[nagdu] keeping dogs warm

Sun Jan 18 22:33:26 UTC 2009

Hi chiming in here about ice and paws. My second dog Zenith's were cut on
the ice. I noticed him limping as I walked and assumed that he had gotten
some salt on his paws and it was tender. I always take my glove or a wipe
and wipe my dogs' paws off occasionally so that the ice or snow and salt
doesn't build up on the hairs between their pads. On that particular
occasion I found out that there was not only salt, but blood. I ended up
taking the dog to the vet and having a couple of stitches put in. He had to
wear a pad over the area and I had to change his bandages twice a day for
several days. He was quite a love. That big 70 pound lab would roll over on
his back on my lap and lay there while I changed his bandages. Then I put
one of my socks over that and a plastic bag which I taped over that to keep
it dry when we went outside. I even had to have the stitches taken out. The
vet was great and only numbed the paw rather than putting him to sleep
because I worked with her, pinching his shoulder to distract him when she
put in the stitch. By the time the stitches came out several days later he
was quite the big baby and would roll over and let me do anything to his
paws. It was that experience which gave me the confidence to trim my dogs
nails. When I trained with Belle SEI gave you a set of booties. Belle's
little feet are a challenge to fit. I remember sitting on the floor and
carefully struggling to keep the Velcro from catching while and put them on
her, only to found out that she had pulled the first one off. WE now have
that worked out pretty well but I don't use them very often. 

I also wanted to mention that I just came in from walking with Belle and
noted that she went around icy spots quite nicely. She did not sniff them. I
asked my daughter who happened to be walking with me if she had noticed any
sniffing and she said no that Belle simply saw the ice and went around it. I
would really question the whole theory that dogs are sniffing to find ice as
has been mentioned in previous emails. I would be more inclined to believe
that the dog was following it's natural instinct to sniff, and which has to
be buried while working. I know my lab loves to sniff the canine newspaper
whenever she can. 

Keep yourselves and your canine partners safe and warm.

Joy and Bell
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of JULIE PHILLIPSON
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 12:04 PM
To: NAGDU
Cc: nyagdu
Subject: [nagdu] keeping dogs warm

Cheryl sorry I'm just catching up with some mail.  try putting Vaseline on
his pads for now it will at least form a barrier between his feet and the
cold ice and snow.  If you can don't stand still for very long.  My first
dog tore a pad because his pad stuck to the ice one time.  When it is about
15 degrees or less I try not to be out without a ride.   and get some
musher's secret.
Julie Phillipson
----- Original Message -----
From: "cheryl echevarria" <
cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>

To: "New York Association of Guide Dog Users" < nyagdu at nfbnet.org>

Cc: "nagdu" <
nagdu at nfbnet.org>

Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 6:31 AM
Subject: [nagdu] keeping dogs warm

> okay with the very very very cold weather upon 85% of the US, and it 
> is getting colder here on Long Island, I am sure up in Buffalo and the 
> Dakotas and Ohio, etc.  What do you do especially if you don't have 
> coats or booties for your dogs and you have to be out in the cold such as
I do,
> I take the bus to work everyday and I feel bad for poor Maxx.   Anything I
> can do to keep my baby warm until we get to work.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> Treasurer
> National Federation of the Blind Greater Long Island Chapter Member 
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Julie Phillipson 

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