ShareThisTail-wagging dogs love the snow and drifts, but the Humane Society in western Pennsylvania sounded a warning after a cold, snowy snap: "Recently we have seen many dogs limping from the lack of proper foot care in these harsh weather conditions."
"People just don't understand what damage salt and cold weather can do to pets," said Marsha Robbins, a dog trainer and "humane educator" at the Humane Society.
"I even saw one owner laughing at his dog who couldn't walk any farther," Robbins said. "The poor dog had fallen to the ground in pain." The longhaired dog "had rock-salt wounds where ingrown hair was packed with snow between his pads. When I explained this to the owner, he felt pretty bad."
At the very least, pet owners should keep the hair between the dog's pads clipped short, so that snow and ice balls don't build up, said Lee Nesler, executive director at the Humane Society.
If you've got a dog that hates to have its feet touched, have a professional groomer clip the toenails and trim the foot hair.
After any winter outing, thoroughly wipe the dog's feet, legs and stomach to make sure he or she doesn't lick rock salt or de-icing chemicals, the Humane Society says. There are some "pet-safe" sidewalk de-icers, but others are potentially toxic, and you don't always know what your dog has stepped in.
Northern breeds are not immune to cold-weather foot pain, Nesler said. "Even the huskies and malamutes that run in Alaska use mushers wax or wear boots to protect their feet."
That may be the best tip of all.
It's called Musher's Secret. The manufacturer Web site, www.musherssecret.net, explains it's an "invisible boot" made from 100 percent natural wax.
Wax applied on paw pads and between dog toes prevents the ravages of ice, snow and salt and the formation of ice balls between the toes.
"I've been selling it for two years and using it on my own dogs," said Ann Cipriani of Woody's Dog Wash and Boutique in Pittsburgh.
That would be beagle-shepherd Daisy, 3, and beagles Sammi, 11, and Jasmine, 6. "I can't tell you how soft their pads are now, and they used to be so cracked."
Jeanie Barrett of Larry's Laundromutt & Dog Spa in Sewickley, Pa., just got Musher's Secret in last month. At a foot clinic, groomer Linda Dettlinger clipped toenails, trimmed foot hair and applied Musher's Secret. The product was quickly sold out, and more was ordered.
Barrett's own dogs use Musher's Secret -- shop namesake Larry, a big black-and-white mix, and Sam, a Rottweiler mix.
"The wax is white and becomes colorless when it's absorbed into the paws," she said. There's nothing left for the dogs to lick off, and the product is nontoxic anyway, according to the manufacturer.
When dogs trot back into the house, the foot wax does not rub off onto carpets or furniture.
Instructions say the wax should be applied once a week. For Cipriani's dogs, the wax is applied every two weeks. Barrett applies wax every two or three days because her lucky dogs are walked for at least an hour every day.
The cost is $14.50 for a 60-gram jar.
(Linda Wilson Fuoco can be reached at lfuoco(at)post-gazette.com. For more stories, visit scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
