Winter paw care or, to be honest, any winter wisdom

Kat_Bath

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It looks like Harvey is finally over his skin infection in/on his left front paw - phew. He does have a little dry/red sore patch on one of his back paws though, but it changes daily from looking fine to being red and isn't presenting the same as his front infection. The vet had a look when we took him back for a check and said it's probably completely unrelated. I have a picture on my phone but it's too big to upload 😔

All this has made me realise I feel very unprepared for minor ailments, in winter in particular. I feel like a bad owner :(

Is there anything I can do to help prevent his paws getting sore or damaged during winter? We're in Scotland so perhaps it is a little more wet than other places and we do go on some soggy adventures. He also enjoys a puddle, a small loch, a bog, a ditch...

Related to this, are there any good online resources/books for stuff like this? My go to is always books but I've yet to find the dog owning bible in paper form!

Thank you in advance but also, in general because I don't know what I'd do without the AAD board!
 

paisley

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Probably need to ask your vet first, as it sounds like a specific problem, that general advice might not be right for?

Having said that, with a skinny sensitive dog who also gets sore paws easily, I tend to stick to simple (to not upset the skin natural defence), so dry off as soon as after walks, keep to off road walks (especially as the roads get treated more in the winter), 1% salt solutions for any sore patches, with Sudocrem and Dermagel as topical treatments for short term use.

And for me, keeping his claws trimmed regularly- its my notion that like horses, a dog needs a balanced paw, so you don't get uneven pressure (its my notion and I'm sticking with it!)

Stuff you already know, but works for me!
 

CorvusCorax

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One of mine gets irritated paws. Wet/damp seems to aggravate it.

I use either Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream or Bepanthene nappy cream to form a barrier for out and about, then fully dry and apply Battles wound powder when he's home. Leucillin is good if it's really sore or there's a little red spray bottle I was recommended at tack shop which also forms a barrier but can't remember name...will check when I get home.

Interesting about the claws. He has long front feet and the nails are never naturally short as they don't meet hard surfaces. Must see if clipping helps....
 

SadKen

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You can get dog boots which I've whacked on mine occasionally, if it's mud that is bothering them. Grip trex ones are quite good but rather expensive.

Mine reacts to mud but only in the winter where he's treading in it repeatedly, and it's the cracks between toes that get sore. I rinse with the hose when back from walks to get the mud off, then dry with a towel. Once they are properly dry I whack a bit of talc or keratex on to make sure they are as dry as possible. It seems to work quite well.

Sometimes I give them a wash in warm water and dry, then pop on a bit of barrier cream.

Basically just treat like mud fever!
 

Clodagh

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Tawny (lab) has dreadful feet and I spend all year battling cracks and sores. Mushers Paw wax is excellent, and I slap it on (we call it 'lubing the dog'! ) before shooting. She also has her feet washed off after every shoot day and vastly expensive cream called 'adore the paw' rubbed in. TBH I am pretty sure cheap stuff would work just as well but she is my child!
 

Kat_Bath

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Thank you all, very much - this is why I love HHO.

My hesitation with using boots if he finds a deep puddle - he doesn't hesitate in going in! 😂 That said, we have a few walks that we do that aren't so puddly so they could work on those. Also, perhaps round the roads from home as well, for the salt and damp... Unfortunately, we can't avoid walking on the pavements from home but I feel more prepared for 4 months of gritting!

Trimming claws is a good point - I'll take a look at them in a bit (he's currently curled up on my legs at the end of the sofa so I am unfortunately trapped 😂). I'll also have a look at clippers next time I'm in a shop - I don't think the ones I have for the guinea pigs will cut it (pun intended!).

Some of the suggestions above are things I was considering (sudocrem, talc) so it's good to know I was semi on the right lines. I was also thinking of what I'd do if it was mud fever 😂

Thank you all, again, very much 😚😚😚
 

CorvusCorax

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I've resigned myself to the fact that it's something I'm going to have to check every day as part of their daily routine. If I leave it for any length of time, then it pops back up again. I'm reticent about boots as I'd like him to build up at least some form of resilience.
But still very interested to see if clipping makes a difference. My older dog has very tight feet and very stubby nails as a result and has never had an issue. His pads are so tough that he'd probably walk over hot coals....
 

skinnydipper

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Some of the suggestions above are things I was considering (sudocrem

I would be very careful if using Sudocrem or nappy creams containing zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is toxic to dogs if ingested so not a good choice if your dog is likely to lick it off.

I wouldn't risk it and would look for something designed for the purpose - Clodagh has mentioned two.
 
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Littlefloof

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Musher's Secret is available on Amazon - it's pricy but good. Also wipe off paws when you get in if you've been out on gritted roads to prevent your dog licking salt off its paws.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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We used to use beeswax in winter on bens feet, we would wash his feet off and dry them as best wee could, then we would wait an hour or so until they dried and then put the bees wax on. He generally didn’t lick it off but if he did it wasn’t going to cause him any harm. Kept his feet I. Good nick. Before the beeswax we used plain old Vaseline but that left greasy marks everywhere so be aware of that.
 

CorvusCorax

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To reiterate, whatever is on my dog's paws while out and about, is removed at point of drying and then powder applied.
The dog in question would not pause during a walk, training etc to lick his paws.
 

MotherOfChickens

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I've used sudacreme immediately before a walk, in small amounts to treat itchy feet-its absorbed very quickly and worked a treat. I've not had any foot issues (that was an allergy) other than that-also in Scotland and they are walked on tarmac, hardcore tracks grass, forestry and bog daily. I do keep their nails short-Fitz has pink and/or black pads with white nails (bar one) and log toe confo and just doesnt wear down nails himself and havent had any irritation issues with him.
 

Moobli

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Some good suggestions above. My oh has a working sheepdog who only has three and a half paws (mum chewed half a paw off when he was born) and he suffers a bit so we bought trixie boots for him and it’s definitely helped. In less extreme circumstances I’d be inclined to get the Musher’s Secret paw wax for before walks, followed by washing and thoroughly drying when returning.
 

Kat_Bath

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Thank you all AGAIN! You're all so wonderful! So much to think about and to take into consideration so thank you very much 😚😚
 

eatmyshorts

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I'm from Scotland too, & often work my dogs in harness, in wet conditions, on quite abrasive surfaces. I looked into keeping pads in good condition, because i was trying to work out how friends dogs often got split pads & my own never had any problems. The fact my own dogs are raw fed & my friends kibble fed was the only difference i could find - they are the same breed, doing the same work, on the same surfaces. Surprisingly however, there's not a lot of info available about diet affecting pads. What i did discover is that a zinc deficiency can cause issues with pads (particularly in sibes (huskies) & i've since found by taking to sibe owning friends that they add zinc to their dogs diets during racing season). Might be worth considering or asking your vet about. I know people who use Musher's Secret Paw Wax & swear by it, but i tend to think it's better to fix these things from the inside out.
 
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