EDUCATION CORNER:
Three Dog Night
It will be a co~o~o~ld night tonight. The lows will
be in the “three to four dog range” with the
windsreaching up to one or more.
As reported in the Aleutian Islands
The Eskimo tribes of Alaska determine temperature based upon how
many dogs they bring in to cuddle within order to stay warm
throughout the night. The Eskimos cherished their dogs as much as
they did each other. They pioneered the use of dog teams, as a
means of motivation in some of the harshest and foulest winter
weather. Keeping their dogs running (literally) in the wintertime
was a necessity of life. So, if you really want to know how to
take care of your dogs for the winter, then you take them to an
Eskimo for a winter tune-up.
Tune-up your radio, and heed the “Call of the Wild” or
domestic in our case.
If our English Setters spend the majority of their time outside
or live in Wisconsin then consider the following for a warmer,
more comfortable, and safer winter season:
· A house that is insulated and free of drafts is
necessary. It should be big enough for them to stand,
turn-a-round in, and lay comfortably but small enough for
their body heat to assist in keeping room temperature warm.
Sleeping in the garage is not enough. They deserve their own
house.
· The opening should be covered with a flap that allows ease
of entry and exit. Using an old braided rug or heavy burlap
can act as a good insulated door. The opening should be
turned away from the wind preventing snow and ice build-up or
cold air drafts.
· Their bed should be an insulator itself. Their body should
heat the air space between the bedding material. It should
also wick away the moisture that they might bring in from
outside. Leaves or old clothing is not a good idea. These
articles will soak up moisture and freeze. Check their bed
regularly. Don’t put their beds directly on a floor.
Make sure there is an air space between the bed they sleep on
and the floor underneath them.
· When the wind chill drops the temperature considerably,
then bring them in. A good ‘rule of thumb’ should
be; if you won’t stay out then neither should they.
· They need water. Make sure their water is not frozen. You
might want to purchase bowls that have heaters to keep it
from freezing. (There are other considerations with these
bowls, i.e. electrical cords.) DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN WATER
TO LOWER ITS FREEZING POINT.
· To keep warm, they will burn more calories, so you might
consider increasing their caloric intake. Increasing their
food consumption or going to a more calorie-enriched food
could address this issue. If cold weather restricts their
exercise, then you should consider reducing their caloric
intake to avoid an increase in excessive weight. ( I should
heed my own advice.)
· Our guys and girls can suffer from frostbite and
hypothermia, even in early winter. Frostbite is most common
on their paws and their ears. Early signs of frostbite do not
readily appear. Signs to watch for are swollen paws or
thickening of the leather on the ears and/or them fussing
with the frost bitten area. The skin might appear reddish
gray white, scaly, and peeling. If this happens, then seek
veterinary care immediately. Wrap them in warm dry blankets
and apply warm (NOT HOT) water bottle to the affected area to
encourage blood flow. DO NOT RUB OR MASSAGE! If you observe
that they are lethargic and not moving around as much as they
normally would after being outside, then you can suspect
hypothermia.
Follow the same procedure as you would with frostbite and get
them to a veterinarian immediately. Hypothermia can be fatal.
· Good grooming practice is essential, more in the
wintertime than the summertime. Matted coats are NOT good
insulators. Remember that their hair is literally a coat that
traps heat from their body that warms the air surrounding
their body. Matted hair prevents this. If they are matted,
don’t cut the mats out but strip them out. Cutting a mat
out would be like me cutting a hole out of your best coat
that you wear outside on the COLDEST days.
· Snowballs turn into iceballs. When they accumulate on
their coats, especially when it is between their paws, it can
be very painful. Have you ever had a stone bruise? They can
get them also from the iceballs that get in-between their
toes. They will try to bite the snowballs out of their coat
and paws. They will chew their coat off or chew on their paws
until they bleed. If enough snow accumulates on their coat,
it can immobilize them. (I have had to go and carry my guys
back numerous times because they got so bogged down with
snowballs that they can’t go on any further. They
literally quit.) Keep an eye on them!
Use warm water to melt the iceballs on their coats. Do not
use HOT water. That would be just like the opposite of you
sticking your turn to a frozen metal pole. Yes! . . . It
takes longer to melt the iceballs with warm water but it is a
lot more comfortable to them. We often forget that their body
temperature is not the same as ours. Their body temperature
is anywhere from 2-5 degrees higher than ours is. That’s
a lot! It is a BIG difference and a BIG deal.
· A dry coat often raises its ugly head in the wintertime.
Dry air increases the chances of this happening. A humidifier
in the dogroom can reduce the chances. It also prevents a
buildup of static electricity in their coat. They can get a
shock out of it. If you have a English Setter that tends to
be timid then this could compound the shyness. You can do a
test for electricity. Turn off the light and let them walk
across a carpeted room on a very cold night. You will
literally see sparks flying. Humidity in the air reduces this
considerably.
· Antifreeze is highly poisonous. It would be to them like
candy is to a child. It is sweet tasting and smells good to
them. It will shut down their ENTIRE system within a few
days, resulting in death. Even a small amount will kill. It
is not unusual for cars to overheat in the wintertime and the
cars’ cooling system leak onto the ground and form an
antifreeze puddle. That puddle has a lower freezing point and
is attractive to them. THIS INCLUDES WASHER FLUIDS FOR
WINDSHIELDS.
· Chemicals used to melt snow on sidewalks can irritate
their paws. In some cases it can be absorbed into their
system through their paws or they might lick it off. It is a
good practice to get into the habit of wiping their feet with
a WARM rag to clean their feet of any excessive chemical
residue. If their paws look irritated or raw, apply a thin
coat of petroleum jelly. They make commercial boots for dogs.
We have a number of pairs that we use because it does get
cold in Wisconsin. Once our guys get use to them, then they
don’t mind them. Of course, the key is getting use to
them. (Boots could be hard to find right now
because of the need in the search and rescue efforts at the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon.)
Excessive salt (sodium chloride) is also dangerous.
Especially the absorption through their paws into their
system.
· Cold weather can compromise health, especially chronic
disease, such as heart and lung disease. Consult your
veterinarian for comfortable ‘time outs’ for your
area that you live in. Don’t stop using preventative
flea and tick products if you live in area that does not
receive freezing weather for extended periods of time. (My
family in Mississippi uses flea and tick products year round
on their dogs and their yard.)
If you need to bundle-up, so does your English Setter. If you
are going for an extended time out, then get them a coat too.
They get cold also! Even Burberry and Coach make coats for
dogs. Use some common sense. Do not assume that just because
they have a fur coat they don’t need assistance. They
depend on you. When you prepare your home and family for the
winter, don’t forget about our English Setters. Make it
a ‘Three Dog Night’ because ‘one is the
loneliest number’. Help them enjoy the season, ‘tis
the season’ to be jolly! A Safe
and Happy New Year to our English Setters around the World.
Public Education Chairperson
Eddie Johnson
Send mail to dnjmates @ air-speed.net with questions or
comments about this web site.
Copyright © 1997-2007 English Setter
Association Of America. All Rights Reserved. Forms may be printed
or downloaded for personal use only.
Last modified: March 09, 2008