Allergic to Cold

My little Hamlet is loving the snow. If it were up to him, he would probably spend all day outside in the fluffy white wonderland. Alas, the snow life is not an option for him. Timmy was diagnosed with Cold Urticaria, which basically means that he is allergic to the cold. When he is exposed to extreme cold, his skin becomes painful, hot and develops hives. 

Timmy is undeterred and determined to enjoy the snow.  We really didn't want him to miss out, so after a lot of research we invested in the highest quality snow gear we could find in his size. Working together, we can get him ready to play in the snow in about ten minutes.  Scott and I have mastered bundling up our little snow bunny!

Even bundled up, Timmy can only be outside for about 45 minutes before his skin begins to react. If his skin makes contact with the snow the reaction occurs much quicker. We learned this lesson the hard way when he was munching on snowballs.  After a few minutes, he began to complain that his face hurt and that something was wrong. His mouth and cheeks were bright red and hives were beginning to form. I immediately took him inside, we warmed him up and after a few hours he was ready to go outside again.  

I feel badly that Timmy has to contend cold urticaria, but we are managing. Things could be much worse, so even though it is an inconvenience and a worry, we are grateful. We have the ability to protect him while playing and we have learned how to read his reactions and symptoms. By the end of the winter, we hope to have it figured it out.