Do Dogs Get Cold Feet, er Paws? Maybe Not….

  Posted on February 26, 2013  by Joy of Living  No comments

Jessie, staying warm and cozy inside while I admire the view of the snow-covered land outside. Ah, it’s truly a dog’s life!

I know you love your pets so much that even when you have to take them outside in the ice and snow to “take care of business,” you worry about their precious little paws. However, new research shows that you might not have to be as concerned as you thought!

According to researchers in Japan, the paws on dogs may not have the warm coverings that they enjoy on the rest of their bodies, but they do have an  elaborate heat transfer system already built in that instantly warms cold blood. Plus, they have an appreciable amount of freeze-resistant connective tissue and fat in the pads of each paw. In actuality, their paws can rival those of a penguin’s wing for the ability to stay warm and comfortable in extremely cold climates!

These Japanese researchers discovered that the arteries that run parallel with the veins allow warm blood to pass by cool blood, thus speeding up the warming process even more. Essentially, this system pulls warm blood to the paws and limits the amount of blood near the pet’s cool skin.

So, let Fido run for a bit in the snow! Just limit his time outdoors! As for you, well, we don’t recommend going into the snow and ice barefooted!

Thanks to newsfeed.time.com for this helpful information!