All Year Paw Protection
Unless you are the proud owner of an Alaskan Malamute, chances are that winter walks with your pup are not something to get super excited about. Winter brings with it dry, cold air, bitter rains, sleet and snow. For our fur babies, this means chapped paws, salt burns, and even itchy, flaky skin. When it comes to taking out our wagging tailed dogs for winter walks, it can become dangerous if chemicals from ice melting agents are licked off of bare paws. Salt on the sidewalks and other de-icers can also lead to problems ranging from sore feet to internal toxicity. As pet parents, we need to make sure we are properly caring for our four-legged fur kids.
Paw balms are a great way to help moisturize and offer soothing relief to dry, damaged paw pads and make those winter walks bearable for your pups. Here are our tops picks that we recommend as a protective agent for your dog’s precious paws.
PawMagik : Muttluks Pawmagik is a made-in-Canada product that is a non-toxic, lickable formula that heals, soothes and moisturizes chapped pads, noses and skin. Pawmagik comes in three different formats – cream (3 oz), mini stick (0.5 oz) and roll-up (2.6oz).
SkinMagik : DuSenza’s SkinMagik was created and developed as a natural pet product to help soothe skin irritation in the form of a balm and ointment. It is particularly effective in treating various types of skin conditions such as hot spots, rashes, itching, dry skin, insect bites or eczema.
DIY Paw Balms : If you prefer making your own paw balm, here is a recipe that we have tried and tested that work wonders! It requires 4-5 ingredients that are all natural and can be found at your local health store or purchased online.
We do not recommend Vaseline. Although it is an inexpensive option that protect pads from salt and other chemical agents, it contains petroleum jelly which contains a high percentage of glycerin which is toxic for dogs.
Slip sliden’ away
Keep in mind that all these products are wax based, so do not use excessive amounts. It is important to give your dog’s paws a good wipe down after their walks to keep them from licking the wax. Wax can also damage and stain your hardwood floors and carpets. Towel drying your dog’s paws also prevents them from slipping and sliding over tiled floors, which to be honest, is fun for us to watch, but not as fun for the pooches!
In the event that your dog doesn’t like using a paw balm, consider booties as an alternate way to protect their precious paws from the cold this winter.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article. If there is anything you would like to add, please free to comment below. We would love to hear from you!
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