[N/A] How cold is too cold for your pet?

[Pi1otguy]

Yesterday someone visited our house in the morning and left their little short haired dog outside in our back yard. And by little I mean she carries it in a large purse. Anyway, it was quite cool that morning (~60*F) and watching that dog sit there in his little Dracula cape made me feel kinda sorry for him and wondering if he was uncomfortably cold. Obviously he wasn't going to get hypothermia or anything, but he just looked cold. Then I started to think about the cat that adopted us for ~15 yrs who would go outside for hours (hunting rodents & birds) even in the low 50s of the cold nights.

Now when I walk at night and see the dogs barking at me, I wonder if it is too cold for them to be outside. BTW, I live in SoCal and there is no snow. So pet owners or pet guardians at what point is it too cold for your dog, cat, parrot, etc to go outside? Do you put jackets, sweaters, etc on them when it gets cold?

 

[mikea]

Yesterday someone visited our house in the morning and left their little short haired dog outside in our back yard. And by little I mean she carries it in a large purse. Anyway, it was quite cool that morning (~60*F) and watching that dog sit there in his little Dracula cape made me feel kinda sorry for him and wondering if he was uncomfortably cold. Obviously he wasn't going to get hypothermia or anything, but he just looked cold. Then I started to think about the cat that adopted us for ~15 yrs who would go outside for hours (hunting rodents & birds) even in the low 50s of the cold nights.

Now when I walk at night and see the dogs barking at me, I wonder if it is too cold for them to be outside. BTW, I live in SoCal and there is no snow. So pet owners or pet guardians at what point is it too cold for your dog, cat, parrot, etc to go outside? Do you put jackets, sweaters, etc on them when it gets cold?

See what I mean? Another California guy that thinks SIXTY DEGREES is cold!

Mostly clear until early morning then becoming partly cloudy. Lows 15 to 19. Light and variable winds early in the evening becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the late evening and overnight.

I let my short hair out in that without a coat. Even I can stand it in shirt sleeves for 5 minutes or so.

Pancho has wandered around and leisurely explored the yard in that. They do have built in coats, ya know.

 

[mikea]

+50 F/ 10 C Wisconsinites plant gardens

+40 F/ 4 C Californians shiver uncontrollably
Wisconsinites sunbathe

+35 F/ 2 C Italian cars don't start

+32 F/0 C Distilled water freezes

+30 F/-1 C You can see your breath
You plan a vacation to Florida
Wisconsinites eat ice cream

+25 F/-4 C Boston's water freezes
Californians weep pitifully
Cats insist on sleeping on your bed

+20 F/-7 C Cleveland's water freezes
San Franciscans start thinking favorably of Los Angeles
Green Bay Packer fans put on T-shirts

+15 F/-10 C You plan a vacation to Acapulco
Cats and dogs insist on sleeping in the bed
Wisconsinites swim with the Polar Bear Club

+10 F/-12 C It's too cold to snow
You need jumper cables to start the car

0 F/-18 C Sheboyganites grill brats on the patio, hey!

-5 F/-21 C You can hear your breath
You plan a vacation to Hawaii

-10 F/-23 C American cars don't start
It's too cold to skate
Ice fishers close the door on their shanties

-15 F -26 C You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo
Wisconsinites lick flagpoles

-20 F/-29 C Cats sleep in your pajamas with you
People in La Crosse think about taking down their screens

-25 F/-32 C It's too cold to kiss outside
You need jumper cables to get the driver going
The Milwaukee Brewers head for Spring Training

-30 F/-34 C You plan a two-week hot bath
Pilsner freezes
Bock beer production begins
Wisconsinites shovel snow off the roof

-40 F/-40 C Californians disappear
Wisconsinites put on sweaters

-50 F/-46 C Alaskans close the bathroom window
Green Bay Packers practice indoors

-60 F/-51 C Walruses abandon the Aleutian Islands
Sign on Mount St. Helens: "Closed for the Season"
Wisconsinites put away their gloves and take out the mittens
Boy Scouts in Eau Claire start the Klondike Derby

-70 F/-57 C Hudson residents replace their diving boards with hockey nets
Green Bay snowmobilers organize a trans-lake race to Sault Ste. Marie

-80 F/-62 C Polar bears abandon Baffin Island
Fastest race ever at the Birkebeiner
Girl Scouts in Eau Claire start their Klondike Derby

-90 F/-68 C The edge of Antarctica reaches Rio de Janeiro
Minnesotans migrate to Wisconsin thinking it MUST be warmer

-100 F/-73 C Santa abandons the North Pole
Wisconsinites pull down their ear flaps

-173 F/-114 C Ethyl alcohol freezes
Only Door County cherries are usable in Brandy Old Fashioneds

-297 F/-183 C Oxygen precipitates from the atmosphere
Microbial life survives only on dairy products

-445 F/-265 C Superconductivity

-452 F/-269 C Helium liquefies

-454 F/-270 C Hell freezes over

-456 F/-271 C Illinois drivers drop below 85 mph on I-90

-460 F/-273 C All atomic motion ceases
Wisconsinites allow that it's getting a mite nippy

http://www.wnrmag.com/stories/1996/dec96/weather.htm

 

[fgcason]

My friends red healer has no problem going out in 4 feet of snow at -15F for hours on end. He thinks deep snow is the greatest thing since tennis balls and green aliens. The crazy dog will walk through freezing water and it doesn't seem to bother him at all.
We hike about 2 hours / 3 miles at sunrise (lots of delays called 'get the rock runrunrunrun') twice a week in whatever the weater throws at us.

It has to be around single digits for me to put a coat on anymore. Double digits is leave the coat behind weather. (Last winter I was outside for over an hour chasing a refrigerator electrical problem in jeans/thermals, a flannel shirt, boots or deep snow, a fuzzy hat and glove liners. I went inside and looked at the thermometer. It was 0F)
Inside temperatures this time of year: Day=55-58F (very comfortable) Night=45-50F (any warmer and I combust)

 

[Ted]

50-60 degrees cold? Geez. Feel free to come to Pennsylvania for a bit - we've been enjoying warm 25-35 degree temps most days here.

The correct answer really comes down to your particular dog, but no dog should find 50-60 degrees cold, unless it's sick. Same for humans - so you SoCal folk must be ill and should have some chicken soup and orange juice.

My rottie grows a winter coat, which is a bit thicker than his normal summer coat, but even then it's not that much, just some thick, fluffy gray hairs under his black top coat. I prefer to leave him outside when I can, as he's significantly happier when I do, gets more exercise, has more things going on to keep his mind busy, and removes any chance of him making a mess in my house. What bugs him more is when there gets to be enough snow that he packs it down on the hill he runs around on and it turns into ice. Makes for an entertaining show. When it gets to be about 15 and windy, that's when he will sit at the end of the porch and look at me like "LET ME IN!" The threshold for me is about a morning temp when I leave for work of 40 degrees for leaving him outside for the day. Below that, I'll leave him in the basement for the day, putting him outside in the morning before work, afternoon when I get home, and evening before bed to fertilize my grass. The main reason then isn't even for him, it's because of the fact that my neighbors have already called the SPCA on me twice (by the way, I volunteer there, rehabilitating the abused/trained attack dogs, and my dog and I were featured in the local newspaper a few months back for how great and rewarding dog ownership is) and the SPCA told me they're sick of having to deal with my neighbors bitching.

Anyways, 50-60 degrees? Make the dog toughen up. And take the thing out of the purse and let it run around a bit - that's probably what's bugging it more than the temperature.

Here's my puppy and me:

 

[Ken Ibold]

My Samoyed likes to sleep outside when it gets below 50 at night. We have a show pen on the patio for her to sleep in, as she's a little too active to leave her loose in the yard.

I know what you mean about 60 being cold. My son makes me drive him to school on the bike, but if it's below 50 I refuse.

 

[Ted]

I know what you mean about 60 being cold. My son makes me drive him to school on the bike, but if it's below 50 I refuse.

You need better gear!

Over Christmas and New Years I was riding my motorcycle around in 35 degree weather, while perfectly warm and comfy. It's all in the gear.

 

[steingar]

Damn pansies. I only stopped riding my bike because I was slipping on the ice.

 

[rottydaddy]

LOL- I doubt any place in California is ever too cold for any dog, even a Chihuauha (or "Kee-hooah hooah").

The Pegster used to spend whole days out back in her doghouse with temps below freezing when I lived up near Bear Mt.... Rotts have short but very dense coats, with a winter undercoat, even.
But they do appreciate warm... she was always happy to come in and lie by the fire.

 

[woodstock]

since you asked "pets" I can say my cats don't go outside, period - ever. I will let them out on the deck when I'm out there with my cup of coffee/glass of wine (pick your time of day, and only in spring/summer/fall) but that's it.

 

[etsisk]

shoot - our guys are HAPPIEST when it gets down to 20 degrees or so!

 

[Everskyward]

60 degrees is cold? I keep my house at 58 when I'm not here and at night when I am asleep. My poor cats!

I think "too cold" depends on both the breed and if the individual animal is acclimated to the temperature. Here is a picture of my cat, who is an indoor cat with a wimpy house cat coat, wishing she was outside with the neighbor cat who doesn't seem to mind the cold at all. Of course, if my cat got out, she would be inside in an instant. Ewww, what is this cold wet, white stuff...

 

[woodstock]

60 degrees is cold? I keep my house at 58 when I'm not here and at night when I am asleep. My poor cats!

I think "too cold" depends on both the breed and if the individual animal is acclimated to the temperature. Here is a picture of my cat, who is an indoor cat with a wimpy house cat coat, wishing she was outside with the neighbor cat who doesn't seem to mind the cold at all. Of course, if my cat got out, she would be inside in an instant. Ewww, what is this cold wet, white stuff...

what a beautiful Maine Coon!

What kind of cat do you have?

Mine likewise - if they went out they'd be back in a flash. brrrrrrr

A few days ago I was taking pictures of the birds that roost in the tree behind my house (stark tree, blue sky, sun hitting it at the perfect time of the morning...) and when I opened the door the one cat shot out on the deck to chatter at them. I have french doors so just to tease her I closed the door and stood inside looking out at her. Mom! why'd you do that! She zoomed right back to the door and I let her in.

 

[Everskyward]

What kind of cat do you have?

Actually I have, um, three cats and they are all of the Heinz 57 variety.

The kitty from my avatar, 13 years later

The kitty who wanted to play outside with the Maine Coon

My favorite boy kitty -- the other two are girls

 

[woodstock]

lovely cats!

Mine were rescue cats, someone left them at a vet's office when they were two weeks old. They were raised by people from that time (including feeding them with eyedroppers) so they love people. I have had them 4 years, next month.

 

[Ted]

I think "too cold" depends on both the breed and if the individual animal is acclimated to the temperature. Here is a picture of my cat, who is an indoor cat with a wimpy house cat coat, wishing she was outside with the neighbor cat who doesn't seem to mind the cold at all. Of course, if my cat got out, she would be inside in an instant. Ewww, what is this cold wet, white stuff...

My friend's cat has a similar response when it's cold out - he makes it about 2 feet outside before, as my friend puts it, he goes "****ING COLD!!!" and bolts back inside the apartment.

It needs to be under 20 for my dog to really care, but even then he's just really eager to get inside after going potty.

And yes, Mari, you have pretty cats.

 

[Ken Ibold]

You need better gear!

Over Christmas and New Years I was riding my motorcycle around in 35 degree weather, while perfectly warm and comfy. It's all in the gear.

When I lived in Wisconsin, I rode year-round -- well, I'd take a bus when it went below zero. But I have reached that age that just because I CAN do something, it does not mean I WILL do it!

 

[woodstock]

since we are showing family photos:

 

[Everskyward]

Mine were rescue cats, someone left them at a vet's office when they were two weeks old. They were raised by people from that time (including feeding them with eyedroppers) so they love people.

My cats are the opposite. They don't get to see many people other than myself so when someone comes over they disappear.

since we are showing family photos:

Awww, you're cats are beautiful!

 

[woodstock]

thanks! they are soooooooo sweet. They wait by the door for me to get home and follow me everywhere.

 

[Pi1otguy]

60 degrees is cold? I keep my house at 58 when I'm not here and at night when I am asleep. My poor cats!

I've been trying to slip the thermostat below 68 for a while now. I've always assumed that me being younger, taller, or male-er (sic) then everyone else made me a warm person.

I think "too cold" depends on both the breed and if the individual animal is acclimated to the temperature.

I guess my concern was more about the smallness of the dog. I just figured that being small and short haired meant he'd lose his body heat a lot faster then me standing in the same weather with pants and a shirt. He was concentrating so hard on staying on the welcome mat that I just couldn't tell how he felt about the weather. (my empathic abilities are poor on animals I don't know)

 

[mikea]

Here she is on the deck....waiting for me but not in a particular hurry to get back in. That IS snow out there. Current temp is 34 degrees, It wasn't that warm earlier. I also went out there in short sleeves to enjoy the sunshine for a few minutes.

Last night after letting her out I walked away to go back working on my dinner. She came to the door and saw I wasn't there. She headed off the to the left. I think she was going to look for a place out of the wind. Smart girl.

 

[imQ]

Damn pansies. I only stopped riding my bike because I was slipping on the ice.

13 degrees was the coldest I rode last year. If it's not snow or ice, I'm riding. So much so, I sold my truck because I wasn't using it any more..

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Awww, you're cats are beautiful!

mini-mouse and katie

 

[Dave Rains]

OK folks, a little lesson in thermo dynamics. Water freezes here at 68F. A proven fact, as my knees start to knock, and coffee starts to look better than beer! Anyone who lives north of El Paso is crazy.
Dave

 

[mikea]

OK folks, a little lesson in thermo dynamics. Water freezes here at 68F. A proven fact, as my knees start to knock, and coffee starts to look better than beer! Anyone who lives north of El Paso is crazy.
Dave

Really?! What a coinkidink! Water boils away here at 75 degrees!

 

[kevin47881]

Our dogs are outside all day unless highs are going to be in the teens (it does happen a few times/year). And there is no way in God's green earth I'm putting clothes on my dogs. We have a word down here for folks that do that but I'll refrain

 

[Pi1otguy]

And there is no way in God's green earth I'm putting clothes on my dogs. We have a word down here for folks that do that but I'll refrain

Baby Boomers?

 

[Ghery]

Baby Boomers?

Not this one!

And I remember our cats when I was a kid. Outside cats, Mom did not want them in the house. It hit -60 one night. They had curled up together in a storage closet in the carport and made it through just fine.

60 isn't cold!!! Probably won't see 60 here for a few more months.

 

[woodstock]

Mike and Dave - cute "kids"!

 

[Missa]

Wow Mari, that black and red one is quite unusual and beautiful.

 

[bsdunek]

Yes, it depends on the dog - some have pretty thin coats. A Whippet for instance, or worse yet, a Blue Doberman. Even with those I wouldn't worry about 60F.
Reilly, my Corgi goes ice fishing with me - we can be out all day and he's fine. Of course, he's found that other ice fisherman have food and will accomodate a cute dog.B)

 

[Capjac]

OK, don't freak out on me as an animal abuser, but my pup stays out 24/7 year round. Summer time is a different story. Any time she cannot sleep due to panting, in the basement she goes. The only time she comes in during winter is when I cannot keep her water from freezing right away. She is a Belgium Malinois and absolutley loves the cold weather and snow. (Born in Holland) She will be on top of her doghouse when I go out to let her run around tonight. She has an elevated doghouse stuffed with hay and plenty of wind breaks. (It will get to 22F tonight) It is truly dependant on the dog and what they are used to. She has been outside her whole life and has only recently learned some "indoor" manners!(9 years old) Now, the Yorkie is a different story!

 

[Ted]

Capjac, you've got your dog figured out! A lot of dogs are happier outside, no matter how cold it is.

 

[wby0nder]

It totally depends on the dog. Cold and heat extremes cause stress and can affect health and lifespan. That's just a fact of life, biology, and physics.

Dogs have an incredible ability to endure. It's immoral to take advantage of that.

Many people take better care of their cars than their dogs.

My Labrador when I was a kid could run around all day in the snow in temps around zero F and only wanted more and faster sticks, balls, and sleds to chase. I remember ice skating one day for 4 or 5 hours cross country on a river and he chased along doing at least triple the distance up and down the riverbank, through the woods, usually carrying a huge stick and swimming in any open water he could find. The temp was SEVEN F. He slept in the house but on the floor and would have preferred to be outside most of the time.

However, by the time he was 10 years old he had to be kept warm at night or would shivver hypothermically. He wouldn't complain but it made him stiff and sore. If you've ever spent a night sleeping outside on the ground in freezing temps with insufficient insulation you might think twice about making your best friend endure the same. It might be a good torture technique, if you're into that.

Even the hardiest sled dogs need a little TLC when they get old or they simply die.

My Whippet loved to be out in the snow if she could keep moving. Leaving a dog like that out in anything under 50 F without protection is just cruel. Sure clothes on dogs look silly but some of them actually need it where we live. Down around zero our Yorkie, Whippet (RIP), and Pug/Beagle actually lose the ability to walk after about 5 minutes because their feet freeze! I've had to go out in the yard and carry them in sometimes because they simply can't walk or even stand. Sounds funny but they'd probably die if left unattended. You can't just assume that because they are dogs they can take it. Humans have bred the hardyness out of many breeds and it's up to us to do our part.

Current dogs are nightly employed in keeping ME and my wife warm. The Rotty only lasts about 5 minutes before leaping to the floor panting so it's up to the Yorkie and Puggle to supply the BTUs to our feet. It's a dogs life but somebody's got to do it.

 

[Ted]

Matt, by the time most larger dogs that I've seen hit the age of 10 (or even smaller dogs), they tend to start having health problems regardless of what else they do, similar to humans. There's a certain point where, no matter what you do, things wear out.

Dogs are a lot tougher than we are. Humans frequently personify animals and think about "Well, I wouldn't like [whatever]." This argument doesn't work in all cases - female emperor penguins go and swim around in sub-freezing waters to collect food while the males huddle around in a circle for 6 months in the beyond ridiculously cold weather to nurture an egg. Not saying they like it, per se, but obviously they can handle it. We sure couldn't. It sounds like your particular dogs are made for much warmer climates than where you live. My Rottie loves the cold. When he starts getting annoyed is in the summer!

My dog would overheat pretty quickly under the blankets, but it sure didn't take him long to realize that there's a reason humans sleep in my bed, which is his favorite place to take a nap now.

 

[gkainz]

(It will get to 22F tonight)

I think we're going to warm up to 22°F today! We let our Akita/Shepherd in at night when it gets below 0°. Not because she really needs to be in, but she's got my wife conned into thinking she should be.

 

[Capjac]

I think we're going to warm up to 22°F today! We let our Akita/Shepherd in at night when it gets below 0°. Not because she really needs to be in, but she's got my wife conned into thinking she should be.

And I would appreciate you keeping that cold weather out West! When you are done with it, send it North!

 

[CJones]

I have two Labs - a 6 y/o Yellow and his son, a 3 y/o Black. We got the black (Moses) as a pup and kept him inside till ~1 y/o. After that, he would stay outside in his kennel/run during the day, but we would let him inside when we got home from work to lay (yeah right) around until we went to bed at which time he went back outside to my custom-built doggy domicile. Last Feb for Valentine's day, I went to get Moses's dad - Schnapps. We tried having both of them in the house in the evenings for a while, but two labs + very small house = disaster. Now they both stay outside exclusively. We have a heated water bowl, and the house I built is heavy enough to block wind very well. In the winter, I include a nice heat lamp, a rubber mat on the floor covered with a thick layer of wheat-straw. When I go out to water them every morning and when I get home in the afternoon, they are always excited to see me and I haven't seen any "Please sir, may we come inside, it is sooo cold out here" in the past 3 winters. This weekend, we are looking at HIGH temps around 3F for Saturday with wind-chills in the -20F range. I went today and bought another bail of straw, and I'll probably put a 100W bulb in the lamp, but other than that, they are fine and dandy. Their coat thickness at least doubles this time of year - when I took them out hunting last September, I could turn them inside-out with the e-collar (Schnapps started chasing the farmer's chickens). By the last time I took them out in December, their fur was so thick, that the electrodes couldn't reach down to their skin. Luckily, Schnapps is a fast learner, and has chosen to ignore chickens, though. The e-collar isn't really used at this point - they are so well trained that simply having it around their neck knows that "we are serious now".

The little dog mentioned by the O.P. sounds like an exclusively inside-dog. If that's the case, I could understand it shivering in 60F wind since it has never had the natural tendency to develop a thick coat.

 

[wby0nder]

Matt, by the time most larger dogs that I've seen hit the age of 10 (or even smaller dogs), they tend to start having health problems regardless of what else they do, similar to humans. There's a certain point where, no matter what you do, things wear out.


Very true but I also see a lot of people give up on their dogs when they start having problems just because they think 10 is old and besides they're just dogs after all. I've seen that in many cases very simple cheap improvements in care can give a dog years of quality life. It's really gratifying to take an arthritic, overweight, stinky, dull, unhappy, old dog and bring him back to life with good diet, appropriate exercise, a little medication as needed, and a bit of comfort. I'm not talking about heroic life extending measures that cost a fortune. Sure, in the wild they'd be dead but they're not in the wild. Maybe I'm a little TOO dedicated to my dogs. There are some big chunks of my life that would have been intolerable if not for dogs so I'm admittedly biased.

MM