Now that we are all back to our regular routines I wanted to take a moment to remind you all that it is especially important to pay attention to snow, ice and those wonderful paws. See when we pawrents throw down ice melt ~ AND IT SHOULD BE THE PET SAFE KIND ~ it gets trapped in between the pads on our doggers little paws....it can cause skin irritations and sores, which leads to licking and trips to the vet! Not to mention, the stuff was made to MELT ICE, not be ingested. It is a really good idea to wash off your pets paws when you come in with a little warm water on a towel and inspect between the toes....just to be safe!
Additionally, the snow and ice that get trapped between toes and pads can also cause frostbite. This can be very dangerous also. I know my dogs, airedales, have longer hair on their legs and paws and snow very easily gets trapped between toes, in their armpits and along the their bellies in the hair. The best way to safely remove such snowballs is to break them up with your fingers and a course terry towel. DO NOT submerge them in warm water....bad idea to drastically change their body temperature like that. Take the time to break up the snow, use your hands or a brush.....being careful to not pull too hard. Be sure to get it all out from between the toes!
When you finish cleaning up...be sure to give your dogger a treat for their patience as you help them get comfortable. Don't forget to hydrate too! Provide ample drinking water while playing outdoors in the snow with your pups. They still get thirsty! Wishing you lots of winter fun....BE SAFE! Have a pawesome winter!
