Too Cold

It is really cold right now.

It is painfully cold. The wind chill really really has a significant impact at these temperatures.

Today we bundled up to take the dogs out for a walk. We took the excited dogs out through the backyard and out the back gate. Then we follow this trail through small ravine and get up to the big path behind out house. We even managed to get up to the patch without either kungfuzap or I slipping and falling.

As soon as we got up there, Indy trudged off to the side and squatted to pee. Then she started to sniff around, and then… Suddenly it was obvious she was miserable and in pain. She was on 3 legs with one foot dangling, but her other foot was hurting too, so she tried to switch favored feet, but the one she put down, she wasn’t controlling properly, and she set it down, standing on the top side of it. This of course made her stumble. Her legs were shaking like crazy, her tail was firmly between her legs.

I leg her immediately back inside, worried the whole time that she would fall, and I wasn’t sure how on earth I would carry her if she collapsed, because the thing about dressing up like the little brother from A Christmas Story, is that you just aren’t very physically functional. She limped and shook the whole way back in the house. I got back in and sent the kid and London out for a quick run. I told her to run him so they both stayed warmer and to keep an eye on him for signs of discomfort, etc. I then attended to Indy.

She was just pressing up against me. I was checking her feet for signs of injury. Her legs were still shaking. Then Willow came over and was rubbing against her and boofing and rubbing against her face. This has NEVER happened before. Willow doesn’t like the dogs. Xander likes Indy, but not Willow. It completely freaked me out. I thought that maybe it wasn’t the cold and their was actually something else wrong with her and she was dying and Willow knew it. Ugh.

Anyhow, slowly has she warmed up, she started to be able to put normal weight on her feet again and eventually she laid down to rest. After she seemed recovered, I just took her out in the backyard so she could finish going to the bathroom. She hurried and did her business with NO extra sniffing around or playing and happily rushed back inside.

So. Apparently? “Feels like -24” is too cold for Indy. London was still okay, but he obviously felt it.

I went out to look for booties for her, but didn’t find any in stock. I hadn’t gotten any before because most people report pretty poor results with older dogs who are not used to them, but she needs to be able to get out there and go to the bathroom without injuring her paws, and if this is going to be an extra harsh winter, I need to work something out.

If I ever were to custom build a house here, I think it would have to involve an indoor dog bathroom room. I have a design all planned out in my head.