by Tom Keer
Trainers and hunters give a lot of attention to their dogs’ muscles, skin/coat, and joints. But sometimes, paws are overlooked. Paws are the dog’s boots on the ground, and taking care of them is important. If your pup has suffered a pad cut, then you know how long it takes to heal. The post-cut recovery program isn’t easy either, especially because it’s difficult to keep pad cuts clean and infection free. Proper healing takes time, and that condenses an already short hunting season. When it comes to healthy pads, the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is spot on. So here is a season’s worth of paw products that will help to keep your dog’s pads healthy in the fields and in the marshes.
Tuf-Foot
gundogsupply.com
Tough pads protect your dog from the soreness that comes from pad bruises, and it helps heal cuts and scratches. The American-made Tuf-Foot contains isopropyl alcohol, balsam peru, tincture of benzoin, and less than five percent acetone, all of which toughens and products your dog’s soft or cracked pads. Tuf-Foot works best when applications begin in advance of training and hunting season. Apply it one or two times a day for the first week of use and then twice a week after throughout the season. MSRP: $14.99
Natural Hound Paw Balm
uglydoghunting.com
Regular work in the fields can remove the moisture from a dog’s paws just as easily as the repeated soaking/drying in the marsh. Avoid cracks by nourishing the pads before they get dry with Natural Hound Paw Balm, a product made by the Minnesota company Natural Hound. The balm is 100 percent natural and contains beeswax, candelilla wax, olive oil, and jogoba oil. A daily application restores suppleness to pads while nourishing them to reduce cracking. MSRP: $11.99
Musher’s Secret
gundogsupply.com
Stopping a hunt to pull snowballs from your dog’s paws isn’t difficult, but it’s a pain because it’s a repetitive activity, all day long. To solve that problem, the Canadian-based company designed a wax with hard-working sled dogs in mind. Musher’s Secret is perfect for late season hunters, especially because the 100 percent natural blend of waxes and oils allow perspiration to escape through the pads. To prevent snowballing, rub Musher’s Secret throughout the entire network of pads. Depending on conditions, additional applications may be required. MSRP: $15.99
Ultra Paws Rugged Booties
uglydoghunting.com
Harsh conditions call for extreme care, and a pair of Ultra Paws Rugged Booties is an easy way to keep your dog’s feet safe. They’re tough, flexible, and easy to put on. Simply open the two closures, form an “O” shape, and slip over the paw. Cinderella never had it so easy, especially because two Velcro straps allow for perfect tightness that keep the boots on your dog’s paws. Ultra Paws work against tines like prickly pear, burrs, and sharp rock edges along a river or a marsh. Four boots in each pack. MSRP: $40.00
