Health
Shivering after ten minutes, lifting his paws off the snow, licking his pads after a gritted pavement. Winter brings three different problems, and one is urgent.
Caution. A floppy, sleepy, cold dog who has stopped shivering, pale gums, pale grey hard skin on the ears, tail or pads, or vomiting and wobbling after licking his paws or drinking from puddles: ring your own vet today. Warm him gradually with blankets, never with direct heat.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
January, minus ten, and your short-coated dog is shivering ten minutes into the walk. He lifts one front paw and then the other, as if the snow were burning him. Or your outdoor dog spent a night of blizzard in his kennel and is moving stiffly in the morning. Or, after a pavement covered in grit, he licks his paws until they bleed. Winter brings three separate problems. The first is cold pulling his body temperature down, which is hypothermia. The second is frostbite on the ear tips, tail or pads. The third is irritation from road salt and de-icers. This page covers when it is urgent, what to look for and what not to do at home, because some winter "remedies" do more harm than the cold.
Dogs do not cope with cold equally. A husky or a Carpathian Shepherd with a dense coat is fine outside at temperatures that have a greyhound, a Chihuahua or a Boxer shivering within minutes. The most at risk are small dogs and short-coated dogs without an undercoat. After them come puppies and old dogs, thin or ill dogs (heart, kidneys, thyroid), wet dogs and dogs standing still in the wind. A wet dog at minus two in the wind loses heat faster than a dry one at minus ten.
Go to the vet or ring now if you see any of these:
Take him into a warm room and dry him thoroughly with towels. Wrap him in blankets or towels warmed on the radiator, warm and no more, and leave his head uncovered. If he is conscious and swallowing normally, offer lukewarm water. Keep him wrapped on the way. Warm him gradually, with things that hold heat close to his body, and never put anything hot directly on him.
| What you see | What it may be | How you can tell |
|---|---|---|
| Shivering, lifting paws, looking for shelter | Cold, mild hypothermia | Passes in 15–30 minutes indoors once dry |
| Floppy, sleepy, no longer shivering, cold | Moderate or severe hypothermia | Does not recover indoors: emergency |
| Ear or tail tip pale, cold, hard | Frostbite | Colour does not return; hours later, redness, pain, blisters |
| Red, cracked pads, licking constantly | Irritation from salt or cold | Improves after washing and a rest; keep an eye on them |
| Vomiting, thirst, drooling after a walk | Salt swallowed while licking, or antifreeze | Antifreeze is an emergency even with no signs |
| An old dog shivering even indoors | Cold, but also pain or a hormonal or heart condition | Book a check-up |
At our winter training sessions, the dogs wait between trails on a dry blanket or in the car, not lying on tarmac or ice, and we check their paws at the end. It takes a minute and is worth doing after any winter walk.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
He shivers, tucks his tail, lifts his paws off the snow in turn, slows down, looks for shelter or pulls towards home. That is your cue to cut the walk short. If the shivering does not stop indoors once he is dry, or he turns floppy and sleepy, ring your own vet: it may be hypothermia.
There is no single figure that fits every dog. A northern breed with a thick coat is comfortable at minus ten, while a small short-coated dog shivers a few degrees above zero. Wind and being wet make a big difference. Watch your dog rather than the thermometer: shivering and lifted paws tell you when he has had enough.
The affected skin, usually the ear tips, tail, scrotum or pads, is pale, grey or bluish at first, cold and hard. After warming it turns red, swollen and painful, sometimes with blisters, and over the next few days it may go black. Do not rub it; warm it slowly and see the vet.
Yes. It dries and cracks the pads, and a dog who licks his paws swallows it and can get vomiting and diarrhoea; in large amounts it is toxic. Wash his paws in lukewarm water and dry them after every walk, use paw wax or boots, and do not let him drink from street puddles.
Yes if he is small, short-coated with no undercoat, thin, a puppy or old: a waterproof, lined coat that covers the chest and belly. Northern breeds and dogs with dense coats usually do not need one. The coat must be dry, because a wet one chills him more than no coat at all.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
He shakes at fireworks, in the cold, with excitement before a walk. Or he shakes, drools, goes floppy and found the chocolate. A thirty-second video tells them apart.
Rusty stains between the toes, red skin, slurping on the sofa every evening. Pododermatitis only names what you see; a diary and photos find the cause sooner.
Half a bar of dark chocolate missing, the grape stalk bare, the sock gone. Gather the wrapper, work out how much he ate and call. Do not make him sick yourself.
A grey muzzle, longer sleeps, stiff getting up in the morning. An older dog needs closer watching, more frequent check-ups and a home that suits the body he has now.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.