dirty ethel rackham Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I have a 3 yo labradoodle who needs long walks to keep him tired enough to stay out of trouble. I usually walk him for about 45 minutes to an hour every morning. One thing I can't seem to find any information on is how to keep his paws healthy. When we take walks on very cold days (he doesn't poop without going for a walk, so not walking is not really an option), I worry that his paws are getting too cold. We had a spate of single digit temperatures. I did shorten his walk on those days to only 25-30 minutes. Most of the time, he seems just fine. He just seems to want to walk a little faster on those days, which is great for me. One day, he did stop and kept holding up one paw. I examined it but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. After that, we headed home and he seemed fine. I keep him away from road salt as much as I can. Is there anything I need to do to make sure his paws are ok? (I really don't think he would go for booties - I am pretty sure he would chew them off.) Also, what about snow? How can I keep snow/ice from building up in the fur between the pads on his paws? How short should that fur be? Since he is part shedding, we don't take him in for grooming and I try to remember to trim the paw fur every couple of months. I usually trim it to be level with the pads (with scissors as I am not comfortable with the clippers.) I am concerned that trimming it too far because it seems to provide insulation against the cold. But, we had our first significant snowfall today and he had a bunch of ice built up after his long walk today. Is there anything I can do for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddykate Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 They make little boots for dogs to wear in the snow/cold weather so they won't get frostbite. I would probably find some of those to put on him so then you could be sure he isn't damaging his paws by being in the cold for so long. On funny note, our little dog will wait by the front door and hold her foot up so we can put her boots on. Really cute :) ETA.....sorry, I missed the part in your post about not wanting to do the booties. Sorry about that. It is too late in the afternoon and I really need a nap :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Dog boots: http://www.ultrapaws...roducts/1024/�� and https://www.dogbooties.com/ . Aidan's boots are from dogbooties.com and they don't fall off. They are cheap, look cheap, but they protect his feet and keep them dry (not lined for warmth). Aidan doesn't mind wearing boots, but most dogs dance around and try to shake them off until they get used to them or their owner's give up. I bought the cheap ones because I didn't want to waste money when Aidan took them off. I was surprised he did not. Trim hair around paw pads. I use small scissors with balls on the tips. Others use clippers. Musher's Secret Paw Wax: http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B0002XIZXY For snowball buildup on hair, try rubbing it off with a thick microfiber cloth. I buy mine at Walmart in the automotive section. I tried this today, and it worked quickly ... but we only have about 4" of powdery snow, and Aidan was not covered thickly (meaning it was < 1" of snowball cover, not 3"-5"). It took me one minute to de-snow Aidan from head to toes, excluding the area covered by his coat. I didn't come up with this idea. Some company is selling de-icing mitts for dogs that are made of microfiber which looks just like those cleaning cloths. Otherwise, the long route to removing snowballs is to use a blow dryer, set on low. On heavy snow days, this method takes me an hour. Aidan wears a coat for warmth and to decrease the amount of snowballs in his hair. His coat is from Adams Horse Supply and is waterproof and lined for winter use: http://www.adamshors...eatherbeeta dog . My next plan is to make leggings for him and attach them to his coat using garter clips. Then I'll make him a hat. I am really desperate to keep him snowball-free. If you walk your dog in a place where chemicals are put down (de-icing or lawn), it is a good idea to wash off his feet with warm water when he comes inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 If you think you've walked through salt, rinse the paws when you get home. It doesn't matter if they get a little snow in there - unless it is bugging them. Then pick it out and keep walking. If they keep holding up different paws, head for home. Too cold. I had dogs in a harsh winter climate growing up and it wasn't a big issue. When I was older my parents did have their little dog wear booties, but mostly that was to keep from having to get the snow off of the paws when they got home (so there wouldn't be puddles around the house as it melted). HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 i had a long haired golden retriever who i always took out in the snow as a kid, and never thought anything of it. one day when the snow was particularly deep, she ran to a different house, sat on the porch, and wouldnt leave. it took me a while, but i figured out the snow had caked in to her paws and gotten stuck in the hair. I broke it up and pulled it out, and she bounded back in to the snow to head for home. it did not seem like that big a deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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