2023 is history and some of us, myself included, will shed no tears as this tough year becomes a blissfully distant memory. While the year 2024 is new, the season in which we find ourselves is not. Winter has us in its grip and won’t even consider releasing us from its icy claws for another several months. For some houndsmen, it signals cooler temps and perfect conditions to run hogs, bears, and trash pandas. For others, winter promises wild snowmobile rides and snow for tracking bobcats and lions. For some of us, winter means shrinkage (for you Seinfeld fans out there), wood stoves, and dead car batteries. That is the boat Norwegians (also called “Weegies”) adopted or, otherwise, are in now. The bears are napping, the truck won’t start, and my male hounds are creating yellow stalagmites where they all like to mark. In other words, it is cold. Really cold. 

Most houndsmen have an upper and lower range of temperatures that they are willing to work in. Here in Scandinavia, most houndsmen won’t drop their tailgate if it is warmer than 70-75 degrees F. During the winter here, I won't drop a hound if it is colder than zero and there is snow on the ground. The dangers just start to outweigh the rewards at temperatures like that. Let’s go over some of the issues that can crop up in those cold temperatures. We will also take a quick look at preventative measures and some basic treatment should you or your hounds get too chilly out there.  

Cold Induced Pulmonary Edema: Fluid in the Lungs 

This is a condition not uncommon in human swimmers and members of various so-called “polar bear clubs” (cold weather swimmers). The cause is widely accepted to be a sharp decrease in core body temperature, causing the body to rush blood from the extremities to the core in order to maintain body temperature in and around internal organs. The constrictions in the blood vessels can cause ruptures in pulmonary capillary membranes, which will cause edema (fluid) in the lungs. This will result in poor oxygen absorption and potentially life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia.  

Symptoms of pulmonary edema include:   

Treatment will be diuretics (fluid removing medication) and antibiotics. Often the first symptom you will see is the hound start to clear their throats and cough a little. If you observe that, box that hound and wait for warmer weather. The hound will unfortunately be prone to the condition forever after developing it. It is so common here in Scandinavia that the colloquial term is “hunting edema.” This will shorten the working lifespan of your hounds and will also cause a lower tolerance for cold temperatures. What makes it challenging to prevent is the hounds themselves. Their predisposition to want to hunt and their drive and desire can—and often does—make them overextend themselves. Ambient temperatures tend to swing as well. A pleasantly chilly day can turn quickly into a brutally frigid night. Sometimes the hounds just get away from you. Take a quick check of the weather forecast before you leave, and be prepared to call it a day earlier than you would ideally like. Those are the two best ways to prevent pulmonary edema. 

Frostbite:  

This one needs no long explanation. The hounds have short coats and especially in snow and some wind they will get wet as the snow melts as it comes into contact with their bodies. Male dogs are at risk of frostbiting their genitals and females their nipples. I have seen both males and females with frostbite on their ears and flanks. Frostbite is another cold-induced ailment that is a real pain to deal with once it occurs. After the hounds get it the first time, they will be prone to it for the rest of their lives. The same applies to the houndsmen. One example is that I went through the ice with a team of sled dogs in 2013. We were 10 miles from the truck in -20 degrees and, 10 years later, my fingers and toes still have serious issues in the cold. 

Symptoms include: 

The treatment is simple. Get the dog somewhere warm. Don't try to warm the affected area with a direct heat source and don't rub snow on it. Bring the hound inside a warm building or box and let them regain their natural body heat. Warming a frost-bitten area too quickly can cause the capillaries to burst, creating even more damage.  

Hypothermia: 

Once a hound’s body temperature drops enough, it will begin to exhibit signs of hypothermia. Hypothermia occurs when the hound’s body begins to lose heat faster than it is able to produce it. A hound should have an average body temperature of 101.5 degrees F. Once their body temperature drops to 99-98, they will begin becoming hypothermic unless they are able to increase their body temperatures.  

Symptoms include: 

If you see your hound stumbling around or lying down and shivering, then it is time to get them warmed up. That can be challenging if you’re at a tree or away from the truck; if you can, get the hound up and moving. Don't let them lay down. Keep them active and their muscles working and producing heat. Once you arrive back at the truck, get them in the cab and let the heater work its magic. Luckily, hypothermia is a condition that does not seem to recur more often once it has happened. The hound should be fine again once its body temperature has risen.  

A Word on Prevention: 

Hounds use the calories in their food for heat more efficiently than humans do. Both fat and proteins are readily available sources of energy/heat. In extremely cold weather, I like to increase the fat percent in their food, which helps maintain their weight but also keeps them hydrated. A hound’s system produces water as it metabolizes fat. Hydration is a key factor in preventing hypothermia and, to a lesser degree, frostbite and cold induced pulmonary edema. A solid meal with plenty of fluids 1.5-2 hours before you expect to drop the tailgate will go far in preventing your hounds from getting too cold. I like to soak kibble and add some additional warm water and fat as a pre-workout meal for my hounds. It will keep them driving harder to catch game, give them the fuel to stay warmer, and keep us functioning at a higher level for longer. My experience is that a little extra is often enough to make the difference between treed and skunked.  
 
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you keep your hounds well-hydrated and fed, you will reduce the risk of the problems listed above. It is smart to have a cut-off temperature and time of day where you start catching hounds to prevent any of them from ending up in conditions that their thin coats and big hearts can't handle. Happy new year and stay warm out there!