{"id":74710,"date":"2024-02-12T12:14:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T19:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/?p=74710"},"modified":"2024-02-12T12:14:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T19:14:00","slug":"how-cold-is-too-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/02\/12\/how-cold-is-too-cold\/","title":{"rendered":"How cold is too cold?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ying and yang:<\/strong> Two dogs play together in Tom Campbell Hill’s off-leash area in Calgary on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Both of the dogs are puppies and require extensive exercise in the winter months. (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

E<\/span>xtreme weather conditions are the new normal as climate change continues unabated. Alberta faced a historic wildfire season<\/a> throughout the summer months in 2023, only to welcome the new year with a snap of frigid weather that saw temperatures in Alberta plummet to -50 C for the third time in 20 years.<\/a><\/p>\n

T<\/span>he effects of these extremes are obvious for humans, as cars struggle to start, and pipes begin to burst. For household dogs, however, the weather can be a matter of life or death.<\/p>\n

\u201cA dog that is outside in that kind of cold for even 15 minutes could see potentially fatal outcomes,\u201d says veterinary technician Laura Mackenzie.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to have decreased metabolism and decreased tissue perfusion, meaning you\u2019re not going to have blood flowing to extremities like it should be. They\u2019re going to have prolonged CRT. All the blood goes right to their chest, and you\u2019re going to start seeing bradycardia.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can even see them go into shock.\u201d<\/p>\n

CRT refers to a dog\u2019s capillary refill time.<\/a> This is tested by pressing the gum area of a dog\u2019s mouth where the capillaries are. When the pressure is released, blood should immediately refill the capillaries, indicating normal blood flow.<\/p>\n

When a dog is in shock, however, these capillaries will not refill.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might see cyanosis,\u201d Mackenzie said. \u201cWe\u2019re talking a blue tongue and blue gums because they can\u2019t get enough blood oxygen circulating through the rest of their bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

This kind of biological malfunction can alter a dog\u2019s behaviour in drastic ways. Mackenzie says a non-aggressive canine may bite, as the dog panics and tries to regulate its body. It can even affect bathroom training.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a really hard time going outside to go pee,\u201d said Jennie Whitehead about her three-year-old yorkie Huxley. \u201cHe got so backed up that we had to take him to the vet.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was so sick that he hardly got out of his bed. I was really worried.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an experience echoed by Meredith VanVolkingburgh and their 11-year-old Boston terrier Lola.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has accidents in the house, which she never does otherwise,\u201d they said. \u201cShe\u2019s very house-trained.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sensory stimulus:<\/strong> Meredith VanVolkingburgh holds their dog Lola in Calgary on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. Lola is missing her eyes and enjoys the sensation of being near the swaying plants. (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThat makes her anxious because she knows she\u2019s not supposed to go in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lola \u2013 who is also missing both eyes due to a prior medical condition \u2013 is a short-haired dog. As such, VanVolkingburgh must take precautions when venturing outside of their apartment.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has a thermal undersuit, a full snowsuit, and then boots,\u201d they said. \u201cThe time it takes to get two dogs and a human ready for -40 C is literally a 20-minute operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

VanVolkingburgh says that their other dog, Otis, is Lola\u2019s opposite. The two-year-old cane corso seems quite comfortable in the snow, as do many other large-breed dogs.<\/p>\n

“Larger, hairier breeds are likely going to last and do better and adapt faster in the winter weather,”\u00a0 Dr. Serge Chalhoub said in an interview with CBC<\/a>,<\/p>\n

The precise temperature that is dangerous for dogs is a spectrum. Chalhoub estimates it’s anything below -20 C is when frostbite can set into paws.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in an article for Great Pet Care,<\/a> Dr. Cathy Barnette said that 7.2 C is the cut-off point for dogs to spend long periods outside.<\/p>\n

The generally agreed-upon rule, however, is that if it\u2019s too cold for a human, it\u2019s too cold for a dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo out at the same time as the dog,\u201d said Mackenzie. \u201cAs soon as you can\u2019t last outside, assume that their mucous membranes are drying out. So, get them back inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Mackenzie points out, Alberta\u2019s famously dry climate can further impact a dog\u2019s winter experience. According to Britannica,<\/a> Alberta has a continental climate with winters that are arid due to dry Pacific winds blowing from the eastern Rocky Mountains. The permeable membranes of any dog breed \u2013 such as the eyes, nose, and paw pads \u2013 are vulnerable to these extreme, dry conditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe colder it gets, the drier it gets, you\u2019re going to have problems that become more respiratory,\u201d said Mackenzie.<\/p>\n

Furthering these dry conditions is the salt that is spread on sidewalks to combat ice build-up. This salt, which often contains calcium chloride,<\/a> will injure the paws of a dog and can be harmful if ingested.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething I have learned about having a big, cold-weather dog is that if you live in the city, they still need boots no matter what,\u201d said VanVolkingburgh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about protecting the skin on their feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just as important to protect the mental health of a dog that is stuck inside. VanVolkingburgh has an unconventional recommendation: cardboard boxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime Otis is bored, I give him access to a cardboard box, and he shreds the hell out of it,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Bon-A-Pet-Treat! manager Melissa Lee notes that sales of puzzle toys and treats tend to spike during cold snaps.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see lots of dogs that are cooped up inside during the day while people work,\u201d she said. \u201cThen, they get home, and it\u2019s too cold to go out. So we\u2019ve been selling a lot of brain activities and lots of puzzle games.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping them busy keeps us sane.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Helping hand:<\/strong> Melissa Lee helps a four-legged customer in the pet store she manages, Bon-A-Pet-Treat! in Calgary on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (Photo by Nathan Iles\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The effects of extreme cold is obvious for humans, as cars struggle to start and pipes begin to burst. For household dogs, it can be a matter of life or death. [ READ MORE ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":870,"featured_media":74713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_text_assignment-slug":"S2 Polar Pups NI","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,1725,1106,1583],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-74710","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-life","8":"category-nature","9":"category-physical-health-and-wellness","10":"category-seasonal"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/870"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74710"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74767,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74710\/revisions\/74767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}