What Changed

On June 22, 2026, the Joint Trauma System (JTS) published an updated Hypothermia and Cold Injuries guideline (K9 CPG: 10) for military working dogs (MWDs). It replaces the November 19, 2018 version. The JTS lists four changes:

  • Updated formatting
  • Definitions for the types of rewarming
  • A reformatted classification table
  • A new performance-improvement monitoring and medical materiel appendix

The same day, JTS also posted a new K9 Healthcare Provider Responsibilities guideline (K9 CPG C1). Both sit in JTS's canine library alongside the K9 Tactical Combat Casualty Care Guidelines.

These were written for military veterinary teams. But police K9s work the same kinds of calls where people get hurt: barricades, building searches, and tracks that end in gunfire. Sometimes the dog is sent in first.

What It Says

The most useful part for police teams is the split between two kinds of hypothermia.

Primary hypothermia comes from the environment: cold weather, water, wind. Secondary hypothermia comes from illness or injury, including shock from blood loss. The CPG says dogs with primary hypothermia "can tolerate more severe temperatures than MWDs with secondary hypothermia."

The thresholds show how big that difference is:

  • Primary: mild 90–99°F, moderate 82–90°F, severe 68–82°F, profound/critical below 68°F
  • Secondary: mild 98–99.9°F, moderate 96–98°F, severe 92–96°F, profound/critical below 92°F

A bleeding dog at 95°F is already in the severe category. A dog that was just cold at that temperature would be classed as mild.

For field care, the CPG says to cut exposure to the cold, remove wet outer wear, and pat the coat dry. It says to "dry the MWD off and apply blankets, towels, or other devices (e.g., heat reflective shell) to prevent heat loss." Rewarming targets are "2-4°F per hour." The guideline also says: "Any MWD with evidence of bleeding should be urgently evacuated to a veterinary facility to be able to receive K9 blood products."

Why It Matters Operationally

Heat loss happens in summer too. Secondary hypothermia doesn't need cold weather. It comes from shock. A dog that's bleeding on a warm night can still lose heat, especially on concrete, when wet, or in the air stream of a moving vehicle.

It's the same principle as human care. The TCCC Guidelines (01 May 2026) call for "early and aggressive steps to prevent further body heat loss" for trauma patients. The K9 guideline applies that same idea to the dog. Teams that already carry hypothermia wraps for people should know those wraps can help a wounded dog too.

The destination is different. A wounded officer goes to a trauma center. A wounded K9 needs a veterinary facility that can give canine blood products. That's the part that often goes unplanned. If the plan says "take the dog to the vet," someone needs to know which vet, what their hours are, and whether they can handle trauma at 2 a.m.

ODM's Position

Police K9s are not military working dogs, and a JTS guideline isn't a civilian veterinary protocol. What handlers are allowed to do for their dogs depends on state law and on the agency's veterinarian. Treat this CPG as a well-researched reference, not a standing order.

The takeaway still carries over. Any high-risk plan that includes a K9 should cover what happens if the dog gets hurt. That means bleeding control, keeping the dog warm, a way to carry it, and a planned veterinary destination. Handlers and team medics should practice that before they need it.

What Your Agency Should Do Now

  • Put a canine trauma kit with each K9 team, including a heat-reflective wrap or blanket, and train handlers to use it.
  • Identify the nearest 24-hour veterinary emergency hospital that can give blood products, and put it in every K9 operations plan.
  • Ask your agency veterinarian to write a handler-level protocol for bleeding control, hypothermia prevention, and muzzling a hurt dog.
  • Include a wounded-K9 inject in SWAT and building-search scenarios, including carrying the dog out.
  • Train team medics on the basics of the K9 TCCC guidelines within whatever limits your vet and state rules allow.

Bottom Line

The June 22 update reads like a formatting change, but it contains a clear field lesson. An injured, bleeding dog loses heat faster and hits dangerous temperatures sooner than a dog that is only cold. Keep it warm, stop the bleeding, and know where the dog goes next.

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