small paw pad tears

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

I recently started taking Yeti rollerblading with me. He is really doing SO well and seems to really enjoy it. Before rollerblading we usually walked around 2 miles a night 3-4 times a week (depending on weather). Last night we ended up going 4 1/2 miles on rollerblades.

First question. Do you suppose 4 1/2 miles of doggie running (I was by no means going as fast as I could go but Yeti was definitely doing a brisk walk/run) is too much for a dog (1 year and 2 months). I guess my question is would he show me any signs of exhaustion? Realistically we should have only gone 2-3 miles but I totally forgot we could go further/faster on skates than we can walking haha. When we got home Yeti took a nice big drink of water and he laid down for basically the rest of the night. This dog hardly tires so it was really a nice change of pace and now that the weather is turning nice here I would love to get into the habit of doing this with him at least 3-4 nights a week.

Second question! I noticed a couple tiny tears on Yeti's paws. He does NOT seem to be bothered by them at all. He is not limping or crying and has been playing normally this morning. My question is, should I let them heal up completely before taking him out on a walk (or another rollerblade run). I did some searching and thanks to the awesome people of DK i know to soak them in epson salt water and to apply neosporin. I just didn't want to exercise him too soon and make them worse.

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd get some Musher's Secret for his paws. It will help keep them from cracking. 

I'd definitely let the tears heal before letting him run again. Walks should be okay, as long as you make sure to keep the pads clean and dry.  

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

You are the best! I will be getting some mushers asap!!!

[DonMarie and Picco]

I agree.  They do heal quickly.  Probably just did too much running on the harsh surface.  Picco has torn his on sharp rocks when hiking (way worse than Yeti's paws!).  I now carry booties with me and neosporin for when (I'm sure it will) it happens again. When I get home I soak for a short while to clean then apply neosporin and a clean cotton sock and keep a watch as they heal.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Thanks so much DonMarie! I will have to keep my eyes out for it more often know that I know it's a thing!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

What kind of booties do you recommend?

[DonMarie and Picco]

I've been happy with Ultra Paws Snow &Go.  They have little foam pads which helps them stay on. I use them in the snow but carry them hiking for emergencies.  Since they are made for snow they can't hold up to harsh surfaces.  There are durable boots out there but you have to watch because some of them are stiff and uncomfortable.  You can search this site and find lots of other recommendations.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Muttluks worked well for Jack. The sizing can be a little tricky, though. Most dogs usually need a smaller size than you think they do. 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

We have mutluks for Yeti. Tried them on and we walked around the store with them on for 20 some minutes. They stayed on so well I was willing to get them even though they were kind of expensive. We got home I put them back on him to take him for his evening walk and no joke one fell off not even a house down. Thought it was a fluke so I put it right back on him and we trotted along. Couldn't go more than a couple houses without one or more falling off. We eventually turned back to go home with the boots off a little less than half way around the block.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack's would fall off his back feet occasionally when he ran hard, but otherwise they stayed on pretty good. Yeti's might be too big, you have to get them really snug. Big Jackdoodle wears a medium! 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

I think we got Yeti a large. We could not get the mediums on him i have no idea why he isn't not that big. Even the salesmen at the store couldn't get the mediums on him. Perhaps i'll do some googling and see if there is a different style out there!

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Just looked up the Mud Monsters from muttluks. They come in packs of 2. So weird considering they have 4 paws :-p

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack's front paws are noticeably larger than his back paws, and it's always a rear boot that falls off, so I think selling them in pairs is actually a great thing, because i could have bought smaller ones for his rear paws than his front paws.