Can my pets get frostbite?

With snow covering much of the Northern Hemisphere, it is time for winter adventures for our pets! But the cold can put a real damper on your fun if you live in an extremely cold area, have a pet with health challenges or end up in a dangerous situation due to bad weather. In this post, we will explore the cold-weather hazards to our pets and answer the question “can my pets get frostbite?”

Just like us, our pets can get frostbite! This condition occurs when the bodies tissues freeze in cold air (or water). Most often it happens in the extremities as the body tries to shunt warm blood to essential vital organs such as the brain and lungs. This constricts distal blood vessels causing the fingers, toes, nose, etc. to get colder. Frostbite in our pets can look like grey, black or bluish colored skin and is most common on the toes, tip of the tail and ears and on the top or edges of the nose. If not promptly and carefully warmed, the tissue dies as it freezes, which causes this discoloration. In the realm of pet first aid, the biggest concern with frostbite is actually hypothermia. While frostbite is a serious and painful condition, it occurs in very cold conditions which means the animal is at risk for hypothermia as well.

As with all pet health emergencies, we have to look at the full picture of the situation to decide on what action to take. If your pet is exhibiting signs of hypothermia including intense shivering (or they were shivering and have stopped even though they have not been put in a warm environment), lethargy, confusion, and/or you see possible frostbite, you should take steps to warm your pet up ASAP. When we do this, we should focus on the core of the animal. Dry your pet off as much as possible (and remove snowballs or impacted snow, see below), wrap them in blankets or any other layers, place hot packs or hand warmers in their armpits, around their neck and along their belly. Get them out of the cold environment as soon as possible. Use warm air, share body heat, and provide warm water or pet-safe broth for them to drink.

Generally, we will not try to warm up any frostbitten tissues. Not only is this extremely painful, but often this dead tissue needs surgical revision or removal. This can only be done at a veterinary office. So focus on warming up the core of your pet, not the frostbitten areas.

So what about snowballs?

When snow becomes impacted in our pets fur, it can put them at higher risk for frostbite and hypothermia as it creates a wet, cold environment against their skin. Ideally we will prevent this by using pet winter clothing/boots, or anti-snow spray/creams/products. You can also avoid the conditions that make snow clump in their fur and hike or walk on a day where the snow is more compact. A useful way to remove the snow from fur is to use a whisk (yes, the kitchen tool) to gently rub the snow clumps. Using warm water can be painful, so go slow and use caution if using this method. If your pet is at home and not at risk of hypothermia or frostbite, you can also let the snow melt in the air of your home, but perhaps lay down some towels to catch the drips!

If your pet is older, has a significant or chronic health issue, is hairless (or recently shaved very short), keep a close eye on them when outside in the cold. When they start to shiver or lick excessively at their feet, it is probably time to come inside! You can also purchase a wide variety of pet winter clothing to help keep them warm!

Most household pets cannot safely live outside in the winter. Sled dogs and other outdoor working dogs may be acclimated and have the correct coat/genetics to live outdoors in very cold environments, but these are rare exceptions. To help care for community cats that must live outside all winter, please check out this article on how to build a community cat shelter: https://alleycatadvocates.org/creating-winter-shelters/

Thanks for reading and have happy, safe winter adventures!

*This article was written without the assistance of artificial intelligence to help fight against the water consumption used by data centers.*