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| English: Two Siberian Huskies (Max & Moritz) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The first article is on frostbite in dogs, and I found this a real eye-opener, as I never thought about it before. I mean, the dogs I've spent the most time with throughout my life have all been breeds (Pomeranians, Great Pyrenees, Siberian huskies, etc) that originated in cold climates, and you just don't imagine them having too many problems in the winter. In fact, I've always had more of a problem getting the dogs to come back indoors in the winter. It turns out that cold weather is especially hazardous for diabetic dogs, because "Prolonged cold exposure burns up stored energy and results in a low blood sugar." Their instructions on emergency care for dogs suffering from hypothermia include giving honey or sugar water as part of the treatment. Good to know!
The article on winter safety in general is also a good read, if only to refresh your memory, but it brings up a few things, for example, the hazards of doggie sweaters (!), that may not have occurred to you.
Finally, one of the things I found on my own turned out to be another good source: the vet blogs at WebMd-- I didn't know they had these, but I should have guessed that they would. There's a post from a vet in New York about winter paw care, and much more.
That's all for now. Best wishes for a happy -- and healthy-- new year!
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