Butter and Wiley

It is negative two outside. Yes, a minus sign leading a single digit. Even the thermometer is sarcastic. As I sit in my warm house with a warm cup of tea, my two dogs, Wiley and Butter nudge me with their eyeballs to open the front door. Somewhere, miles away, a twig has snapped and they simply must investigate. I open the door dramatically (purely for their benefit) and they go shooting out into the cold like furry torpedoes carving their way through 16 inches of fluffy snow. Once down in the yard, they climb their favorite rock and raise their heads up high and bark their tails off.

It's times like these I wonder about the dangers of frostbite and how much exposure is okay for dogs. I know dogs aren't wildlife, but sometimes we treat them as such. Let's start by saying breed, age, and general health are by far the biggest factors. Puppies are highly susceptible to cold, and older dogs or sick dogs simply don't have the same stamina for the cold. Breed is also important as short haired dogs are genetically ill- prepared for the cold weather. But go to Alaska and you can watch a dog run 1,100 miles through the icy tundra pulling a sled and generally loving the whole experience.

Frostbite is a condition in which the skin becomes so cold that the vessels freeze preventing fresh blood from oxygenating the skin tissue. Over time, frostbitten skin will fall off and in many cases release toxins back into the bloodstream leading to further injury. Frostbite is mostly caused when the body is combatting the cold by vasoconstriction. This is when the body tries to conserve body heat by closing the walls in blood vessels. This keeps their inner cores warmer but also makes there extremities colder. Dogs are susceptible to frostbite but not quite the same way we are. Dogs can get frostbite on their extremities like their ears and tail. Their feet however rarely get frostbite due to several factors: A dog's natural body temperature is higher than ours (average of 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit), dogs have thick epithelial pads on the bottoms of their feet, thicker dense fur around their paws insulates the skin preventing frostbite in most cases.

Although their paws provide them with good protection, nothing helps a dog more than an owner with some knowledge. If your dogs are outside for an extended period of time check their feet and ears often with your bare hand. Are they cold when you gently squeeze them? If so, your dog needs to come inside and warm up. Never leave a dog unattended in freezing temperatures. You will miss the warning signs of frostbite and even hypothermia. Dogs are not Arctic creatures and neither are you. Now If you will excuse me, I better let my dogs back inside.

James True is the Education Director for Genesis Wildlife.