cold feet - good?

[Jenn]

It's getting hot again - well my area doesn't get as hot as others...anyway, hot for this area. I know that pink ears are a sign of overheating, but do feet also indicate the temp of chins? Meaning, if my chin has cold feet, does that mean her body temperature is good?

 

[Sasha]

I've found that my chins feet are usually colder to the touch. I'm not sure if that translates to their overall body temperature, though. I haven't had a chin overheat and touch their feet.

 

[JennyBug]

My chinnies' toes are always frostier than the rest of them. I just know about overheating and pink ears. Maybe it's because they don't have as much fur on their feet. Do you have chinchillers or metal in the cage? It could be from their standing on it...

 

[Jenn]

Tink's feet are cold any time that she is up and about. I was curious because I have a cockatiel whose feet are warm when she is warm...my hands and feet are warm when I am warm...chin's ears become pink when overheated...so do cool feet mean cool chin and an overheated chin would have warm feet?...I was just curious if feet are an indicator of overall body temperature like the ears are.

 

[chinchewy1]

Chins loose their heat by transferring radiant(heat) energy through the areas on their body that have the least amount of fur. These areas are the ears, nose, and feet. So yes cold/cool feet are GOOD Fur is an excellent insulator and will either hold the heat in or help hold the heat out. The transfer of radiant energy is caused by a warmer surface giving up its heat to a cooler surface. When two surfaces have a temp difference both surfaces will attempt to equalize to each other so they become the same temp.That is why the chin chillers or other type items cool our pals down.

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I think that the red ears would show first if the chin was starting to over heat (because of how thin the ears are and how well it shows) but that the feet would also indicate over heating...


so yes-cold=good!

 

[Jenn]

Ok, back to ears...If the ears turn pink when overheated, are they as well warm to the touch? We had quite a warm day today, but when I checked Tink's ears tonight, they were cool to the touch. I don't have any kind of a/c unit - yet - and it is unseasonably warm for this area. Just want to make sure I know all the visual signs if she becomes overheated. I really don't know how the pink ears would look...is the entire ear pink, or just the inside or outer ear, and is it easy to tell that they have become pink? Like I said, though, her ears were cool to the touch and I took that as a good sign. Thanks for your help.