Is It Safe to Walk Your Dog When It’s Really Really Cold Out?

So I took my dog for a pre-dawn walk in zero-degree weather, and I wasn’t well-prepared.

Large swathes of the country were experiencing unusual cold. Headlines detailed the deaths due to the ice and elements, including deaths from hypothermia. Here in New England, it was bitter cold with dangerous windchills.

Meantime, like many people, I had a dog that needed to be walked.

Our early morning and after-dinner dog-walk habit is set in concrete. In winter, both of these walks are in the dark. As a Christmas gift, Hubby got me a neon reflective vest like traffic cops wear. Now, I shine like a lime-green laser!

But only when I remember to put the damn thing on. Which I forgot to do that morning.

So Lesson #1: Regardless of weather, make sure you can be seen! Wear glowing or reflective gear. 

And so there we were out in the dark arctic cold.

It was so cold, that even with my hands in high-quality insulated gloves and balled into fists and pulled into the sleeves of my full-length sleeping-bag-like down coat, my fingers went numb.

I have Raynaud’s Syndrome, and my fingers turn painful white in the freezer aisle at the supermarket. I should probably wear mittens instead of gloves, and invest in those disposable hand warmers, too.

Not only that, but I forgot something very important. Before winter walks, I usually proactively pull a doggie poop bag from the roll, open it, and stick it in my pocket. Why? I can’t get the flat plastic opening to give with gloves on.

But of course, I forgot to do this, and was forced to expose my skin to the elements. It was either that, or be that bad citizen who ignores their dog’s poop (and probably ends up called out for it on the neighborhood Facebook page).

Lesson #2: Dress and prepare appropriately so that skin is not exposed!

We are intrepid, but ice is an especially risky situation, and it was particularly icy. We had had a snowstorm, but that had partially melted, and then froze solid. Then, we had a fresh layer of fluffy snow on top of that ice. So it was very slick in patches. So much so that when my dog saw a rabbit and pulled at the leash, I skidded a bit, and almost fell.

I just did some research and see that ice cleats are a thing! These are removable metal spikes you can pull over your own sneakers or boots, and they come in all types, for city walking, running or hardcore hiking. Thankfully, The New York Times reviewed a bunch of these ice cleats for us. I am definitely getting a pair, STAT. 

Maybe we need to train the dog not to go after rabbits when on-leash, as well….

Lesson #3: Prevent slipping by wearing some type of ice cleats over your footwear!

We also went really slow because we were avoiding any heavily salted places where there were puddles, lest doggo’s paws got wet, which would put him at risk for frostbite. Yes, Obi is a mostly-Husky mix (with German Shepherd, Collie, Chow Chow and Lab mixed in!) and Huskies love the cold and snow, as he does:

He’s definitely got the thick fur and undercoat, as evidenced by the constant shedding of downy fuzz all over our house. We have underbed fur bunnies the size of actual bunnies.

Huskies also have an extra layer of fat under their paw pads, which helps to protect them from frostbite. Regardless, all dogs are at risk.

It was really, really cold, with wind chills at about 0 degrees. It had snowed the night before, and he loves kicking up fresh snow. He pranced around and did his business and sniff sniff sniffed. Then, he started limping, favoring his back right paw. 

I was alarmed. Maybe despite avoiding the salted puddles, he had a bit of frostbite?

So I read up on this. One of the best articles featured advice from a retired vet who was working at REI for fun.

That vet points out that if your dog’s toenails aren’t clipped regularly, they can be at higher risk for frostbite. This is because longer nails cause the toes to splay out more, thus more likely to collect snow, which can melt and then freeze to ice, causing frostbite.

Booties can help, but only if your dog is acclimated to them. Otherwise they’ll just gnaw at them and pull them off. 

Another option is “musher’s wax”. Apparently sled dog owners use this non-toxic wax on paws to prevent snow and ice from sticking in the first place. This struck me as brilliant!

There are a bunch of types and brands of salves and ointments that will work for this purpose. Here is a pet product review website run by vets that features a variety.

So Lesson #4: Protect their paws!

Make sure your dog’s nails are trimmed; avoid getting paws wet; and use booties or a non-toxic topical product when it’s REALLY cold.

Back to this morning’s limping walk: When we made it home, I inspected his paws. There was nothing stuck between his toes, and his paw pads were all warm and did not appear tender.

Maybe a chunk of rock salt had got caught in there and was irritating him, but it worked its way free on its own?

That REI vet also recommends washing your dog’s paws in warm water to get salt and any chemical de-icer off, which makes sense. Given our recent skunky nightmare, I didn’t think I would be able to get Obi in a tub or even to stick his paws in a bowl of water, so I just wiped them with a warm damp cloth. 

Obi looked so comfy after: 

I’m glad we went for a walk, because a dog has to do their business, and some dogs really really need exercise. But when it’s that cold, we will do more to keep it safe!