Dog Hypothermia and Frostbite: What to Do Right Now

What to do right now

Step 1: Bring your dog inside to a warm, dry room and call your vet or an emergency clinic. Step 2: Dry wet fur gently by patting with a towel, because wet or damp coats lose heat far faster. Step 3: Wrap your dog in dry blankets or towels warmed in the dryer, and keep movement to a minimum while you warm them, as the AKC advises.

Step 4: Wrap hot water bottles in a towel so they never touch the skin. Step 5: Keep your dog wrapped up in the car on the way. Mild cases may respond to blankets alone, but moderate and severe cases need warming that only a vet can do safely.

If you think it is frostbite

Frostbite most often affects the ears, tail, nose and paws, the parts farthest from the heart. VCA advises warming the area with water between 98.6°F and 113°F, testing it with your hand first, and then patting it dry gently. Only start thawing if you can keep the area warm afterward, because tissue that thaws and refreezes is damaged even more.

Never rub or massage frostbitten skin, and never use a heating pad, hair dryer or hot water. Do not give any pain medicine unless your vet says so: VCA warns that human drugs such as acetaminophen and aspirin can be toxic to dogs.

Signs of hypothermia, mild to severe

Early hypothermia usually starts with shivering and curling up tightly for warmth. The AKC describes the heart rate rising first and then slowing, and breathing that speeds up before becoming slow and shallow. As it worsens, dogs become sluggish, with delayed reflexes, pale gums and dilated pupils, and in severe cases they lose consciousness.

The AKC grades hypothermia by body temperature: mild at 90 to 99°F, moderate at 82 to 90°F, and severe below 82°F. A dog's normal temperature is about 99 to 102.5°F. If your dog has stopped shivering but is still cold and dull, that is not improvement. It can mean the body is too cold to keep shivering, so go to the vet now.

Signs of frostbite

Look for pale, gray or bluish skin, skin that feels cold or brittle, and pain when you touch it. As it thaws, the area often turns red and swollen, and blisters or skin ulcers can appear. In serious cases the skin turns black, which means the tissue has died. Dogs often lick or chew at an injured ear tip or toe.

VCA notes that frostbite signs can take several days to appear, especially on the tail tip or ears, so after severe cold ask your vet to check your dog even if everything looks normal tonight.

Which dogs are most at risk

Small dogs, short-coated and hairless breeds, puppies and senior dogs lose body heat fastest, according to the AKC. Wet fur is a big risk factor at any size, as is wind. Dogs with heart disease, diabetes or other conditions that reduce blood flow to the paws and ears are more prone to frostbite, VCA notes.

The AKC says frostbite risk starts once temperatures fall below 32°F and can begin in as little as 30 minutes. Cold-weather breeds cope better, but no breed is immune to long exposure, especially when wet.

What the vet will likely do, and preventing it

Your vet will check your dog's temperature, warm them in a controlled way and treat shock if needed. For frostbite, VCA describes pain relief, antibiotics if tissue may be dying and, in severe cases, removal of dead tissue.

Prevent it by keeping winter walks short, drying your dog before they go out and after they come in, using a coat and boots for small or thin-coated dogs, and never leaving a dog outside or in a car in extreme cold.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.