Can my hound dog's ears get frost bite in the winter?

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   sulcatamandyposted 10 years ago

   Can my hound dog's ears get frost bite in the winter?
   
   My hound dog has 13-inch-long ears. They often drag in his water bowl, or on the ground, and I imagine in the snow this winter. I was just wondering if my hound dog can get frost bite on his ears and what I can do to keep his ears and paws warm. This will be our first winter somewhere it snows...
   
   

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   sheilamyersposted 10 years ago

   The answer is yes. His ears dragging in the snow or being wet when he goes outside can cause frostbite sooner, but unless you leave him outside for long periods of time, you probably won't have to worry about it. As with you, it will take time for him to get acclimated to the colder weather, so start with short trips outside and then gradually increase the time. The best rule of thumb is if your ears are getting too cold, his probably are too. My dad had "mutt" that had long ears (not quite as long as your dog's) and it loved to put his nose to the ground and "snowplow" the snow out of his way. He'd spend over an hour doing that and never got frostbite. I'm not sure if your can buy anything to help keep his ears warm, but pet stores sell everything else so they might have something.

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      sulcatamandyposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I was thinking of having a custom hat made for him. He is a very active and outdoorsy type dog so I know he will be playing in the snow a lot.

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      sheilamyersposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      After I logged off yesterday I started picturing a sock on each ear and somehow tied to the top of his head.

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