Winter Paw Care

[cdelargy]

What does everyone use for paw care during the winter. (some type of sauve, boots, Vaseline or some homemade remedy). Thanks

[Dakota Creek]

Musher's Secret

[welsh]

+1 on Musher's Secret.

[yellow dog]

What does everyone use for paw care during the winter. (some type of sauve, boots, Vaseline or some homemade remedy). Thanks

Really depends on what you are protecting your dogs paws from. As a musher for almost 20 years very few mushers use mushers secret. The real secret is dog booties that are made from a variety of materials such as canvas, cordura, polar fleece and a whole list of other materials depending on the manufacturer.
My Springer requires another type of foot protection because she is so hard driving into all types of brush material including the prickly type. She ended up puncturing her pad so badly it required a vet to remove the thorn, required IV along with antibiotics. Lesson learned ! Mushers secret will not protect your dogs paws from this sort of intruder. I ended up purchasing Ruffwear dog booties actually a couple of pair for my Elly. It took her some time to get use to them but now its part of her hunting gear. The nice thing about the Ruffwear product it has a rubber bottom to protect her pads from thorns or even an old downed wire farmers fence. Your dog doesn't have to wear them all the time and would depend on the terrain you are hunting. I hunt an area thick with thorns that holds allot of rabbits and its a must she wear her booties in this hunting scenario.

[patvetzal]

Our Golden is in and out all day long. Is there something we can spray or dip that will keep his paws from freezing into ice clumps? Not practical to put boots on for a three minute romp....twenty times a day.

[yellow dog]

Our Golden is in and out all day long. Is there something we can spray or dip that will keep his paws from freezing into ice clumps? Not practical to put boots on for a three minute romp....twenty times a day.

Years ago when I had Golden retrievers I would use a dab of vaseline between the toes and on the pads. My Springer has the same issue and i keep the hair between her toes clipped very short. This helps along with the dog being smart enough to figure out a way to pull the ice balls out themselves . Don't do it for them ! Dogs that spend allot of time outdoors tend to figure this out in a hurry. My Lab and Springer after a hunt and covered in burrs are crated together. By the time i get home they have pulled off the majority of the burrs off of each other ! I have very little to remove and makes bathing them less of an ordeal. I have used Mushers Secret and it would also be a good product in your situation with your Goldens.

[TurkeyRookie]

I keep the fur trimmed under her feet and between the pads to reduce ice buildup, and keep the mushers secret on her.

[Sharon]

I do the same as TR.
I don't put the Musher's Secret on until just as the dogs are leaving the van as otherwise , they will lick it off during the trip.