Rubbing salt in the wound.....

    • Gold Top Dog

    Rubbing salt in the wound.....

    I pulled a major jerk move last night! I knew Cosmo had a pad cut on his front paw but I wasn't too worried about it, as it wasn't bleeding. I walk him on some rough stuff so it just happens sometimes. He keeps them clean and they heal pretty quick, so without thinking about it, I took him out for a walk last night not realizing they had put salt down on the roads due to cold and blowing snow. Yikes! Poor dog! We got about a 1/10th of a mile from the house when I saw him licking and limping on the cut paw. I got him home as quick as possible but he still had to walk on the salted road. Got him home and he was pretty bummed. Hard licking and small whimpers, coming from what is a very stoic dog almost broke my heart, along with THAT LOOK and oh man I felt like such a jerk. Took him in and soaked the paw in a bowl with warm water, wiped it down and repeated several times until he was better but I still felt like a heel. He got some peanut butter and extra treats and has forgiven me but I still feel pretty bad about it. Look like it's time to order some Mushers Wax.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Poor Cosmo!  He will be better in no time!  I love Musher's wax, both my dogs got some on yesterday, as we got 12 inches of snow the day before!

    • Gold Top Dog

    Awwwwwwww, poor Cosmo!  I'm sure he won't hold it against you.

    • Gold Top Dog

    So.. we went out walking today.  It snowed like 1/8 of an inch and they put down tons of salt.  We made it, like you about 1/10 of a mile (and we usually go 5-6 miles) and she started limping like she stepped on glass or stubbed her toe.  I am not sure if it was that the salt is jagged or she had some open wound (not that i know of) but I am really worried..  Do you guys put boots on your dog??? Walking is a huge !!  part of our life.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I know how it feels.  I haven't had issues with the salt, but I had an issues with the little prickly bur things.  The neighbor doesn't take care of his sidewalk and he had vine like things growing on the sidewalk.  I am walking and all of a sudden Guss started limping.  I looked at his paw and he had several burs in his paw.  Of course Karma got me and when I was walking to get something out of my car barefoot at night, and I stood on a bunch.  I fell to the ground and I ended up with burs in my knees too.  I was terrible.  The darn things were everywhere.

    • Gold Top Dog

     So what is the solution. at the risk of looking ridiculous I would consider putting booties on my dog.  We walk a LOT and walking without her isn't any fun... I'm sure she doesn't like being left at home either!

    • Gold Top Dog

     some dogs dont like the boots. lol i know if i put them on my dogs the walk would consist of them of trying to eat those annoying things off their feet

    i've never heard of musher's wax. that might an interesting route. how does it work? We go to the beach and river a lot during summer, dogs too,  and thanks to the high concentration of idiots there is a LOT of glass in the sand.. i'm anal about kids wearing shoes when there is glass around.. and i've gotten real good at spotting it in the water. but its that fact alone that makes me leery of taking the dogs swimming unless its at the national park where they dont let idiots and their glass beer bottles hang around.. but thats almost a two hour drive...

    i might as well just get some boots too.. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    I found this description on another site. I used it last year in the winter and it workrd nicely for Cosmo. I put it on before a walk in the snow and wipe it off after, it keeps snow from building up between his toes and stops salt burn on his pads. I wouldn't put boots on him for two reasons, first I work him in thick broush and I'd be afraid of the boots getting hung up in brush and limbs and secondly, I'm a guy and my fragile male ego couldn't deal with walking a dog with boots on.  

    "Musher's Secret: No more burning from salt and chemicals, no more burning from sand and sandburn, no more burning from hot summer pavement, no more sore cracked paws. Prevents abrasions, burning, drying and cracking. Musher's Secret allows perspiration to escape through toes. Very safe to use. Mushers Secret is a extremely dense waxed-based invisible barrier cream that forms a breathable bond between two surfaces, and which remains very tenacious even when extremely hot or extremely cold. Does not stain, non-toxic, non-allergenic. Musher's Secret wax is available in two sizes, 60 grams and 200 grams."