What is frostbite?
Frostbite is a tissue injury caused by exposure to cold temperatures and, often, severe winds.

Your dog’s body reacts to the cold by diverting blood flow from “external” areas of the body such as the tails, ear flaps, and paws to inner organs such as the kidneys, liver and heart. While this change in blood flow distribution is helpful to keep vital organs functioning properly, it reduces the external areas’ ability to maintain warmth and oxygen. The lack of warmth and oxygen can cause tissue injury or tissue death which is commonly known as frostbite.

What will frostbite look like in my dog?
Frostbite tends to impact the feet, tail, ear tips, and scrotum most frequently. These are the areas of your dog that are most exposed to the cold and have the least protection in the form of fur or hair. The first sign of frostbite is usually skin that has turned blue or white. As the condition progresses, the impacted areas may turn red or black, may swell and be painful. Blisters or wounds may also develop. Sometimes, signs of frostbite are immediately apparent during exposure to cold weather. Other times, the signs will not develop until hours or even days after cold weather exposure.