Since the first notable snow-stays-on-the-ground fall, Loki has been quite pleased. A happy trotter, with a million new things to sniff and track, so much more peemail to send! However, I've come to notice that after a shortish distance on the salted city sidewalks, he'll start to limp. He looks so sad, like a broken legged deer hobbling along. At this point I stop and wipe his paws with my mitt just to see if it helps. It usually does. At times I've checked between his doberpaws in case of foreign entity.
I Doogled (Lokian word for using google for dog specific research) "Dog limps in snow" and came to the conclusion that it is not because his paws are sensitive to the cold (he is part husky afterall) it must be a sensitivity to road salt. He walks on the snowy parts of walkways rather than the pavement. This is to cool the sensation salt creates. The prescription for his Doberlimps? das Boots!!!!
I work near an awesome independent pet store and they are an absolute wealth of knowledge. After a great chat they set me and my wallet up with a few items to try
I Doogled (Lokian word for using google for dog specific research) "Dog limps in snow" and came to the conclusion that it is not because his paws are sensitive to the cold (he is part husky afterall) it must be a sensitivity to road salt. He walks on the snowy parts of walkways rather than the pavement. This is to cool the sensation salt creates. The prescription for his Doberlimps? das Boots!!!!
I work near an awesome independent pet store and they are an absolute wealth of knowledge. After a great chat they set me and my wallet up with a few items to try
Soooooo....I'm sure any of these items WOULD have worked on a normal pupper, but unfortunately Doberdog was far too wiggly. He wasn't a fan. At. All. When I tried the velcro fleece boots, his legs became seperate from his body, his brain couldn't compute and he just froze in place. I coaxed him with his favourite treats and he walked toward me like a baby foal taking its first steps. and then froze again and refused to come any closer. He then frantically chewed at the boots and was obviously stressed and desperate to rip them off. The velcro barely held anyway. Much to my shegrin, I just can't see DoberBoots as an easy process for either of us, so we're back to trying other options, or perhaps I'll just keep walking in snowbanks all winter. Perhaps a better boot that goes farther up his leg? One that's more fitted with more velcro that he can step into?
I've also heard of Musher's Secret, a dense, barrier wax that forms a breathable bond with dog's paws and the cold wet ground. Developed in Canada for use with sledding dogs, but I wonder how this would fair with Lokieus. ( checked out the FAQ
I've also heard of Musher's Secret, a dense, barrier wax that forms a breathable bond with dog's paws and the cold wet ground. Developed in Canada for use with sledding dogs, but I wonder how this would fair with Lokieus. ( checked out the FAQ