6 Ways Cold Weather can Affect your Dog

During the cold periods, it’s important to keep our dogs safe and warm. Some cope better than others but this really does depend on the climate that dogs already live in.

Breeds like Siberian Huskies and Bernese Mountain Dogs are well equipped with the cold weather but still need care and attention.

Here are the 6 ways cold weather can affect your dog.

Trouble regulating body temperature.

The general signs that your dog is colder than usual can vary. Dogs usually maintain an internal body temperature that’s normally 105F°

This is around 5 degrees warmer than the average body temperature of a human being.

Symptoms of low temperature in dogs can include:

Shivering

Weakness

Depression

Heat seeking/burrowing in blankets

A low temperature can affect how well their heart works and can cause an irregular heartbeat.

Altered Metabolism

Some dogs are prone to loosing weight in the winter months, especially if the dog is housed outdoors. This is due to them needing extra energy to stay warm and will need to be fed more regularly.

Housed dogs should be fed less, especially if they are not being exercised as regularly as they would be this time of year. This means less calories expenditure.

Hypothermia

This is a serious condition when a dog has hypothermia and can be fatal. This happens when a dog’s body temperature drops below normal.

There are 3 types of hypothermia.

Mild — Body temperature 90–95F°

Moderate — Body temperature 82–90F°

Severe — Below 82F°

Symptoms can include muscle stiffness, shivering, shallow breathing and dilated pupils.

Smaller dogs, elderly dogs and puppies are more prone to hypothermia.

If at any point your dog displays these symptoms mentioned above, wrap them in warm blankets and place a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or blanket against their abdomen.

Signs that your dog may be too cold can include:

Behavior

Dogs can show signs of being unhappy. This is called Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD). Dog’s can show with their actions which commonly include lethargy, decreased activity and seeming sad or down.

One of the main neurotransmitters in the brain is called Serotonin. This is responsible for feelings of wellbeing, relaxation, calmness and concentration. When dogs don’t have enough Serotonin, it can lead to aggression, fear and anxiety. This comes back to why some pooches are more affected in the winter because sunlight is believed to increase the levels of Serotonin in the dogs’ brain.

Dogs often sleep more and may be less willing to play or be active. Changes in appetite can also be seen as a sign of a different behavior during the colder months.

Stiffening of joints

A reduction in barometric pressure can create a pain in joints, muscles and tendons. These expand and contract. The cold can cause your dogs joints to stiffen, just like humans. It increases pressure on the joints which causes an inflammatory response. Having regular exercise (which is harder in the winter months) can reduce this from happening but can be worse for dogs who already suffer from arthritis.

Injuries

Winter is the most common time of year where dogs can cause harm to themselves.

There was a dog that I once heard of that ripped her dew claw out whilst playing run-in-circles in the snow. Keeping a regular check on their nails can prevent certain accidents like this from happening but accidents do happen, no matter what precautions you try to take.

Using boots can be very useful but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. They are ideal for this time of year and some dogs get used to them quicker than others. Some look like Bambi when first trying them on!

The dangers of iced lakes and ponds are also a hazard. Many dogs have drowned whilst playing in these types of environments and so should be always avoided.

The winter can be a dangerous season and even harsher in certain places of the world where cold weather is much more unforgiving.

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