Bitter Cold - Cold Feet

[TrishB]

Notice that the unhappy face is blue....

Toronto has been in a deep freeze for the last 2 weeks. They're saying that it should lift for the weekend. For example - we've been under -30C with the wind chill factor all week long. :(

Parker is almost 7 months and is a happy, energetic pup. However, all of our walks have been cut short due to this bitter weather. He ends up picking up his feet and limping within 5 minutes. :(

Have any of you ever had to put booties on your dogs? I don't care what it looks like, I just don't want him to be uncomfortable or painfully cold! I'm also considering putting a sweater on him to help him better deal with it.

If you have used booties - what type / style are the best? Just remember this is for the cold, not for salt protection (although that is a nice side effect). My experiences in the past have been with poorly designed, poorly made products that are just a waste of money. If there's something out there that's worth it (i.e. you've used it and like it), I'll buy it.

[Sharon Marples]

Can't be of much help in where to find them, but I do know that many sled dog people have their dogs wear the booties. They are specially made for the dogs.

Maybe try a search under sled dog boots?

And, I know I have seen them in some of the catalogs, you might also want to try searching some of the pet catalog websites.

Sharon Marples

[Solomon]

I've had to bootie my dog for worn pads. I bought the leather bottomed, lined variety from Petsmart, about $40. Took Solly about 10 minutes to get used to them, although he still high-stepped on walks.

[Jamie & Odin]

Trish, I've tried a couple different brands. I don't remember what they were, but I wasn't very happy. Yep, went with the cheaper ones since I wanted to just try it out.

Invest in a good pair, otherwise they will just fall off, twist around etc. I've heard "Muttluks" (sp?) is a good brand.

My dogs didn't like them at all. It took Odin quite a while to get used to them. I need to get new ones for both of them, though. We come in from outside and they sit and lick their feet. Poor boys:(

[Solomon]

I did the same thing and bought a cheap first set. After about 4 steps Solly laid down on his back with his poor paws sticking straight up in the air and refused to move. The second set is leather with "grippers" on the bottom portion so he has traction, lined interior (this especially seemed to help) and a "sock top" with adjustable velcro. Really, the hardest part is adjusting the velcro tension, it has to be tighter than you think to keep them from twisting and sliding down the dog's ankle.

[Carina43]

I've never bought booties, but I smear Vaseline between my dogs' toes if it's very cold & snowy out, sometimes the ice forms little balls between their toes that's uncomfortable. Works like a charm, and easy to wipe off afterwards.

[TrishB]

Originally posted by Carina43
I've never bought booties, but I smear Vaseline between my dogs' toes if it's very cold & snowy out, sometimes the ice forms little balls between their toes that's uncomfortable. Works like a charm, and easy to wipe off afterwards.

Yeah - this is just sheer C-O-L-D. No snowballs, just freezing tootsies. :(

[TrishB]

http://www.muttluks.com/about.html

These ones Jamie?

[Carina43]

Ahh...Trish you're not too far from me, we don't have much snow either, just really really COLD.
Those booties sure look cute on!

[Jamie & Odin]

Yep, Trish. I haven't tried them, but have heard good things;)

[samanthac]

Actually this thread is very timely as Athena has been doing this this year as well. Usually I pick up her paw in cupped hands and blow warm breathe on it until it 'thaws'. There are a few times I actually had to carry her a pretty good distance back to the house...85-lbs or not, I am NOT freezing my hiney off why she thaws! :D Dh would kill me if he knew I did that! :D

I'll definitely have to look into the booties.

[Simba]

Trish,
Are you sure it is the cold that is making him limp? I find with Simba that he starts lifting his paws or limping when we walk over a salted driveway or sidewalk, I think the salt gets between his toes and might sting. If I brush them off or walk him into some deeper snow to get rid of the salt he is okay again. Up at the cottage where there is no salt he has been staying outside with us without being cold for up to an hour at a time. When he is cold he knows to go to the door to go inside.

[TrishB]

Yeah - I'm sure. There isn't any salt on our walks. In my neighborhood, it's everyone slipping and falling for themselves. ;) It's a very doggy-friendly neighborhood, so people don't use salt.

It's just that bitterly cold out here. :(

But as I said - if I do get booties, then protection from salt in other neighborhoods would be a nice side effect! :)

[LORHEL]

I've got those brand new muttlicks, and I forgot about Makita wearing a cast on her leg right after it was broken...

I tried putting on a boot, and could tell, no way was she having any thing to do with them. :( She hated the whole idea. I felt stupid for not remembering that.

Her paw pads get cracked from walking on the asphalt, and bag balm helps, but not totally. If you can get them on, then you are lucky and so is the dog... wow, I thought we had cold weather..

[CarolineS]

Hi Trish,

I was just going to post about boots when I saw this. Since I live north of Toronto, I've been going through the same thing, only it's about 5 degrees colder up here!!!!

We usually have one day every winter where the dogs can't get out for a walk because it's too cold, but this winter has been something else. After only getting them out for about three minutes a couple of days last week before they started limping and then not getting them out at all on Wednesday, I finally bought some boots.

It was hilarious the first time I put them on. I only bought one pair to see how they'd work, so the girls are sharing at the moment. Both of them were convinced they couldn't walk in them at first. I could barely get them moving in the house. I did get out some treats and coax them to walk so they at least knew it was possible. I found they were better when I got them outside though they bucked and jumped around just like a horse with boots on! Yesterday, it was -18 C during the day and with the boots, both girls got a good 15-20 minute walk. The cold doesn't seem to bother their bodies at all, I guess they have enough hair.

I went out looking for the all-weather muttlucks but couldn't find any in their size. They had the fleece-lined ones, but I wanted something waterproof since we have so much snow on the roads up here (no sidewalks). I ended up with some called Neo-Paws that I bought in PJ's pet store in Pickering. They cost $43.95 for size large, cheaper if smaller.

They are made out of neoprene, so they are waterproof and quite warm (since neoprene doesn't breath). You wouldn't want to leave them on for a great length of time because of this, but for the average length freezing winter walk, they're fine. They fit fairly well. The funny thing is, with both dogs there seems to be one boot that doesn't stay on very well and I have to adjust it two or three times on the walk. It's a different foot with each dog, must be the way they walk or something.

These boots come just over the hock at the back and halfway to the knee on the front. They are very stretchy and kind of wrap around the leg and attach with velcro on the inside. They have a strap you wrap around afterwards that also attaches with velcro. You do have to do them up very tightly to keep them on. I found the front ones didn't stay on very well, so I sewed some extra velcro on them to make them tighter and they were much better.

Gotta tell you, the stores around here are picked clean of boots. About the only thing left is extra large (for Great Danes, etc!). I had to go to six pet shops to find the ones I did. I guess everyone else had the same idea, only sooner.