Dogs also can suffer from weather injuries

All too often when day hiking, we think our dogs are impervious to the warm or cold weather. A body covered in hair and the general belief that animals are hardier than humans both lead to this faulty conclusion.

Warm weather
Indeed, as soon as temperatures hit the high 80s, dogs are vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heatstroke on the hiking trail. This is especially the case when humidity is high.

The problem is dogs don’t sweat like humans and instead must cool themselves by panting. Short-faced dogs such as pugs and bulldogs particularly can suffer from heat exhaustion and heatstroke as they don’t pant or breathe very efficiently, and so have trouble cooling themselves down. And contrary to what one might think, athletic dogs also are quite vulnerable, primarily because they don’t realize they’re overdoing it.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke in dogs include dizziness and heavy panting that doesn’t subside. Of the two, heat stroke is more dangerous, as it can result in fainting, a hemorrhage, and even death.

To prevent heat exhaustion and heatstroke, limit hikes with your dog to the cooler morning and evening hours. While on the trail, ensure your dog rests in the shade for a while and that she has cool water to drink. Should heat exhaustion set in, get them into shade where a breeze is flowing, provide them with water to drink, and wet their coat.

Cold weather
Dogs actually are better able than humans to handle cooler temperatures. The cut-off point is when temperatures hit zero or colder.

Frostbite can occur, especially on the extremities of the nose, feet, ears and tails. Floppy and upright ears particularly are vulnerable to frostbite. The good blood flow of athletic dogs, however, generally means they’re less likely to suffer from it.

Another cold weather issues for dogs is paw irritation due to salt and de-icing chemicals.

To prevent frostbite, don’t hike with your dog when temperatures are zero or below. For paw irritation, avoid walking on sidewalks and roads where salt and de-icing chemicals are used. For both ailments, dog boots also ae beneficial.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Guidelines for providing first aid during cold weather

Should you need to provide first aid while hiking in cold weather, you’ll want to follow some basic guidelines to ensure that you don’t exacerbate the injury – or put yourself in peril as well.

Among those “rules”:
g Don’t remove your clothing – Though helping an injured person may be easier without gloves on or with a jacket unzipped, this can create problems for you. Gloves taken off might drop into the snow becoming wet, and unlayered protection against the elements exposes you to the cold, as well.
g Perform first aid a warm place – If possible, move the injured person to a place where they can be warm and perform the first aid there. Laying an injured person on the cold ground or removing their clothing in the open only exposes them to the wind and wet.
g Don’t warm by rubbing – This actually can further damage any affected tissue if frostbite occurs. Instead, you want to use the closeness of body warmth or radiant heat to keep a person warm.
g Blankets alone aren’t enough – Use body warmth to keep a person from being cold and wrap the blanket around both of you. If a person has hypothermia, for example, they can’t generate enough heat on their own to rewarm themselves, so a blanket or sleeping bag alone won’t help.
g Loosen constrictive items – Loosening clothing and removing jewelry that restricts circulation is a good idea. Clothing should not be taken off, however, as exposure to the cold can lead to hypothermia.
g Seek medical help immediately – Cold weather injuries such as frostbite and hypothermia require skilled medical professionals working with the patient in a warm, sterile facility. As soon as the injured person is stabilized, get them to a hospital.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

How to avoid cold weather injuries when hiking with children

Avoid cold weather injuries on winter hikes by
practicing prevention.

While winter hiking with children holds a variety of advantages over summer – no bugs, ability to see through foliage, lack of crowds – they also offer up a variety of dangers, from frostbite to snow blindness.

Fortunately, each of these conditions can be avoided so that children don’t suffer winter’s potentially ill effects. It begins with awareness of the time of cold weather injuries that can occur.

Among them are:
g Frostbite – In extremely cold conditions, the fluid inside the body’s cells can freeze. As freeing, it expands, rupturing and killing cells. You shouldn’t hike in weather cold enough to give kids frostbite; that threshold is reached when the temperature and wind chill are so low that no amount of bundling up will keep a child warm.
g Hypothermia – This dangerous condition happens when heat loss from the body occurs faster than the body can keep up, usually when a person is in wet, cold air or clothes. To avoid, ensure children wear adequate clothing and then layered clothing, including a hat, which can decrease heat loss from body.
g Slips and falls – Icy conditions increase the chances of slips and falls, and snow often conceals hidden dangerous such as sharp plant stems or hard rocks. Keep your pace slower on icy and snow-covered trails and wear boots with traction to avoid falling. Here's how to walk across snow and ice.
g Snow blindness – As the white snow reflects light back, the eye can be oversaturated, leading to a temporary inability to see. To protect the eyes, always wear sunglasses on a winter hike.
g Trench foot – When snow gets into a boot, the foot can become wet and cold, leading to blood vessels constricting in that extremity, resulting in numbness and swelling. Have pants cover rather than be tucked into boots so that moisture doesn’t get to the foot.
g Wind burn – Winter’s dry wind, unhindered by summer’s lush foliage, can dry the oily layer of a child’s skin, resulting in a burn. To prevent burn, rub moisturizer or petroleum jelly on exposed skin before the hike.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

How to avoid/identify/treat frostbite on hikes

Frostbite occurs when the fluid inside a cell freezes; the cell
then ruptures. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

You shouldn’t hike in weather cold enough to give you frostbite. That doesn’t mean no hiking during winter, so long as you are properly clothed. There are winter days, though, when the temperature and wind chill are so low that no amount of bundling up will keep you warm. In addition, sometimes on days that start pleasant the weather changes unexpectedly, leaving you caught and unprepared in cold weather.

Frostbite occurs when the fluid inside the body’s cells freeze. As this fluid freezes, it expands, rupturing and killing the cells. Frostbite starts in extremities – usually the nose, ears, toes, fingers and cheeks – and then moves toward the core of body. As extremities chill, the body automatically restricts blood flow, further lowering the body temperature. Children lose their core temperatures more quickly than do adults, so they will suffer frostbite sooner.

Avoid frostbite by dressing properly, especially with clothing that will prevent you from getting wet. Don’t leave any part of body exposed to cold. Have younger children wear mittens rather than gloves, as this will keep their fingers close together to maintain warmth. Also, take infants and toddlers out of carriers regularly so they can stretch and to ensure good circulation. If children tell you they are cold, take it seriously.

Symptoms of frostbite include reddening skin that eventually turns white then blue or black, a prickling pain in the skin, numbness, and skin feeling hard and waxy.

To treat, get to a warm place and remove wet and restrictive clothing. Warm affected areas with body heat, such as placing the fingers under armpits or against the stomach. Toes can be placed in a hiking partner’s armpits. Do not use heating pads, hot water, or stove heat to thaw affected areas as you probably will not feel if you are being burned. Also, don’t rub or massage the affected area as this can damage the skin. After warming, loosely bandage the affected area to protect the skin until feeling returns. If you need to walk, do not thaw a frostbitten foot.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Winter clothing essentials for day hiking kids

Now that autumn is here, you’re probably dressing your day hiking children in jeans, jackets and other warm clothes. But more clothes alone won’t be enough once winter arrives. To ensure your children stay comfortable and safe from the elements, winter hiking requires some additional steps that summer (and even autumn!) often don’t require:
g Socks and boots should be weatherproof – Put kids in wool socks that will better wick moisture from their feet and ensure their boots are waterproof so snow and moisture can’t get inside them.
g Don’t forget accessories – Stocking caps, mittens and scarves all are needed, even on sunny days, as winter air largely is dry and holds warmth poorly.
g Dress in layers – The layer of cloth next to the skin ideally should be made of polypropylene, the middle layer of bulky fleece, and the outside layer of waterproof material; this will ensure children stay warm and dry. Getting wet can lower their body temperature, raising the risk of hypothermia.
g Stay preventative – Put on clothes before kids start shivering; on warmer days or in southern climes, put on rain gear before the drizzle starts. Once cold and wet, no amount of clothing can reverse that condition.
g Keep change of clothes in vehicles – Kids are kids, and some will find a way on a hike to get wet despite your best efforts. Dry clothes they can change into in a warm vehicle after the hike can make the drive home comfortable.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.