Creeping Salt

Salt used to de-ice roads and sidewalks can be painful to animal feet.

Road and sidewalk salt is probably my least favorite thing about Winter. It can be extremely painful for Charley if he gets a piece of it wedged between his pads. He’ll limp for a few steps, until he can no longer walk and then he’ll cry out and howl in pain. It’s really awful (and he’s normally quite stoic). I’ll pick him up and brush his feet with my gloved hands to get rid of the salt. Obviously, the best thing is to avoid any patches of salt but they’re not always easy to spot. The worst is when there’s a watery “soup” of melted snow and de-icer that coats his feet.

Salt-covered steps

First off, one thing I do year-round is wipe Charley’s feet when we come inside. His vet suggested this to prevent him from ingesting whatever we’ve walked through when he licks his feet. I usually just use a damp paper towel (or wet washcloth for dirtier feet). I used to use special wipes made just for this, but that seemed kind of expensive and I wondered about the safety of ingesting whatever was in the wipes.

If Charley needs more cleaning than that, a great tool is the Rinse Ace Pet Shower Deluxe (available from Petco, Amazon, etc.), although I’m sure any shower head hose attachment would work. It’s great for rinsing off feet or a dirty bum. I just put him in the tub, spray his feet then dry them off. Easy.

Here are some other ideas for feet cleaning short of a complete bath:

• Dipping or soaking your dog’s feet in a bowl of water
• Doing the same with a sink filled with water
• Holding you dog’s feet under a running faucet
• If you have a utility or laundry room with a large sink, that’s a great place for a quick rinse (or even full bath)

BOOTS and PAW PROTECTION

Thanks to Charley’s friends for these great suggestions on what they use to protect their dogs’ feet in Winter:

Useful for protecting paws in Winter.

Lia in NYC recommends Musher’s Secret as a salt-protectant. She suggested sticking Charley’s feet in a tub of it and twisting it back-and-forth 6-8 times. I’m not sure if I ever really got the hang of it, but it does help reduce salt burns unless we hit a really bad patch of it.

Boots probably offer more protection, but they’re often such a struggle to get on that I’m not sure they’re any better than dealing with the salt. I’ve tried Muttlucks, but found them very difficult to get on. Buttons in Alexandria, MN is used to cold Winters and wears soft, sock-like fleece boots from Dicken’s Closet. These are easier to get on and Charley minds them less than other boots. They’re not waterproof—if it’s warm and there’s a lot of slush on the ground, they can become soaked. Still, because they’re more comfortable, they’re the best boots we’ve tried. Unfortunately, I don’t see them online under this brand name anymore, but Arctic Fleece Dog Boots look exactly the same. Muttlucks’ Hott Doggers also look like a soft fleece shoe, albeit more expensive.

I’ve just ordered REI Adventure Dog boots (size small) as worn by Juneau in Anchorage. (I tried ordering last year, but they were sold out). These were not inexpensive, but with rubber soles they should have the added benefit of protecting against stray voltage. REI offers other dog boots, too.

Juku and Kami in Long Beach use disposable dog booties called Noobys.

Of course, there are pet-friendly salt alternatives, but I’ve rarely seen them used.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. What do you use to clean or protect your pet’s feet from salt in Winter? Please feel free to leave a comment below.