Frostbite

Question: frostbite? my dog has a big patch of hair missing on her thigh, looks like she has pulled the hair out, its very red, could it be frostbite? or a skin infection? she dosent have fleas and she is an indoor/outdoor dog but when the weather is bad she is inside until she needs to go out, but not left out side long, today it was cold and she was out side for most of the day, she loves to be outside... she has never pulled her hair out before,

Answer: i think it may be an infection. it might have been bothering her so much, that she kept messing in that area, maybe scratching ir biting that area. in result her hair may have been pulled off from her messing about. from the irritation the area is red. i recommend taking her to a vet ASAP to know for sure and to get treatment. best of luck with this, :)

Question: what happens to marigolds when they become frostbite? what happens to their cells? How can you get them to be healthy? I'm not asking about human frostbite just marigold frostbite!

Answer: The cells of the marigold pop as the water in the cells freeze. Marigolds are annuals so wait until next spring and plant some more Marigold seeds.

Question: What are the visual distinctions between thermal burns and frostbite? Is it possible to definitively distinguish the two from each other in all cases, or do they present identically in many cases? In other words, are frostbite injuries-for all intents and purposes, actual burns and if they are not, in what ways do they differ?

Answer: Early frostbite and minor burns may resemble one another visually (by whitened, blanched looking skin, and blister formation). However, last stage frostbite and thermal (heat) burns are very different. In late stage frostbite, the affected extremity (usually hands and feet, noses, and lips) are cold, firm and lack sensation. As the ice crystals in the cells melt and the ruptured cells pour out their contents, then blisters may form. Since the affected area has basically lost circulation, gangrene sets in rather quickly and the tissue turns black and dry. Deep (full thickness) heat related burns are surrounded by areas of erythema (reddened skin) and skin with less degrees of burning (there is gradation in the tissue damage). Also, eschar is obviously charred skin tissue forming a scab like structure, and looks nothing like gangrene. The wound bed in a burn leaks plasma constantly, as complete thermal injury can take days to fully manifest. Blistering is pretty immediate with heat related burns of a sufficient degree. Also, in heat burns, proteins are coagulated, something that doesn't happen with cold injuries. Histologically, under a microscope, the cellular damage from heat looks very different than that of cold (due to the ice crystal formation). Both frostbite and heat related burns are thermal (temperature) related injuries. Treatment is similar in both cases, with the primary focus of severe cold or heat burns being the prevention of secondary infection, preservation of unaffected tissue, and maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balances. Surgical intervention of severe thermal injuries includes amputation (debriedment/excision) of dead tissue, and possible skin grafting when appropriate.

Question: I got minor frostbite on my toes yesterday, is it alright to go play indoor hockey? I got minor frostbite on my toes. It hurts a little and is red/white and hurts a bit. Is it going to make it worse if i play indoor hockey.

Answer: Ask your doctor.......or at least ask it in the medical section where someone can give you an answer that might have some validity.....I know we are in some cold spell.........I took my dog out this morning and wondered why nobody was out playing hockey on the perfect ice on the lakes.........then I realized it was because people are being advised to stay in.

Question: Can you get frostbite on your tongue if you pig out on ice cream? When I eat a ton of ice cream, my tongue feels really funny. Why does that happened? Can you get frostbite on your tongue from eating too much ice cream? Ohhhh okay. I just wondered. I usually don't eat ice cream so I didn't know. But this one was so good so I ate the whole quart and then I couldn't feel my tongue. It was so hawd to fweel my twongue.

Answer: i doubt it the icecream melts too fast to freeze you tounge andkill the cells... frostbite. but you may geta a icecreeam headache

Question: How cold and how long to get frostbite? At 0 degrees Farenheit, and standing outside, how long would it take to get frostbite? What about if you were jogging? Can you find me a good source with this information?

Answer: When wind chill is 0°F to -19°F (-18°C to -28°C) Frostbite possible. Exposed skin can freeze within 5 minutes. -20°F to -69°F (-29°C to -56°C) EXTREMELY COLD. Frostbite likely. Exposed skin can freeze within 1 minute. Outdoor activity becomes dangerous. ≤ -70°F (≤ -57°C) FRIGIDLY COLD. Exposed skin can freeze in 30 seconds.

Question: Does anyone know a treatment for the black skin that comes from severe frostbite? I got frostbite a year ago, and the side of my finger is blackened. What can i do?

Answer: The "black skin" from frostbite is necrotic tissue, (dead tissue) and it has to be "surgically" removed to avoid spreading and infection. It may or may not require amputation of the entire finger, depending on the severity. It can't simply be "scrapped off."

Question: Are people who have had the beginning stages of frostbite more susceptible after that to the cold? My daughter got the beginning stages of frostbite last spring playing soccer. With winter here, and soccer starting up again, I'm just wondering if she will be more susceptible to the cold.

Answer: Not at all. Even when damage has occured, you are no more susceptible to frost bite.

Question: what does first degree frostbite look like after a couple of days? I think I might have first degree frostbite on my feet. I did not look at them right away it wasn't until the next morning. I have been trying to get answers from doing a search on the internet but not getting anything accompolished. My feet are very sore. They are red, swollen and feel like they are on fire. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions.

Answer: Go SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!! Longer you wait the worser it may become. It will also put your mind at ease. I myself would not risk losing my feet to wait for an answer on here.

Question: How can I determine whether or not my dog has frostbite? Here's the story. . . My dog (Speedy, an 8 year old Shih Tzu) has been favoring his front left paw today. Now, it's been below zero in temperature with -20 degree wind chill in Michigan the last few days. We don't let him out unless he has to "do his duty" in the yard. Even with this we'll watch him. A few times he's had a hard time walking back to the door because of what we assumed was cold paws. Nevertheless, he's never stays out longer then about 4-5 munutes at a time. He won't let us take a look at his paw; he'll snap at us and shreek in pain. He'll continue with his regular everyday routines but it's obvious his in pain. We don't have any rock salt in the yard either. Could it be frostbite? Or could it be something else. Please help!

Answer: The fact that he snaps at you - even if he's in pain - suggests there's some training issues present. You've probably over-spoiled him and he thinks he's the "alpha" in the house, hence why he snaps. So once you get over this, you may want to do some additional obedience work with him. He's a small breed dog, which means he should live longer. Still, 8 years of age is getting older and he may be nearing the time for more care. So please keep this in mind. However, based on what you described, I'd be very hard-pressed to say he has frostbite. His "weak" area, namely the pads of his feet, are still protected (just from walking for 8 years, he has a light callous covering). This will help protect against cold (and some heat). Also, his exposure was so short. My guess is that it is something else. Perhaps he injured his toe or foot running or going up stairs. He could have broken his toenail (a former dog of mine did this a few times). Breaking a nail on a dog will expose a very sensitive tip. Other things could be a sudden onset of acute arthritis (unlikely given your dog's age, but possible) or something else that broke. Can he walk on it at all? If your dog refuses your touch, then your vet is your only alternative. I wish you the best!