Winter Paws

The Healthy Bark

Winter can be a lot of fun for our pets. They enjoy the new smells, romping in the snow, and for some, new things to explore. Winter can also be very hazardous to our pets as well.
For some dogs being out in the snow brings out the frisky in them. I know my Bassets with their short legs and all would take off across the yard thrilled about the snow. The Lab would take off running as fast as she could and then lay down and roll in it. They had a blast every time we got snow. We also lived in Montana for a few years so they saw their fair share of the white stuff for many months on end.

What most people do not think about is the dangers that also come with snow season. Even if you live in the south where we get little if any snow in a single winter we do get ice and freezing. This brings in the "Snow Melts" that are used around town and even in your own walkways. The chemicals used in the de-icers can cause health hazards and be life threatening to your pets.

Use some safety measures to insure your pets stay safe this winter. If they are going to be walked in areas that have used Snow Melts, than these precautions will help your pet stay healthy and enjoy this great time of year.

• Put Booties on them
• Keep the hair between the pads trimmed tight
• Rinse their feet when you get home to remove any salt that has stuck to their feet, for low riders rinse their undercarriage as well
• Take your shoes off in an area your pet does not frequent
• Do not allow your pet to lick this stuff
• Use Coconut oil on their feet after you rinse them off since salt is drying

If you have your pet outside without boots on and see them lift one leg up or start to limp they have ice balls stuck between the pads. This is very painful and in older dogs can make them collapse very fast. Lift the paw up and remove the ice balls with your finger. Also the boots for older dogs help them keep their footing when walking on slick areas.

Some dogs are not designed to be outside in the cold for very long, for these breeds make sure you put a sweater on them and keep exposure to a minimum. For dogs like Bassets with long ears if it is too cold they can get frostbite on the tips of the ears from dragging them in the snow. You can use a scarf to wrap around the ears to pull them off the ground.