Image courtesy of NWS

With extremely cold temperatures across the state, it’s a good time to go over safety reminders for our canine friends.

Dr. Christy Fields, a veterinarian with Companion Veterinary Clinic of Greene County says avoid having dogs outside if possible when wind chills get very low because they can develop hypothermia and frostbite just like humans.

“If you just think of the amount of time that you spend outside when there’s a very low wind chill, the same thing for the pets. The ears specifically in cats and dogs, and sometimes the tips of the tails, the circulation isn’t great in that area to begin with. So it can be damaged very easily in the cold.” 

Dr. Fields says the signs and symptoms for dogs with beginning stages of hypothermia include lethargic, not responsive, laying cold and not shivering. She adds that by bringing the animal inside the home generally warms them. 

The National Weather Service still has a wind chill warning in effect for Greene, Dallas and Guthrie counties until Tuesday, with wind chills between 25 and 45 degrees below zero.