Winter Proofing Your Dog's Paws


Winter can be a beautiful time to hike in the sparkly, cold wonderland. But, it can also wreak havoc on your dog's paws: cracking, trauma, frost bite, chemical burns and drying. This can hurt! We often don't think about it, but steps can be taken to prevent painful paws. Here's what you can do:
  1. Prep the paws. Trim the hair between the toes and around the paws. This will prevent ice balls from forming. It is also especially important to keep your dog's nails trimmed. Long nails can cause the paw pads to spread out while walking causing snow to get packed in between the toes. 
  2. Invest in some Paw and Nose Butter. Yes, there is such a product! Before you go out into the wild, gently clean your dog's paw pads with a warm wash cloth and apply a thin layer of butter. This will form a thin barrier between your dog's paw pads and the elements. Once you are done with your walk, wash your dog's paws with warm water and apply the butter again. This will help moisturize the paw pads and keep them from getting dried out.  You can follow the same steps for your dog's nose if you notice it is getting dry and cracked from the cold weather.
  3. Invest in some dog boots. This is another layer of protection for your dog's feet. You can still use the paw butter to keep the paws warm, soft and supple. But the dog boots add the ultimate protection.
  4. Stay away from de-icers and salt. Avoid areas that have had de-icer or salt spread. These substances can be toxic to pets and cause chemical burns. Once you are done walking, wash your dog's paws to make sure that there is nothing that Fido can lick off to make him/her sick and then apply paw butter!
Last but not least, here is a recipe you can use to make your own paw butter:
  • 2 TBS Shea Butter
  • 2 TBS Coconut oil
  • 2 TBS Beeswax
  • 1 tsp Sweet almond or Olive oil
Put all the ingredients into a pan and melt over low heat while occasionally stirring. Once it is all melted, transfer into a glass jar for cooling and storage.

p.s...This recipe can also be used as an excellent human body butter. :)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

8 DIY Enrichment Games for the Canine Mind

Image
As winter continues on, we all try to ward off the winter blues by taking our handful of vitamin D daily and watching endless hours of Netflix. Sometimes, we take hikes in the winter wonderland...or there is skiing...or ice climbing.  But let's face it, winter is a time of hibernation and cabin fever can take it's toll. A dog's mental health can suffer. While you can go skiing and ice climbing, a dog can't. They get bored when mental and physical exercise are not consistent. And a bored dog equals a mischievous dog. Luckily, humans are also a creative species and below I have found a bunch of DIY enrichment games for dogs. So start crafting away the winter canine blues! What you see above is a "snuffle pad". You can purchase these or make them. The picture above is a snuffle pad from an Etsy store: FleeceBeWithYou . The price of these mats vary depending upon size and weight ($9.00- $50.00) Snuffle pads are also fairly easy to make, but can b...
Read more

DIY Enrichment Games For Your Dog

Image
Because we have a great Enrichment Program , I thought it would be fun to post some enrichment games you can make for your dog at home:  Image: Yes Missy The Muffin Tin Game is somewhat like Hide-and-Go-Seek, but with treats instead of humans. It's pretty simple and easy to put together. You just grab a muffin pan, and place a few treats in random indentations in the pan. Then, place tennis balls over all the indentations. You dog needs to A) figure out how to get the balls out and B) figure out which indentations hold the treats. A full tutorial can be found here: Yes Missy . Image: The Nerd's Wife This enrichment game was found on The Nerd's Wife and will keep your dog entertained for hours. I do want to write a little disclaimer: The Nerd's Wife tutorial on how to make this enrichment toy also endorses Purina Beyond Pet Food. Though Bark City thinks this is an awesome idea for an enrichment toy, we are not endorsing Purina Beyond.... Because, well... ...
Read more

Dog Collar Safety In Daycares

Image
At Bark City, we have a "No Collar Rule" while the dogs are in the daycare. When two dogs are playing and have collars on, they can quickly become entangled. Teeth, jaws and feet can get caught.  Once the entanglement happens, things can escalate quickly. A dog can start to panic: twisting, turning and pulling to get free. This can result in an injury to the area of the body that is trapped. In addition, there is the risk of the twisted collar on the dog cutting off the oxygen supply resulting in asphyxiation. Outside of a dog care facility, collar safety is a must for owners as well. There are three basic types of collars: Each collar serves a different purpose and should be used at the appropriate time. I am using examples found on 2 Hounds Design , simply because they had images of the three types of collars I am want to discuss: This type of collar is called a Martingale Collar and is often used with dogs that have a smaller head than neck. Owners often use the...
Read more