Just because sunny, warm spring and summer days suddenly turn icy cold with winter's snows doesn't mean the family pooch wants to huddle before a warm house fire like a hibernating bear. The instinct to hike and run is still there.
But a few wintertime cautions need to be kept in mind to avoid exposing pet canines to health and accident risks, according to two longtime Wood River Valley veterinarians.
Dr. Scott Acker, of the Sun Valley Animal Center, believes "winter isn't a big deal for most dogs—they're acclimatized pretty well" to the change in seasons.
However, Acker says that "common sense goes a long way" when considering possible risks. For example, dogs shouldn't be out in extreme cold—below zero—lest they suffer frostbite, among other things, especially to their ears.
He suggests trimming the hair in their paws to avoid ice caking when they hike.
Also, beware of hiking or running them in snow over their knees. Dr. Acker says his clinic sees many cases of torn ACLs (anterior cruciate ligaments) during the winter caused when a dog's knee hyperextends because of the deep snow, the winter equivalent of a running dog stumbling into a gopher hole.
Another valley veterinarian, Dr. Karsten Fostvedt, of the St. Francis Pet Clinic, suggests dog owners "put yourself in the dog's place. If you're cold, they'll be cold."
Depending on the dog, he said being out in the cold anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours is OK, but not if it's super windy.
Dogs need to be sheltered from extreme wind and dried off if wet and kept in a warm environment. When a dog is shivering constantly, Dr. Fostvedt said, it's a sign it's trying to create heat.
Dr. Fostvedt also recommends trimming fur from dog paws, plus using a spray such as Pam on bottoms of the paws to prevent snow from sticking.
Fostvedt and Acker both warn owners about allowing dogs to walk on frozen streams. They both say several dogs drown each year after breaking through ice.
Goggles, check. Dog food? Photo by Mountain Express
