Cold mornings & Dog Sweaters

[irisblue]

Princess Pretty Paws is 11, maybe almost 12. She is arthritic, she has a replacement knee (same type I'll be getting, mine will be larger though ) and selective hearing and a greyhound type fur coat. I put her into her sweater last night, her ears felt cold to me. The temp this am was in the low 40's. It was a quick morning outie to do business and perimeter patrol. As I type this, she is asleep on her half of the couch with paw over nose. Her ears feel warm. It's sweater season for the dog. Yes she does have a coat, but I draw the line at booties.

[nadine_mn]

1. I have had to get booties for my dogs

They are all large dogs, but here in Minnesota the ice (and specifically the ice melt crap and salt on the streets and sidewalks) can really hurt their paws.

My German Shepherd doesn't have much of an undercoat so he needs a jacket on walks once it gets in the teens and below. My Lab/Chesapeake mix is pretty damn hardy - she is fine in all extremes.

My Lab who has since passed away LOVED, LOVED wearing jackets - he didn't have much of an undercoat either and loved to be wrapped up in fleece. It's funny how some dogs shrug off the coats like "aww ma, do I have to?" and others love them!

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Our GSD and our Border Collie both love the cold.

The GSD runs through snow with her head held below the surface, sending up a snow rooster tail. The BC just goes out and lays in the snow. She also loves cold, raw, drizzly weather. She literally lays in it like a cat might lay in a spot of sun.

The fur between her paw pads often get chunked with ice. I *do* worry about that.


edit to change my initial word salad to an intelligible statement.

[nadine_mn]

3. Have you tried musher's secret?

It's a wax you put on their paws that protects their paws from ice balls, ice, the de-iced stuff, plus helps in hot weather too.

Our GSD has really sensitive paws and its safe in case they lick it..which he does. It's a pain in. The ass to massage it into his feet but he is much happier afterwards.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. How long does it last after application?

We routinely handle our dogs as part of keeping check on them, so I don't think this would be a burden . . . . unless it was a daily need.




(by the way, did you type that on an iPad? I say that because of the spurious period and capital T in "pain in. The ass" )

[nadine_mn]

5. It lasts a few hours

It's meant to be put on twice a day I think. As long as they don't lick it off...bad dog. Since it was made for sled dogs originally it lasts for a long time outdoors.

It is the consistency of Carmex or slightly firm vapor rub...it doesn't stain furniture if you care about that kind of thing (we don't...we surrendered to our furry overlords years ago).

It really is a miracle paw treatment. I got sick of looking for lost booties in snow drifts, this helps a lot. When it's super cold, booties make a brief come back but the wax is great for the daily walks.

Oh and yes..lol I posted using the damn iPad ha!