Protect Your Dog's Paws

Ice Balls & Snow Betwixt the Toes

Forgive the poetic title, but you have seen them and many a canine can be seen limping due to them. If you are going to walk where there is lots of snow, ice balls can form between their paw pads and toes. This is a nightmare for my dogs, Jakarta and Jumanji, two shelties, who have fur between their toes and paw pads that collect snow and turn it into glazed ice balls. It's rather difficult for them to continue walking in this condition.

Those of you with hunting dogs that go out in these adverse weather conditions are well aware of the range covered by them and acutely aware of paw problems.

Road/Sidewalk Chemicals, Salts, & Deicers

All of these useful yet dangerous chemicals, like Magnesium Chloride on streets, can and will irritate your dog's paws. Dogs will lick their paws when wet and/or irritated, and that can lead to toxicity by ingestion of a chemical.

Sand, gravel and cat litter are nontoxic options for traction on ice and sow. Unfortunately, except around your own home and walkway, you do not have control of the use of these benign winter traction aids, and apartment dwellers who must walk their dogs have virtually none.

Make sure to secure or rinse off your own footgear after walking on chemically treated public places, especially if you see things like ice melting pellets, so that your dog does not lick your footgear and become ill or worse.

Fertilizers and Pesticides

Just like in winter, warmer weather brings danger to your pet as well. Everyone has seen the yellow warning flags in the yards as they walk their pet. People fertilize or have yards fertilized, treated with pesticides and so forth. Again, these chemicals are toxic to your pet and irritating to their paws. There is not a dog in the world that is not going to lick an irritated foot! Hey, the yellow warning flags of a professional yard maintenance company are great, but, what about the yard owner that does it themselves? It is highly unlikely they will put out warning flags. Regrettably, just because you cannot see the danger does not mean it doesn't exist.

Hot Pavement, Broken Glass, Stickers, and Other Dangers

Nice weather begs for activities like hiking, biking, and rollerblading with your dog. What about you sun worshippers that go to the beach with your dog? That sand gets petty hot. Some folks like to go on camping trips or fishing expeditions with their pet, whatever the activity perils still lurk for the unsuspecting paw.

Even a casual summer walk may bring irritation to your dog's paws on a hot asphalt street or sidewalk. They won't complain about it either, they will blindly and loyally follow along as dogs do. Think about it.

Dog Shoes or Boots

These will obviously protect your dog's feet and simple removal of them will negate the danger of toxic ingestion by way of licking their paws afterwards. There is one problem though, most dogs hate them! They will spend the majority of their time trying to remove them any way possible.

Musher's Secret

This is, in my opinion, by far the best all around option. Musher's Secret wax acts as an invisible shield to prevent paw problems. It prevents abrasions, burning, drying and cracking The easy-to-apply formula contains vitamin E to moisturize and help heal wounds and keep paws healthy.

Musher's Secret is a blend of several organic waxes carefully refined by master wax makers, barrier cream that forms a breathable bond between the paw pads and toes, of your dog eliminating ice balls. It dries in seconds, will not stain, is non-toxic and non-allergenic. Other pet paw waxes contain white oil, paraffin wax, rosin, silicon dioxide and perfume.

Musher's Secret will prevent your dog's paws from being burned by salt, chemicals, sand, and hot summer pavement or sidewalks. It will also guard against cuts and prevent stickers from entering your dog's paw pads or toes.

O.K. it does not cure cancer, but for all I know they are working on it. It's great stuff, you should try it.

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