When the thermometer shows fifteen degrees below zero and the winter darkness hangs over life like a blanket of weight, a walk is not very attractive. One, however, who has to go outside regardless of the weather is the dog, but not all dog breeds are equally resistant to the freezing cold. News24 have spoken to Åsa Risingveterinarian at Anicura, to find out which ones.
The temperature can vary during the winter, and the colder the degrees, the greater the risk of injury. In his profession, Rising is used to seeing dogs with frostbite.
– There is always a patient who has suffered frostbite during the winter. The most common is that the dog has frozen the edges of the earlobes, which may be due to the dog being out in cold weather a little too long.
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The dog’s ears vary in appearance depending on the breed, but generally the ears are thinner and thus become extra sensitive to the cold weather. There are also some dog breeds that the dog owner needs to take extra care of.
– All short-haired breeds with thin legs are extra sensitive, for example some short-haired hunting dogs such as pointer or smooth vorsteh. They are dogs that you think should be very hardy, but they have very short fur and no protective wool layer. Even small dog breeds can be sensitive, because they don’t have a lot of body mass overall, Rising says.
As a dog owner, you shouldn’t be afraid to go out with your dog when it’s cold, but it’s important to give the dog the right conditions. Rising explains that all dogs, even dogs with short fur, can be outside in freezing temperatures.
The key is for the dog to be able to move. Dogs with thick fur, for example polar dogs, are admittedly less sensitive – but also require preparation from the dog owner.
– A dog with polar fur will always do better in cold weather, even if it is still. They can even lie outside to sleep, but that requires that they still have a dry place to lie down or heat from below so that they don’t get super cold. It can help to have a good blanket and a jacket to put over the dog when taking a break from the walk.