Paws, snow and salt

[phej]

So... we got our first snow today! Mollie loved discovering it - looking like an overgrown bouncy bunny, with feet and ears flying in all directions. Lol...

 

We live in the city (upstate NY with TONS of snow) where the streets and sidewalks are salted very heavily throughout the entire winter. Any recommendations on how to protect doggie feet? I figured that I will cut the hair on her paws to prevent the icy built-up on them? Use some kind of paw wax (???) to repel the snow and salt? Do you anyone ever use doggie snow booties? How do you teach your dog to not take them off? Any other thoughts?

 

Thanks...

[BustopherJones]

Now, I know that someone is going to think that I am being a smart-@$$, but that is not the case. At the WTC in 2001, some SAR dog handlers put condoms on their dogs' feet to protect them from contamination. This might work to protect your dogs paws from salt and moisture, althought it will not protect them from the cold. You can also purchase commercial dog booties; this link has some reasonably-priced options: Doggie Boots - KV Supply

[Shetlander]

I use dog boots when there is a lot of salt on the roads. The dogs don't like them but tolerate the indiginity if it means they get to walk. They act like the boots are a big impediment when I first put them on, stepping around funny but as soon as we're outside they're walking and running normally. I use dogbooties.com which makes them for sled dogs (so you think they'd have a better name than dogbooties.com ). The prices are reasonable. The boots stay on very well and are durable. Beware though. There are a ton of choices to make about materials and fastener types. I kinda took a shot in the dark and things worked out fine.

[Guest SweetJordan]

I haven't had a dog who would tolerate boots. Therefore, I use Musher's Secret. It prevents snowballing in paws and aganist saltburns. You can also use it in the summer to protect aganist sandburn and hot asphalt/sidewalks. It's made out of 100% non-toxic natural waxes. It's like an invisible boot for your dog. It also dries fast and won't stain carpets.

[MrSnappy]

I dunk their paws in warm water when we get home to remove any ice balls and salt. Never had a problem. I am so not going to wax 20 excited paws every time we leave the house. But they can stand in a bucket of water for a couple moments while I towel them down before they come in.

 

RDM

[PSmitty]

How do you protect your dogs' feet in winter?

 

Live in Florida!

[phej]

Live in Florida!

 

Hey, didn't your parents teach you that laughing at other people's misfortune is cruel?!

 

Thanks for all the tips. The condom one really cracks me up! I think I wil start with warm water and wax (having only 4 bouncy paws to spoil makes is managable), and then progress to booties if needed. The salt around here is brutal - before we had Mollie we used to dogsit the in-law's doggie, and she would cry every time she would walk on the salty sidewalk.

[MrSnappy]

This is off topic slightly, but a friend of mine bought these for her dogs, an Aussie and a BC:

 

 

At first I laughed and laughed, and when I was done, I laughed some more.

 

But guess who's laughing now? Not me! She comes in from a muddy PNW walk, peels off the bodysuits and voila! Dry clean dogs.

 

Me, I have a fine layer of mud covering everything in my home.

 

Harumph.

 

RDM

[ShoresDog]

That's why it's a good idea to choose brown and beige furniture! Or, if you live in Georgia, "Tuscan Red" which is another name for Red Dirt Brown! Seriously, I always choose my carpet color based on the shades of dirt prevalent locally. Back to the subject at foot, if the salt is really thick, then you may need booties, but if it's not too concentrated on the sidewalk, you might be able to get away with dunking paws in water and toweling off when you get home. I dunk the entire dog, since I don't like to leave salt and sand on her. I don't think it's good for them to lick the salt off, day in and day out. That's a lot of salt to ingest.

[BustopherJones]

The condom one really cracks me up!

Imagine going to the counter at the drug store with a package of condoms and telling the clerk, "They're for my dog."

[sweet_ceana]

LOL The condom usage is geniuos! When we lived where there was snow, alas no more, we put lotion on Ceana's pads everyonther day to keep them from cracking and drying out. If her pads got too dry she would limp in the snow.

[Anda]

Hehe, doggy onesies I would rather have mud in the house (or, more realistically, in the car) then subject my dog and I to such indignity

[MrSnappy]

Hehe, doggy onesies I would rather have mud in the house (or, more realistically, in the car) then subject my dog and I to such indignity

 

Oh yeah? Come live in my 400 square feet with four furry mutts in the Vancouver Rainforest! I assure you, your dignity will be the last thing on your mind after a short period of time.

 

Mona at least has less hair than the others and is easier to dry off, though her boobs are so huge they practically drag through the mud.

 

RDM

[Anda]

LOL @ the image of boob maks in the sand or mud

[Laurae]

When I lived in Western Oregon, I was thisclose to getting that bodysuit. In those days, I hiked with Sophie every single day, and I think those of you who haven't lived in the PNW don't really understand exactly what it means to have it rain nearly every day for nine months. The ground completely saturates, nothing ever dries, moss grows in the cracks of any cars left sitting longer than a week...Sophie is not a full BC, and she does not have that teflon fur. No matter how much I dried her off and wiped her clean, my walls were constantly brushed with mud from her tail or else completely spattered from when she shook. She left big wet spots everywhere she lied down. If I hadn't moved to Colorado, I am sure she'd be sporting a sexy little red number...

[silhouettestable]

Imagine going to the counter at the drug store with a package of condoms and telling the clerk, "They're for my dog."

 

And imagine the looks you'd get at the bulk orders you'd have to buy to use for a multi-dog household on a daily basis

 

Something I was just reading about on Sled Dog Central is that feeding a zinc supplement will help toughen the pads, which may make them more resistant to damage from salt.

 

Me, I have a fine layer of mud covering everything in my home.

Me too, it's become part of my decor. 6 dogs running through the muddy fields or muddy backyard at this time of year and then straight into the house. No mud room or any convenient room to put them in until they dry off, it's too open concept. At least the pups enjoy playing in the bathtub if it's wet in the bottom, so I can run a trickle of fresh water and they'll hop in to play and drink from the faucet. Then they just leave wet prints instead of muddy ones. And Thunder usually takes a daily swim in the horse trough before coming inside, so he's more wet than muddy.

[haleigh]

I got a cheap thing of paw wax from petsmart. It's lasted me about a year, and it was 8 bucks. 8-1 brand, I tihnk. It's by the perscription foods and supplements. It moisturizes the paws, which is a huge plus. I don't think I could subject my dear darling Joy to condom feet...

[Sasha's Mom]

I've got to agree with PSmitty...

 

(smug grin)

[in2adventure]

This is off topic slightly, but a friend of mine bought these for her dogs, an Aussie and a BC:

 

 

At first I laughed and laughed, and when I was done, I laughed some more.

 

But guess who's laughing now? Not me! She comes in from a muddy PNW walk, peels off the bodysuits and voila! Dry clean dogs.

 

Me, I have a fine layer of mud covering everything in my home.

 

Harumph.

 

RDM

 

 

I'll stick with the garden hose and an extra towel hanging by the door. Also, as much as I would like to buy furnature and carpet that matches the color of my dog, white isn't an option

[SoloRiver]

Dogbooties.com rules. That's where I got booties for my dogs -- I ordered six at a time, figuring they'd probably lose one or two, but never all four at once. I was right.

 

We don't need 'em here in SF, but in Philly not only would there be salt galore, but the snow would always freeze into ice and they'd cut their feet running around unless I put booties on them.

[madvibes]

if you go the booties route, Ruffwear stuff is great, but pricey: http://www.ruffwear.com/Products/dog_boots

 

use Bag balm if feet get sensitive or cracked from the salt

[Owned by Emily]

if you go the booties route, Ruffwear stuff is great, but pricey: http://www.ruffwear.com/Products/dog_boots

 

use Bag balm if feet get sensitive or cracked from the salt

 

Here is a related question for those who go the booties route: how do you get them to stay on?

 

We just ordered some of the ruff wear booties, as it's going to be our first winter in a place with snow. We used the size chart and measured and all that. The booties are here, and they seem to fit snugly, but they slip off when the dogs run. Is there a trick to getting them to stay on? Or is this why some people order six pairs?

[Shetlander]

The booties are here, and they seem to fit snugly, but they slip off when the dogs run. Is there a trick to getting them to stay on? Or is this why some people order six pairs?

 

I haven't tried the ruff wear boots, but the ones from dogbooties.com stayed on great. Once in a while, one would come off but since this is on walks around my subdivision, I always noticed and was able to retrieve it. Not sure how yours fasten, but the ones I have can be put on very snugly.

[SoloRiver]

Of all the booties I tried on my dogs, the dogbooties.com ones worked best. They are the thinnest material, so they conform well to the dogs' feet, and you can order them with stretch velcro.

[Owned by Emily]

Thanks for the tips. That dogbooties site looks great. We will continue to try out the boots we have (they do have velcro fasteners, so maybe we're just not fastening them tightly enough), and if they're still not working, we might give the dogbooties a try. They are definitely more reasonably priced!