Have you ever wondered how it is possible that dogs can wade through snow or run on ice with their bare feet and the paws don’t get frostbites? We know why!
Dog paw pads are one of a few spots where dogs sweat and they aren’t covered by fur. When you think about it you could easily get the idea that they might be more prone to frostbites or even freeze to the icy surface because of their dampness. So how is it possible that dogs can walk and run in snow or on ice without consequences?
Japanese scientist Hiroyoshi Ninomiya and his team of experts brought an explanation in 2013. Together, they found out that dogs have a special arrangement of vessels in the paw skin and it can maintain them warm even at very low temperatures.
These vessel structures are so tiny that they aren’t visible with regular microscopes. They were discovered and photographed with the use of an electron microscope which can achieve much better efficient enlargement than a common light microscope.
The vessels in dog paws create a net around arteries. They are so close to them that the warmer arterial blood warms the blood in vessels and a significant amount of the warmth is saved. This system is called heat exchangers and penguins, whales or seals also have it.
But it’s not everything. To keep the paws warm, dogs use one more trick. The same one is used by arctic foxes and wolves. The vessels of these animals control the supply of blood into paws according to the ambient temperature. If the temperature drops, the blood flow in paws speeds up and it can’t get much colder.
As the character of individual breeds is more or less different from their wolf ancestors these days due to breeding, the same applies to their physical properties. Therefore, it is possible that the predispositions for dog paw resilience against freezing will be different in different breeds. It’s difficult to say how the miniature breed’s paws will handle snow for a long time. This research was done on beagles.
As you can see, dog paws can stand much more than you might think. However, nature definitely didn’t take into account salt, gravel and other grits. It’s paradoxical, but we have to pay more attention to dog paws in winter in cities even with very short walks than on a day-long trip to the countryside.
Every one of us has for sure encountered diarrhoea in our fuzzy friend. Usually, there’s nothing to fuss about, the body reacts to food that it isn’t capable to digest or that didn’t do it good. However, it is good to know, when we are capable of...
I have been sharing with you my experience with dogs and other animals for quite some time now and it occurred to me to wander a little bit into history as well, but into an interesting one! I’d like to introduce you to several well-known dog...
Allergy is a disproportionate reaction of the immunity system to common stimuli. It cannot be cured, but we can suppress its manifestations. In the last years, allergies in pets and dogs especially are on the rise. Currently, about 10% of house-dogs...
Today, we are going to take a look at the Feline Infectious Peritonitis - FIP, an utterly exceptional virus illness that always has a fatal end. Most of the cats get into contact with the viruses that cause FIP in their lifetime, even though the...
We can divide dog owners into two groups. The ones that allow the dog in bed and those that feel that this is no option. Let’s take a look at what such bed sharing with a dog actually entails.
If you like going on treks with your fuzzy friends, geocaching is something precisely for you. This way, you will liven up your trips and maybe you even discover places that you wouldn’t have found otherwise. I and my pack can’t get enough of it.
Contrary to dogs, cats have a strong bond with the place where they live. That’s why moving is very stressful for them and this stress may cause a number of diseases. It’s a good idea to plan everything well, so that you could make the situation of a...
Even though the dogs went through long years of domestication, they still retain fundamental instincts as we do. They might not be as strong as in wild dogs, but they still play a very significant role in the life of a dog and in their behaviour. So if...
Even though it’s been a long time since our four-legged furry friends lived a feral life, they still have the laws of the pack rooted deep down inside them. It is not acquired behaviour, the need to live in a pack is determined by genetics. And if...
It is no news that the dog isn’t only a pet and that it can also help saving human lives in various catastrophes. But have you ever thought about what it means for dogs to become rescuers? You haven’t? Well, then it’s the right time to set off together...
The usual pregnancy period in female dogs is indicated at about 58 – 65 days, the average is 63 days. In case of the nutrition of a pregnant female, possible changes in diet can be likened to the changes in diet of pregnant women. Pregnant female dogs...
The most frequent reason why your dog starts to gain weight is simple, as in most of people: they consume more energy than they spend. Some owners wave their arm at a well-intended warning that their pet has gained weight, stating that the dog is...
