# Snow and feet question



## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

Well, the deep south is being hit with yet another big snow/ice storm. We normally only get one small one every couple of years so this is new territory for us!

Anyway, for all you snow experts, how long can they stay out in it without doing damage to their feet? I don't want any tootsie frost bite but they do enjoy running around in it!


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

We don't live in the snow, but take our dogs to the snow. We've had our dogs out for 3 hrs or so, with Musher's Secret on their feet. I may get them boots for the future if we take them cross country skiing.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

Your V will probably be falling down from numb feet before he gets frostbite. I have had ours out for a couple hours in 10-20 degree weather but I think they get acclimated over time. Early this winter berk didn't do very well (he would shake after not long) but now it's usually me that can't be out for that long. I wouldn't worry about the time as long as your V keeps running around and that blood keeps pumping. Powder snow isn't as bad as the slush that comes after but just keep an eye on how he is acting and you should be able to tell if he is ready to go inside.

Watch out for rock salt. That's the biggest problem when its cold and icy, it gets stuck inside the paw pads and irritates. Usually Berk will pick up a paw and hop and then ill brush out his paw with my hand and he will put it back down.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Dexter is getting much more acclimated to the snow too. Lately though his dew claw scars have been bloody after running around in it. I'm thinking it's just from the hard crust on the top of the snow that his paws are punching through. We use Musher's Secret on his paws but it doesn't seem to keep the scars from bleeding. It doesn't bother or slow him down at all. Does this happen to anyone else?


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

The ? should V - how tough is your pups paws - PIKE lives off lead & his R hard as nails - snow he goes - ice crystals R a big problem - they cut like broken glass - a build up of this between pads can cut the toughest pup - my advice - if it's white - slam your bare hand into it - if it cuts - pup out of the field !!!!


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

Thanks for the input everyone 

Ours is ice, not snow and it's pretty hard. Of course since we are in Georgia, they are certainly not used to it, in fact, they seemed perplexed by it at first. They did enjoy running around but we kept them to about 20-30 minutes at a time - mainly cause of the freezing rain that is continuing to pummel us!!!!

Arrrrrrgggg! What a winter we are all having!


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

And we don't need to worry about salt, here in Georgia we use.........SAND - ha-ha! And that's only on the most major roads.


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## Laika (Mar 3, 2013)

Regarding dogs paws and cold temperatures. All three articles reference the same abstract, which I don't have access to (the last link).

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/17/dogs-have-built-in-snow-boots-researchers-find/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/13/dog-feet_n_1204709.html

http://phys.org/news/2012-01-dogs-ice-paws.html

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2011.00976.x/abstract


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