Service dog handler lobby

[lostforgottensoul]

I put the socks on his front feet only cause they were falling off the back. Put the boots on 30 mins early and let him lay on his bed with his boots on. Seemed to really help. Now I know he is likely just being a big baby but need to get more practice in. But it didn't throw him off as much nor stress him as much. So, that's good. Also kept them on the whole time. Was close to taking them off but we held in there and he started to relax more. Again, awesome. It was 97 degrees today. Summer really snuck (is that a word) up on us and got hot fast! And so dry that the grass is super prickly! Hopefully we get rain soon to start to cool it down some and more importantly, cool the pavement! Just so insanely hot!

 

[Sideways]

I put the socks on his front feet only cause they were falling off the back.

Okay, so this is a really dumb question - no one here uses dog socks so it’s all new to me: if he didn’t need them on his back paws, does he really need them on his front paws?

Heat is a real problem. We get temps like that here for more than half the year. Dog socks aren’t necessary for my dog because he gets overheated so quickly that I just wouldn’t walk him any great distance in direct sun. He has a cooling jacket I put on under his coat if we’re going to be outside for any length of time, but mostly my coping strategy is to stay indoors, or in air-conditioning.

I’ve read a lot about this issue, because it has occurred to me before that it’s odd you never see a dog in socks somewhere as hot as where I live. I have seen plenty of pics of dogs with heat-damaged paws, so I know it’s definitely a thing.

But get sensible resources on it is really hard, even on vet pages. I keep coming across the advice about “put your hand on the ground for 5/10 seconds and if it’s too hot for you...” which is plainly ridiculous. My hands have incredibly sensitive skin in comparison with my dog’s paws, and I can’t walk any significant distance in bare feet, even when it’s cool!

The concept that my dog loses heat through his paws also seems like a red herring, since losing heat or sweating doesn’t bare much (any) relevance to how durable the actual skin is.

On the other hand, if I remember right Chopper has very pale skin, which is significant when it comes to heat (including sunburn issues).

All up, I’m not saying “socks aren’t necessary”, but if he doesn’t need them on his back feet, then presumably he doesn’t need them? Which would be a good thing?

Working dogs in 97 degree heat (that’s 36 celcius, which is an average summer day here) has a host of problems, because dogs that aren’t historically bred for hot climates are going to get heat exhaustion real quick in that sort of temperature.

That’s me kind of wondering aloud. Like I said I’m stuck trying to find rational resources on this issue - even vets seem to have an agenda and be “you absolutely MUST” or “socks are a commercial con job”, almost like socks are a political issue!!!! So, reading along and finding it interesting. Definitely if Chopper injured his feet playing on a rough surface (I think I remember that happening to him once?) I can understand you erring on the side of caution, and I reckon just gradually increasing his time in them like you are is probably the way to go.

Interesting subject!

 

[lostforgottensoul]

if he didn’t need them on his back paws, does he really need them on his front paws?

Their sold by Ruffwear by the way but to answer this, he has a dew claw on the front and not on the back. I think his dew claw could be getting caught in the boot and the sock contains that.

That’s me kind of wondering aloud. Like I said I’m stuck trying to find rational resources on this issue - even vets seem to have an agenda and be “you absolutely MUST” or “socks are a commercial con job”, almost like socks are a political issue!!!! So, reading along and finding it interesting. Definitely if Chopper injured his feet playing on a rough surface (I think I remember that happening to him once?) I can understand you erring on the side of caution, and I reckon just gradually increasing his time in them like you are is probably the way to go.

Yeah, his feet really worry me. I mean, techically, if he's walking we could go without. But he has told me in much less heat that the surface was too hot by breaking heel, refusing to heel, to get off the black pavement. And the black pavement is just all around us. I don't go off the hand test. I go off of him and what he's telling me by walking on said pavement. But, if he's moving? Maybe we could go without but, gosh it just worries me. And without a guarn shade to allow him to stand in, what do I do when it's too hot but I need to get my bag and stuff out of the car?

My therapist talked over callouses and the possibility of them building callouses on his pads and maybe? But the heat came so fast this year. I'd think they would need to ease into it slower.

His feet really worry me as he does mobility too. You might be able to work a dog for just PTSD with a very minor injury but you can't ask them to do any mobility and he has hurt his pads a few times now. Always while exercising. He is one of those breeds that doesn't show injury right away and keep on going while injured but still!

 

[Sideways]

Yeah, the Ruffwear ones seem to be the go. Although even those ones have been redesigned based on what was originally a shoe designed for dogs in the snow, which is a completely different issue, and even then only some breeds require shoes in the snow.

I agree that if he’s injured his feet before then it’s probably best to err on the side of caution. I think dogs here don’t wear them and so, like any animal, their pads get quite leathery. I was a bit feral when I was a kid and got quite leathery feet myself (normal for where I lived at the time), and I could walk down a road barefoot in full sun on a hot day without issue.

Once you start wearing socks, you lose that leatheriness quite quickly and I imagine dogs are the same, so if you’re going with shoes for him I’d stick with that.

You’ve mentioned that you’re getting full body xrays soon. Next time he needs treatment for anything requiring him to be under anaesthetic, ask them to remove his dew claws. They can get caught on so many things, and having them removed if it’s tacked on to another procedure is cost effective and not a big deal. Shouldn’t put him out of action - they just bandage over it for a couple of weeks.

Dogs are really individual, and you’ll know better than anyone what signs Chopper displays when he’s in pain. If you notice that Chopper gets uncomfortable on hot surfaces, then go with your gut:)

 

[lostforgottensoul]

You’ve mentioned that you’re getting full body xrays soon. Next time he needs treatment for anything requiring him to be under anaesthetic, ask them to remove his dew claws. They can get caught on so many things, and having them removed if it’s tacked on to another procedure is cost effective and not a big deal. Shouldn’t put him out of action - they just bandage over it for a couple of weeks.

I didn't know removing dew claws was a thing. Would have to look that up.

Not real sure his dew claws are the issue but its mainly what the socks are aimed towards. Dogs with dew claws. I would rather have his foot be free inside the boot itself then smooshed in a sock but his feet were measured for the boot and sock so, yeah, not tight or anything. It just contains the dew claw so it can't catch on anything.

Its really intresting to hear the country differences. Just about every team here has boots and most use them. You generally can't find a team (in the US) not wearing boots. Especially in places like FL, AZ, TX. Where its super hot. I never needed a cooling vest because I have his "summer harness" which is a nylon harness about the size of a normal dog harness with an extra handle on the top and "service dog do not pet" sewen on the side. He also has no fur on his belly so A) when we get to where we are going in the AC, while he is drinking water I splash some water on his belly and then he can lay on the cool ground the cool off and B) we aren't in it long or I'll pass out as I am heat sensitive for whatever reason. I have looked at cooling bandanas and stuff on Amazon and the Ruffwear swamp cooler has been on my wishlist for a few years but it just hasn't been needed. With my next dog whom will likely have more fur it probably will be.

So, you get that leatherly foot pad by just letting them walk on the hot surfaces? I can try later today and see how he does while walking. He knows there is a cool sidewalk on the side so if its hurting him he will likely walk towards that. Maybe try to build up that leathery type of pad here at home first? I usually almost always carry the boots in my bag on a day I don't think I'll need them as a just in case. Like if its raining in case it stops and the pavement heats up. Teams on youtube here in the US pretty much scare you by saying the pavement can melt a dog's pad. I mean, if they were standing and not moving, maybe? But I am positive that dog will want off that pavement way before then. But its a "scare you into it" sort of cultrue. But, I know it is way hotter there and I am sure you have pavement all around too so it's just intresting to see the culture differences.

 

[Sideways]

So, you get that leatherly foot pad by just letting them walk on the hot surfaces?

It’s more just how the foot naturally develops over time, and all soft-footed animals are the same. Humans included. Once you start wearing shoes, you need shoes, and I imagine dogs are similar. But actually for thousands of years humans got around shoeless, and in some parts of the world they still do.

I’d stick with the shoes if you’re worried, and that’s what you do each summer, and it’s the norm where you are.

My mind constantly goes to all the working dogs on the cattle properties in northern Australia, where it routinely gets to 40 degrees, and where I’ve had the experience of the glue in my workboots melting from the hot ground and the sole of my boots fell off. Dogs there seem to be happy and healthy working all day on surfaces that hot without any shoes. Hmmm!

 

[Justmehere]

My dog’s paw blistered up from hot pavement one summer. She just kept going. A layer of her paw skin was dangling off, no hesitation in just continuing to trot along. I only noticed it when I reached down to pull off what I thought was tape stuck to her feet. Ugh. Made me sick. I avoid having her out in heat... but she does 4 miles a day on cement so she’s got tough paws. I use mushwax once a week. It helps. I dunno why it was one paw and one summer and not all of them and every summer. Working dogs in urban environments get paw problems. That’s why mushers and others developed mush wax and other basics. That’s not uncommon. For mobility dogs, the stress of mobility work pushes the paw into the pavement more, it’s no longer a light trot like a working dog out in a field. The mobility weigh can push non- paw pad parts closer to the heat.

Blacktop can cook an egg when the grass or dirt wouldn’t for a working dog on a farm. Lots of factors come to play. I’ve worked with plenty of livestock that lived in the heat but were still impacted by it.

Chopper diving for shade is probably partly due air temp. Dry heat, humid heat, lots of temp changes... all factors. My pup always has a transition period at the beginning of the summer and by the end can handle hotter temps than at the beginning.

Some of it may also be comfort for the handler. As long as the dog isn’t harmed, some ways that handlers spoil their pups doesn’t seem bad. Needed? Probably not. But if it brings peace of mind, do what works. My dog is aging and some long days I bring around a cut off portion of a thrift store yoga mat for her to lie on. Does she need it? Dunno. Does it make me feel better? Yeah. Does it harm her? No. Does she seem to like it? Yeah. So, some days we have the mat.

 

[Sideways]

But if it brings peace of mind, do what works

This. Absolutely.

Is it a little bit suspect that only American dogs seem to need foot protection in the heat? Sure.

But these working dogs are too precious and critical to our lives to compromise, or to spend time worrying, “Could I be looking after doggo better...”.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

But these working dogs are too precious and critical to our lives to compromise, or to spend time worrying, “Could I be looking after doggo better...”.

Indeed. I do tend to worry about him a lot. If he had any health issue that I knew about, I'd wash/retire him in a second because he comes first. Always!

I did try to walk on hot pavement. It's 5:30pm, 98 degrees out. Took my flip flop off on the foot that isn't numbed and it was pretty hot. Chopper was walking super weird, and really struggling. Even when walking and not standing still. It was hurting his pads and this isn't putting any pressure on him. Just walking to the dumpster, off duty, to throw away his poop bag. So, I know its hurting him. I was thinking to myself, to build the leatherly pads, he has to walk on the hot pavement but doing that is hurting him and I just cant do that to him. So we went off the pavement and onto the sidewalk. That's the difference @Justmehere from him walking to the shade for the shade due to the heat and him needing to get off the hot pavement. How he's walking. His gait is weird and he picks up his feet in weird ways. You can tell it's his feet.

I have Musher's Secert. I need to get more. Just looked the other day and I am almost out. I didn't use it a super ton last year. Used it more after he had hurt his pads as I heard it can help his pads heal. But, it is a bit of help with the hot pavement and I did use it for that. There is a point where even that doesn't help. Where it melts off and the heat gets through. And yeah, when asking for mobility, it does seem to be too much and I didn't even think about his pad mushing into the heat more. Certianly could be a factor.

He did pretty well yesterday with the socks under the boots on his font paws. Will work a bit more with him and if he isn't getting used to it, I think I may buy another pair of boot. The one that doesn't have the sock portion on to begin with. But, to try to save $30 or $40, I want to work with the pair I have a bit longer and see if we can get used to it.

The heat itself has never been an issue execpt in the car. I'm thinking about trying (or making myself) one of those baby AC things. Its like a drier hose that clips onto your AC vent and then goes into the backseat. Intresting idea. I can pre-start my car at home but I don't have an auto starter so can't when out unless I go out, start it, and go back in for a few mins. But, other then the car, we aren't in the heat that long. So, that's my only other issue. I always bring water with me and when its super hot in the car, I wet Chopper down. Which is what a Swamp Cooler does anyway. So, we manage that way. Will probably need a swamp cooler with my next dog who will likely have more fur.

 

[joeylittle]

I was thinking to myself, to build the leatherly pads, he has to walk on the hot pavement but doing that is hurting him and I just cant do that to him.

When trying to do this, best to do it in short spurts and in the coolest part of the day, in the shade. If his feet are soft, then at the beginning it's got more to do with the texture of the surface itself than the temperature its at. Letting him walk on rougher surfaces more frequently. If he spends most of his time walking indoors (stores, therapist, the car, the house) - it'll take him a bit of time.

My pup always has a transition period at the beginning of the summer and by the end can handle hotter temps than at the beginning.

Sounds like me.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

If he spends most of his time walking indoors (stores, therapist, the car, the house) - it'll take him a bit of time

Yeah. That's basically it. I used to run him in the parking lot but that got all messed up so now its mainly what you listed.

Now that we are talking about it, when I ran him in the parking lot, his pads were tougher and thicker. Now there seem way softer.

I want an electric scooter to run him on pavement and have more ways to run him. But, blah!

It finally rained today. God! Been bone dry for months and so incrediablly hot! Now that we are entering hurricane season, hopefully the rain will stick around. Working on wet pavement is so much easier!

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I felt Chopper's pads on the way out the door to work and like a baby's butt! Which suprised me. They used to be thicker and thougher and we walk on rocky like pavement when its not hot. Unless they get soft fast. Will be walking on rocky like pavement as much as we can in the early morning and late evening. Gotta toughen up those pads!