My dogs poor feet
 

Last season my lab cut two of her pads open two weeks into the season. Boy what a bummer. She was down for weeks for them to heel. She is a house dog but that don't take one bit of the hunter out of her, If anything it makes her more loyal to me. My question is , is there anything I can do to toughen her pads, or maby hehp them heal quicker if they do get cut? Them booties are out of the question, she won't have nothing to do with them.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

My lab is a house dog ,a 85 lb lap dog . I work him on a stone and concrete drive way every night , he thowes up a rostertail of stones when I send him on a fetch .His pads are very tough , like leather . Another nice thing his nails wear down ,I have never had to trim his nails in 4 1/2 years . I agree a house lab can be great in the feild and marsh !

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

There's a product out there called 'tough pad' or pad tough' that seems to help some. I don't know exactly how it works but I do use it on my boys before the season opens. But I have to agree that the best method is to walk them on concrete everyday for a month before you hunt them.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

[&:] My black lab (all 115 lbs of her) is also a house dog, but loves to terrorize the squirrels in the birdfeeder. She cuts her pads often. She is laid up as we speak from an injury day before yesterday.

My vet gave me a bottle of PAD-TOUGH. It is a spray with aloe and Comfrey. It is a protective covering and toughening agent for Dog's pads. It has alcohol in it also, so it stings pretty bad when applied to a cut. It stops the lab from constantly licking the wound, thus giving it a chance to heal.:)

Hope this helps!

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

If you "road" you dog appropriately, the feet will be as tough as leather.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

in north central Fla. we have a lot of flint rocks in the woods. some of them have razor sharp edges.
all of my dogs get cuts and bruses.befor the season I will mix in a large coffee can 1 ga.???I think I mix 1 lb. of salt and 2 to 3 quarts of white vinigar.
I take each dog and stick there paws into this solution for a min. this will toughen there feet and leg as far as it goes into the mixture.

if they already have a cut,it will burn some , but also heal the cut in a few days.in all the years I have run dogs in the rocks,I have not had one lame for over two ot three days.when I say burn some,( when you turn them alose)get out of the way.they will roll and rub all over the house.unless you do it in the kennel.

this mixture is the best I have found,(even from the vets).I have been useing this for about 30 to 35 years.with great results.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

Tuf-foot,toughpad,padtough all bascially the same product just different names.All will toughen a dogs pads.When cuts occur I first heal the wound using pad heal,or bag balm.Pad heal and bag balm will speed the healing process and worth while to have either one or both in your first aid kit.

Lion Country Supply is a great place to order many dog products.Toll free at 1-800-662-5202 or online at http://www.lscupply.com

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

In addition to using the pad treatments, we also use booties in some situations. It seems that Wheat and Bean stubble are the hardest on the odgs. Most of the booties out there are really expensive, but dogbooties.com has some very cheap varieties. They are not as tough as the others, but you can afford a heck of a lot of them. There are a couple of varieties, we use the fleece the most, but the cordura ones are the toughest. Make sure and use tape as well as the velcro.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

During winter, you should trim the hair between the paws to prevent ice forming and hurting its paws.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

More good info here.I'd suggest trying the boots well before hunting season.If you introduce the boots early enough most dogs will adapt to them before hunting season.Its difficult to get the dogs used to boots the day of the hunt so start early and it will surely pay off once hunting season gets here.Good Luck,Take care,Jackson..

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

I don't know if I believe any of these Tuff Pad type things will work. I just bought Cut n Heal yesterday and all it is is oil and some moisturizers. I just don't see how linseed oil is going to harden and toughen pads. It'll put a nice finish on a cabinet though. And the alcohol ones make the pads feel tough because it dries them out. That can't be good for the feet. Have any of you used one that really coats the pad and makes it more like a callus?

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

Super glue.....

I have used it on my own feet as well as my dogs. You need to hold the paw for a few minutes to let the glue set, but it creates a hard shell over any sensitive areas. I would not recommend putting it on an open abrasion, but for slices you can super glue them shut and it works real well.

Try it on your own feet if you get a bad blister or hot spot. For those not comfortable using super glue, you can fork over the big money for the surgical equivalent.. which is replacing stitches as the least invasive/scarring technique.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

I love bag balm. I use it on dogs, horses, kids, & me lol....It is great stuff!!!

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

Boots out of the question? I still recommend them, since some conditions -- chukar hunting and hunting where sand spurs and prickly-pear are present -- warrant their use. Don't think any dog really enjoys wearing them (you should see the look my dogs give me). My dogs -- who have granite-tough feet -- came up lame two weeks ago in an area (MI) that I have never had to boot them. One day of hunting in VERY dry conditions is all it took. Didn't even hunt my female the last two days. No amount of roading or miracle "juice" is 100% fool proof. Some terrain is just too rough for any dogs feet to bare.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

My dog sliced the pad on the foreleg, where the dew claw used to be. It's not split, more of a deep scratch. I've put EMT on it and it's starting to heal pretty well. I'm taking her out again this weekend and I'm thinking about taping it so that it doesn't re-open or pick up any dirt. Do you think I can just use regular athletic tape? Also, is there any good way to protect those dew claw pads? They never get tough because they're not weight bearing and never get any use.

Solid Liver

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

Solid liver,

EMT gel is great! Funny you should mention dew claws, as neither of my dogs have had theirs removed. Guess I have been very, very lucky they've never injured them.

Athletic or medical tape should work fine. Just wrap it well and keep an eye on it over the course of the hunt. Good luck.

RE: My dogs poor feet
 

I will tell you what I told a guy from Iowa... My dog does that frequently. He is tough, rough, and ready, so when you get out and get ready to go, he hunts with a God-given desire. I try to work him outside on rougher surfaces before the start of season, to toughen up his pads, but they still give him trouble. I use EMT gel. It is not very hard to find. I know lots of people who use it on horses, so I know it will be good for my Buddy. I really believe in it. Don't forget, somtimes the best thing to do is just to let them lick. They have lots of special enzymes in their saliva that help to speed up the healing process. The only time you shouldn't let them lick it, is if you have just put something on it. Good Luck/ I feel for you. I know how it feels.