Snow/Ice Balls on Paws

[Guest maya's mom]

Ok, so I know this is probably a very basic, possible stupid question. But, Maya is our first dog, so everything I encounter is new to me. We brought her home at 8 weeks old in February, so her experience playing in the snow was very limited. Now that Maya is 11 months old, we obviously do much more outdoor activites. Our first real snow is on the ground, so I am wondering about the impact of the snow/ice balls that form on her paws. We play outside in our backyard (soccer, frsibee, running, etc......), for 30 min to an hour, 2-4 times per day, depending on the day. The last two times we've brought her in from playing, there were numerous snow/ice balls stuck to her paws. Just wondering if this has any impact on her other than being annoying. She usually doesn't show any signs of it bothering her, but last night she started to stop a few times, and bite/lick at her paws. Is this just something she will get used to? Is this causing her pain? I plan on trimming a little bit of the hair in between her toes, etc......tonight when we trim nails. The other question I had was about salt being on the streets during our walks. Of course we will wash her paws off when we come in from walks, but is there a limit to the time she should be allowed to walk on salt covered streets? We usually take 30-45 min walk every day. Will salt being on her paws start to burn/irritate her during that time? Thanks in advance for the replies........just like to make sure I am doing everything correctly and not causing her any harm!

[bc4ever]

I always wipe Scooter's paws when coming in from snow. I also gently check for ice balls that get stuck in his paws and remove them with my fingers. I think they will cause discomfort if left there. Also, salt can be hard on their paws, so I like to wash off Scooter's paws with warm water after being anywhere there was salt. I think it can make them sick if they lick it off. I would be careful of the amount of running and sliding she does in the ice and snow, especially with the Frisbee. She could pull a muscle at this young age. Just my opinion--someone else with more experience may be able to give you more advice.

[sweet_ceana]

We haven't lived any where with snow in almost two years, but when Ceana was little I would put lotion on her pads to keep the salt from drying them out. (she would limp after being in the snow for a while if we didn't) I think I remember reading somewhere that someone put vaseline or something of their dog's fur to keep the snow balls from building?

[Shadows Mom]

I have Muttluks for Shadow, they keep her paws warm and keep the salt off them.

[afrancis]

Being from the frozen north I can help with this one.

Skye and I don't often walk through the neighbourhood anyway (rather we drive short or longer distances to parks, trails, etc.) for long walks, so we don't usually have to contend with salt. That being said, it is a real problem for dog's feet, much more so, I think, than ice/snow balls between their toes.

 

For the salt problem, you could try routinely putting some balm on the bottom of Maya's feet (such as Bag Balm http://www.bagbalm.com/ or some other moisturizing, anti-chafing product) -- best to start young doing this so they become accustomed to it. The salt is an issue if the pads of their feet are in any way cracked and dry, so if kept supple and smooth, it doesn't affect them quite so badly. I actually got to the point of putting booties http://www.ultrapaws.com/Merchant2/merchan...oduct_Code=303R on Riley when we walked through the neighbourhood, since she didn't like any kind of balm or salve on her feet. Of course this solution was doubly effective -- her feet were protected and I walked with a Lippizzaner border collie for the first few minutes, anyway, until she got used to them! The only problem with them is that they are sold in sets of 4 (for not little $) and you often spend time looking for one or two lost in deep snow .

 

For snowballs, keeping the fur closely clipped helps. Skye always gets snowballs, esp on days when the snow is really moist -- less so on REALLY cold days, and that presents its own set of other problems. If it gets really bad, she'll stop every 50' to remove them herself. She'll let me help but I think the warmth from her breath actually helps her remove them more easily. She's never hurt herself taking them off, nor has their existence ever caused more than momentary discomfort, unless there is ice or stones mixed in. I think dogs get pretty used to stopping and taking them off themselves.

 

The only other thing that can be dangerous is ice. On frozen puddles or ponds, if their feet break through the ice only a couple of inches, they can cut their pads, which is an injury that is a b*gger to heal, since they're on it all the time.

Ailsa

[Maralynn]

Ahh, the joys of winter with a long haired dog Along with snowballs on the feet, they'll also get them all through their tail and legs if outside playing long enough!

 

In addition to keeping the hair on her feet clipped close (I also clip Missy's lower legs pretty close), you can also keep a can of non stick cooking spray by the door and spay her feet before going outside - it will help keep the snowballs from forming.

[Guest maya's mom]

Thanks for the replies. Maya's trainer was at the house yesterday, and she showed us how to trim Maya's paws and legs. She has little toes now! They are so cute. I will be keeping the areas trimmed, and will try the vaseline as well. She suggested that too. Although I am wondering.........will this absorb into her pads while we are outside, or will I have to do some extra washing to get it off when we come in? Either way......I'll try and see how it goes. Thanks!

[Tiga's_mom]

Tiga has sensitive paws from his allergies so the salt bothers him as well. In the winter we also have booties for him. We got ours at Wal-Mart for pretty cheap. They do sometimes fall off, the back ones more so but it's worth it. We also use them when his paws are acting up to keep him from digging. If we don't wear the booties, we rinse his paws with warm water when he's been in the salt. We've never used the balm or anything but I may try that this year. We got our first snowfall a couple of days ago and it's still on the ground so it's time to think about these things.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

You shoud look up musher's secret. It will help keep the ice balls from forming and will protect from salt. That being said, we don't use a lot of salt here, mostly sand, and never really get a ton of snow all at once, so when we do get a dump of snow, I just dry off her feet when we come in and every one is happy!

[Guest maya's mom]

Ms. Daisy Duke---Thanks for the info on Musher's Secret. I looked it up online, and saw that it had GREAT reviews. I will definitely be buying some. Thanks!

[Sophinator]

Hmmn. Bag Balm. I use it myself for chapped hands. I think I'll give it a try. Yeah, Sophie's little paws form iceballs that she removes herself, goes up the feathering on her legs too. As other posters have noted, that only seems to happen when the temperature is right around the freezing mark. If it's real cold, the snow doesn't ball up. Doesn't seem to be an issue other than the fact that I have iceballs all over the house. I try to steer her away from the salt on the streets but sometimes it can't be helped. I use a non-salt pet safe product on my own walk and steps. Of course, after we both took a major spill last year on ice that was covered over with wet snow, I'm of the opinion that the damned walks can wait. She can potty and play in the yard until it's safe for us to walk again. And she does love to play in it. She's discovered that if she rolls over on her back and waggles, she can toboggan down the slightest incline. And she doesn't form snowballs on her back.

[BustopherJones]

Being from the frozen north...

...you might appreciate this Canadian temparature chart.

 

50° Fahrenheit (10° C) Californians shiver uncontrollably; Canadians plant gardens.

35° Fahrenheit (1.6° C) American cars won't start; Canadians drive with the windows down.

32° Fahrenheit (0° C) American water freezes; Canadian water gets thicker.

0° Fahrenheit (-17.9° C) New York City landlords finally turn on the heat; Canadians have the last barbecue of the season.

-60° Fahrenheit (-51° C) Mt. St. Helens freezes; Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.

-100° Fahrenheit (-73° C) Santa Claus abandons the North Pole; Ottawa Canal opens for skating.

-173° Fahrenheit (-114° C) Ethyl alcohol freezes, Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.

-460° Fahrenheit (-273° C) Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops, Canadians start saying "Cold, eh?"

-500° Fahrenheit (-295° C) Hell freezes over; Ottawa Senators win the Stanley Cup.

[Tiga's_mom]

I grew up pretty far north and the coldest I've experienced is -80C (-112F). We didn't have to worry about salt for the dog because salt doesn't work if the temp is too cold. Salt and dog paws has been a new one for me.

[bc4ever]

Bag Balm. The groomer suggested we use it on Scooter's paws because they seemed dry. I was concerned about the safety, if (when?!!) he licked it off.