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Puppy in Cold Climate

2K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  sweetness 
#1 ·
Madison is 6 months old... We live in downtown Chicago, and obviously the weather has really cooled down here. We've been single digits the last few days, and today was a warmup to 25ish but pretty damp. There's snow and salt on the ground, and we have to walk on the sidewalk to get to a snowy area to play.

When it was single digits, and again today, Madison was carrying her back left leg. I've seen dogs do this before when they're cold, my pug tends to carry a leg, and often he'll alternate them, but she always tends to do the back left.

I was previously worried about her hips, and she does walk with some puppy swagger, but we had radiographs done on Tuesday, and the vet was confident they look good. I've been really nervous the last few weeks about them, and even I must say that her hips looked really good with a wide coverage, so i don't think it's that. The vet did say her knees and toes sometimes crack (which we've noticed occasionally) but it didn't seem to be a concern.

Anyhow, would you think it's just the shock of the ice-cold concrete on her paws that's causing her to carry this back one? Within 5 seconds of coming inside she's back to normal, and even after it's up off the concrete for 20 or so seconds she'll sometimes hesitantly put it back down, although she walks pretty gingerly on it, limping a little even (which has me the most concerned). Within seconds of being inside she's pretty much normal again.

Over-concerned?:confused::bowl:
 
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#3 ·
It could be the cold but more likely it is the salt on the sidewalk. I've never tried the boots knowing my guys would likely take them off. I use a product called Mushers Secret before walking on salty sidewalks. It also helps sticky snow from jamming up between their toes.
 
#5 ·
It's likely the salt. I used to live in New York and my dogs HATED salt. Thanks for the tip on Musher's Secret - our old guy Reuben used to have a terrible time with snow between his toes (he used to sit down and refuse to move - all 95 pounds of him). I'll try it on Wakefield.
 
#10 ·
Henry, my four month old golden cried once when I took him out in the snow. He screamed while carrying his back left foot. I almost died but when I took him to the vet, who laughed, said wouldn't I cry if I was walking bare foot in the snow?

I have a new vet now, not for this though, but maybe there was some truth here.
 
#11 ·
It is the cold

Two of my three goldens have done that. Both dogs had to be carried into the house when they refused to move. It funny how they process the info that their feet are cold. I bought boots and need them only when the temps go down below 10F. If there is snow cover they usually don't have a problem. It only bothers my boy, his sister is unaffected. Alex
 
#12 ·
Thanks for all the input. I'm glad I'm not going crazy. I'm also wondering if she stepped on a manhole cover, which I can imagine would burn from the cold. The one day it was probably only 5 degrees, but yesterday was a good 20-25ish. I'm thinking it's either the salt or extreme cold/concrete, plus she's been walking on the salt for a few days so her pads may be sensetive. It did bother me that it was consistently her back left, but I'll keep an eye on her and I'm going to look for that musher's secret. She has yet to reach her limit playing in the snow, but the concrete seems to get her quick!


Thanks for all the comments and suggestions!
 
#13 ·
Last winter, Walter tore one of his toenails off, and he had to wear a boot when we went out. He HATED it, and it was tough to keep it in place.

I agree it is probably the salt, and you should do a good paw washing everytime you get back inside. If she got the slightest cut or sore on a pad, and it gets irritated everytime you go outside, it'll never heal.
 
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