Dogs Paws in the snow! - Page 1

Should I worry about my dogs paws while she is out in the snow? She loves to run around in the snow, never wanting to come in. I am concerned about her well being. Any good advice? Should I be concerned? Thanks

I usually buy some "wax" that the mushers use on their sled dogs, it coats the paw very well, and prevents cracking and pain. Good luck!

Yeah they sell pad wax for paws or you can just coat them in vasaline. Remember to wipe it off before you put them up or bring them in.

I live in Pinedale, Wyoming and I have never had a problem with the dog paws in the snow. I take my dog on 3 mile walks everyday or they go up to 15k skiing with me about 3 times a week and never have I had a cracked paw. I think they have to aclimate to it but putting on doggy booties will only prolong the aclimation time for the dogs.

The musher's dogs need paw protection not because of the snow, but rather because of the ice and the cold temperatures--as the dogs are working hard while running in harness, their paws are perspiring, which can make them more vulnerable to frostbite; they also have to deal with potential cuts and tears to the pad from shards of ice that may form or fall onto the trail. For the average companion dog, however, the main concern is to try and keep their paws off of salt or other ice- and snow-clearing substances. Some of these products can actually burn the pads (including salt in heavy concentrations), while others can cause gastrointestinal problems if the dog ingests them while cleaning its paws after having been outside in the snow. If your dog is a longcoat, however, you may find that snow will form hard little snowballs on the hair between the paws, and this can make it uncomfortable for the dog. In those instances, you can use a bit of petroleum jelly or one of the musher's waxes to prevent this from happening...but again, be careful as to what you use, since the dog WILL lick this stuff off its paws and ingest it.

My boy is the same with the snow. Last year when I first got him the snow and ice cracked his paws open. It looked horrible and I think it may have been a little painful for him as well. I wasnt sure what to do so I put aloe gel on them, which was only for healing. Where can I find that wax? I was also thinking about getting those boots or shoe things from the Ray Allen web site. Anybody ever used those before?