (90 lbs at the time) and carried her home. It was a nice 30 min walk for me:lol:

Both my dogs did that, so I bought them boots.....it is hilarious when you first put them on, they lift their paws straight up and walk all funny, then eventually walk somewhat normal, but next time they go on, same drill....

 

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1 minute ago, Stoney said:

Both my dogs did that, so I bought them boots.....it is hilarious when you first put them on, they lift their paws straight up and walk all funny, then eventually walk somewhat normal, but next time they go on, same drill....

 

Yeah. Wife wanted to get her boots  ,I thought it was ridiculous.  She ended up getting her a jacket lol. Next dog for sure, will have boots. Our dog doesn't go for long walks anymore so no point now . Maybe a 5 min walk to clear her mind 

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22 minutes ago, xcr700 said:

Yeah. Wife wanted to get her boots  ,I thought it was ridiculous.  She ended up getting her a jacket lol. Next dog for sure, will have boots. Our dog doesn't go for long walks anymore so no point now . Maybe a 5 min walk to clear her mind 

At the time, it was either the boots or carry the two home if we went out in the winter.....@ 190 lbs combined, no thanks!

Now it is just the one dog, so if I forget, it is not so bad as it was when we had the two of them.

Who would have thought a 90 to 100 lb dog would be such a puss...but I guess if I had no boots in the cold, I might be a puss too!

 

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1 minute ago, Stoney said:

At the time, it was either the boots or carry the two home if we went out in the winter.....@ 190 lbs combined, no thanks!

Now it is just the one dog, so if I forget, it is not so bad as it was when we had the two of them.

Who would have thought a 90 to 100 lb dog would be such a puss...but I guess if I had no boots in the cold, I might be a puss too!

 

For us ,we just play in the backyard with her when it's cold ,that way she still get a a bit of exercise, then when she's done it's only a 2 second walk to the door lol.. if I had to carry 2 dogs home,that would have been a phone call lol.  Never thought I'd see the day a dog needed boots. But I guess I did 

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I followed a SUV this morning with both rear windows all the way down and a Husky with it's head completely out the window on both sides. The temp was about 8F at the time. It must have been a little chilly in the SUV :lol:

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Our collie farm dog and who knows how many farm cats never set foot in the house ever.  He had an insulated dog house that he rarely went in.  In cold stormy weather, you would usually find him curled up in the corner of the front step on an old comforter or jacket that insulated him from the concrete a little.  There might be a cat or two snuggled up with him keeping each other warm.  

As long as our Aussie stays moving she will stay outside for as long as you let her.  She wants inside as soon as play time is over though.  

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17 hours ago, DAVE said:

My dogs feet get cold around -10c....my cats on the otherhand would still not come in the house at -38c...we had to grab them and bring them in. :lol:

 

IMG_20171226_100238119.jpg

My cat will sniff the air at the back door and turn away most of the time, especially with the cold we have been having lately. When he does plan on going out, he will flick his paws in anticipation before he even steps out the door.

He has been out with me a couple times but it is only for a minute or two at the most and then he runs right back in. He is getting up there however, 12-13, and was an outdoor cat for most of his life before we adopted him so I am sure he knows what it is like to be stuck outdoors in crappy weather. Also, since the Coyote incident, he is not near as brave as he once was. We have no idea if he was chased, seen a coyote kill another cat or just seen the dead cat, which may have freaked him out bigtime? He was gone for 40hrs so something spooked him big time for sure.

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