Frostbite...on the dangly bits

[coneking]

Has anybody ever had what appears to be frostbite to their dogs scrotum when they have been out in the snow all day...?

[Stacia]

Not yet!

Jelinga

Edited to say, do you think your dog has?

[Springfield Pointers]

I've only ever seen that on brass monkey's...

[coneking]

Not yet!

Jelinga

Edited to say, do you think your dog has?

No sure, they were red and a bit inflamed and towards the end of the day there was a bit of bleeding from the scrotum...i have bathed them in warm salt water and covered them in Vaseline...the slight swelling has now gone down.

[alpha]

The bleeding is probably more likely to be bramble/cover damage

Frostbite occurs when a part of the body freezes and it often accompanies hypothermia so really unless its minus 10 then most of our dogs are going to be OK so long as you do all the things that will prevent it
IE, cutting back feathering on legs feet and chest and bum to stop the build up of snow, using something to stop the snow building up ie baby oil, lanolin baby leave in conditioner

It tends to involve the tail, ear tips, pads of the feet, and scrotum. These parts are the most exposed and least protected by fur.

Frostbitten skin is pale white or blue to start with and the dog will feel pins and needles, throbbing and aching but as circulation returns, it becomes red and swollen and may begin to peel.
(So if there tender parts or "their Nads" as they are known here remain healthy pink colour the day then you should be A OK).
Eventually it looks black with a line of demarcation between live and dead tissue seriously not good!
Dead skin and tissue separates from the body in one to three weeks which is why Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Treatment:
Apply warm (not hot) water soaks to the frostbitten part for 20 minutes, so under a luke warm shower is ideal til the tissue becomes flushed.
Never use snow or ice; tissue damage is made much more severe if thawing is followed by refreezing.
Do not rub or massage the affected parts.
Handle them carefully.
Take your dog to a veterinarian for further evaluation and treatment.

Note that as sensation returns, frostbitten parts can be painful.
Prevent the dog from biting at the skin and inflicting further injury. T
he total extent of damage may not be apparent for a week or more.

Hopefully even though we have had lots o snow the air/ambient temperatures have not bee that low to cause any damage

[alpha]

OMG there is now written proof that I do talk BO*&)(*&

[sandra]

This happened to my dog in the snow last week. He is an incredible bramble basher but the only time his bits have bled was last week in heavy snow cover and last year again in heavy snow so I'm wondering if the snow/ice scrapes or burns the dangly areas. Last week was quite alarming as he was bleeding quite a lot so I cleaned him up and applied vaseline in the field which stopped the bleeding then tended to it with warm bathing when we got home.

I have since been advised to try Musher's Secret Wax, used in Canada on sledding dogs, which has been highly recommended as a barrier to areas prone to damage. I will invest in a pot or something similar ready for next season.

[vicky payne]

It's unlikely any dog would get cold enough for frostbite in the UK but their danglies can certainly get more sore in cold weather. The cold,wet skin seems to tear more easily in brambles than normal...the same thing happens with human hands.

Udder cream (for cows) or vaseline would work as barrier creams and for healing of the chapped parts!

Quincy was suffering from this on last weeks snowy shoot; he looked like rudolph the red nose reindeer in reverse!

[Springfield Pointers]

I have an ep that managed to get lacerations all over his wobbly bits after a day shooting in some rather thick, thorny and tight cover. That evening he was whining like a tired toddler and paying much attention to his painful nutsack. My good lady suggested I soothe his jewels with some "calming aloe gel" she had, which I duly did with my prostrate black and white lying in ecstasy on his back with his legs flayed open without a worry in the world. This treatment and application seemed to do the business and was repeated much to my pointers satisfaction in the morning.

That evening on my return from my days toil, my sensible pointer took one look at me and rolled onto his back and spread his legs in full expectation of my next attentive application.

A word to the wise: go easy on the soothing gels...

[coneking]

Thanks for the replies everybody...some good advice which i appreciate.