The summers here have been extra hot. That means dog paws fry on sizzling pavements. The vet told me there's been a lot of dogs coming in with burnt paws.
A good tip that many dog owners know is to test the heat by holding the back of their hand on the ground for 5-10 seconds. I personally prefer ten seconds and test different pavement types. It seems that aging dark cement with larger stones hold more heat. Another good solution is to use dog shoes. Dog shoes also protect when the ground is pokey and rough.
Here is the goodest girl fully kitted out and ready to roll. You've seen her red harness and bags in other posts. She has lost some weight so the red harness is loose. Today we'll talk about her shoes. This was for a test stroll to the local diary (kiwi slang for a convenience store). I think it's important to test gear in low-risk situations so this walk occured in the cooler early evening.
Her first pairs of shoes came cheap from the internet as some end of line stock. These shoes are too small for her front paws, but better than nothing. The sizing is tight but workable for her rear paws. At the pet shop she was properly fitted for a pair of shoes for her front paws. You'll notice the difference in colour.
At the shops she bought some wafer biscuits for her human grandma. Mor-mor 沫沫 carried them home in her handy trail bags. It was then time for Mor-mor 沫沫 to eat her own dinner. I think she's earned it!
Overall, the new shoes worked well. Just because her feet are protected, we still have to be concerned that she doesn't overheat. The shoes are easy to get on but have to be tightly attached to ensure they don't come off. Mor-mor 沫沫 seems to understand that shoes mean fun walks so she doesn't mind putting them on.
Until next time.