The health of your pet depends on compliance with hygiene rules. Control over this aspect of the life of four-legged friends falls on the shoulders of the owners. Despite the fact that animals carry out many grooming procedures independently, in a number of situations they need help. This is especially true for cleaning limbs. Read on to learn how to wash your dog’s paws after a walk and what devices have been developed for this.
How to wash your dog's paws after a walk?
Why clean dog paws are important
Why should a dog wash its paws if it can easily take care of the hygiene of its limbs on its own? Well, in principle, dogs cannot be called dirty dogs who do not take care of themselves at all, but without the help of the owner it is difficult for them to properly clean their claws and fingers from dirt. Let's look at why you need to regularly wash your pet's paws:
- Microscopic enemies in the form of infectious agents or, say, helminth eggs can enter the house on dog paws
. If you don’t take the time to wash your pet’s paws after every walk, you can easily become infected with a dangerous disease; - You can forget about the cleanliness of floors, carpets and furniture, bed linen and clothes
if you don’t wash your dog’s paws after visiting the street (this problem is especially acute in slushy weather); - In cold weather, icy streets are strewn with chemicals that corrode the skin of dogs' fingers
. In addition, an animal can easily be poisoned by harmful chemicals when it licks its own paws that the owner has not washed; - During the warm season, ticks can hide in the interdigital space of the paws
. They can be found while washing paws;
Risk of infection and general health
Think about all the surfaces your dog puts his paws on. Now imagine what bacteria and microbes can get into cracks in the skin. The dog's body can cope with bacteria, but only within reasonable limits.
How can you tell if your dog's paws are okay? Just smell them. If you smell the aroma of corn, chips, potatoes, bacteria are already attacking the body, and the fungus is waiting for the right moment to start spreading over the skin.
Note! If you wash your dog's paws regularly, any injuries will be detected in time.
Some dogs develop interdigital cysts, which can become painful. Ticks like to hide between the toes and “suck” behind the pads of the paws. The skin of the paw pads can be injured on the asphalt, the dog can get burns or frostbite, the claws break and crack... these are just some of the possible problems, the treatment of which should be as prompt as possible.
How to clean your dog's paws
Any owner should know how to wash a dog’s paws after a walk as simply and quickly as possible. Actually, there is nothing particularly complicated here. Let's look at the easiest ways to clean your paws:
- If after a walk it is not possible to thoroughly wash your four-legged friend’s paws with water and shampoo, wet wipes for animals
(“Mr. Fresh”, “Polidex”, “TeddyPets”, etc.) can come to the rescue. You can also use cleansing baby wipes [1]; - You need to properly wash your dog's paws with shampoo and plenty of running water
. This is the most reliable way [1] to wash away any dirt. At the same time, it is more convenient for large dogs to wash their paws in the bathtub, and for small dogs - in the sink; - Not all owners have a bathroom located close to the front door. That is, a dog with dirty paws after a walk can leave a trail all over the apartment until it gets to the bathtub (or sink). In this case, immediately near the entrance to the apartment you need to keep a basin of water, shampoo and a container of rinsing water
in order to wash your paws immediately after returning to the apartment; - If the dog has been walking in the snow in the owner's yard, you can refuse to wash its paws. But dense snow or ice lumps that have formed on the fur between the toes must be removed with a cloth soaked in warm water
[1]. After this procedure, the dog’s paws need to be wiped dry; - Members of the American Kennel Club remind [1] that dog shoes
- booties, which you can either purchase at a pet supply store or make yourself, can save you from daily washing of paws after a walk. Booties are a good find for a dog that won't let his paws be washed. In addition, shoes protect the skin of the extremities from cold and injury, and also prevent slipping in icy conditions; - Many owners are familiar with the problem when the dog does not like to wash its paws. The animal may be afraid, for example, of the sound of water or the need to get into the bath. In such a situation, you can use a paw washer
(“PawPlunger”, “ZooOne”, “SoftGentle” or others) - a small container that looks like a glass with a lid with a hole. On the lid of the paw washer there are rubber brushes that remove dirt from the paws.
How?
When choosing a dog wash, carefully read the ingredients. It is best if the shampoo is mild, does not contain aggressive components and does not dry out your pet’s hair and skin. Of course, for each dog, the selection of cosmetics for bathing will be individual, since the choice depends on many factors - hair length, skin sensitivity, allergic reactions of the dog, breed.
According to reviews, Bras shampoo showed good results - in addition, it has a reasonable price.
Study the label: a good shampoo is one with natural ingredients - egg yolk, lecithin, glycerin . You can also make your own shampoo using glycerin, boiled water and essential oils. But remember to be extremely careful when using homemade products.
Is it possible...?
Soap
Using soap on your pet is not recommended, especially not rubbing dry soap onto your pet's fur. This way you can damage the very structure of the villi, and after bathing the dog will take on the appearance of a “sad broom”. Moreover, you can easily dry out your pet’s skin and provoke endless scratching, which very often leads to scratched wounds.
Degtyarny
There is an opinion that tar soap, due to its disgusting smell, can magically rid your dog of fleas and ticks. But that's not true. In fact, apart from troubles with fur, skin and a terrible smell, you will not get anything else. The effectiveness of removing fleas using this procedure is extremely low, therefore using tar soap for such purposes is not recommended . It is better to purchase a special flea and tick shampoo.
Economic
Many people do not risk using laundry soap for their hygiene procedures, let alone dogs. As with other examples, laundry soap will not provide any positive results for your pet. It washes away dirt and grease, thereby destroying the fatty layer of the dog’s coat, which helps it in its natural environment to protect itself from pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms. Therefore, no laundry soap!
For children
Baby soap is actually very drying for dogs' skin. After all, what is good for a person does not always have a beneficial effect on the animal. The main negative impact of baby soap on your pet's skin may be dandruff and skin irritation. Therefore, if you don’t want your dog to constantly itch and shake heaps of dandruff out of its fur onto your carpets, then put baby soap away from your dog’s bathing cosmetics.
When Head&Shoulders is not a help: dog dandruff
Then the next logical question arises:
Human, regular shampoo
The answer is no, no and no again! Humans and dogs have completely different skin, and regular shampoos for our hair can cause irreparable harm to the health of any dog. The reason is that the acidity of the skin - PH - is lower in dogs than in humans, which indicates more delicate and sensitive skin. Therefore, it is highly not recommended to use human shampoos in dog bathing procedures.
For cats
In principle, shampoo for cats cannot harm a dog when bathing, since cats are more sensitive - they have more delicate skin, and, accordingly, shampoos are more gentle. However, it is better to have your own set of cosmetics for each pet, because if you constantly wash your dog with cat shampoo, you won’t be able to wash the cat with dog shampoo after all, since dog shampoo for a cat can be harmful.
For children
As in the case of baby soap, it’s not worth it. The reason is absolutely the same acidity of the skin. It’s not for nothing that veterinarians recommend washing dogs with shampoos specially designed for them - they take into account all the characteristics of the animals in the composition. Therefore, baby shampoo will also not bring much benefit to the dog; do not be lazy to buy shampoo for puppies if you decide to have a dog in the house.
How to train a dog to wash its paws after a walk
Teaching your dog to wash its paws after a walk is quite simple:
- Dogs who have their paws washed every day after walking since puppyhood
, as a rule, go to the bathroom on their own without unnecessary reminders and even jump into the bathtub or sink. It is much more difficult to accustom a dog at an advanced age to the procedure; - The dog should not be afraid of having its paws touched
. To do this, every time during play and communication, the owner needs to touch his pet’s paws;
It is much easier to teach a puppy to wash its paws if it knows the command “Give me your paw.”
. The owner will not have to lift his pet’s paws against his will;
Bathing products
The detergent is always chosen depending on the situation, ease of use, and price. It is better to use shampoos that are suitable specifically for your dog with the characteristic characteristics of its coat. You shouldn’t chase universal products - how can you wash a shepherd dog with coarse hair and, for example, a Yorkie with fine hair reminiscent of human hair, with the same shampoo? You cannot wash your dog with human shower gels and shampoos!
The range of dog washing products is huge. The most commonly used:
Soap
- tar.
Dry shampoos (powders)
- Pet's Lab (≈ 250 rub.),
- Pet Head (≈ 700 rub.),
- Trixie (≈ 250 rub.),
- RIng-5 Quick clean (up to 800 rub.),
- Espree Oatmeal Baking Soda with oat proteins (≈ 750 rub.),
- Merial Frontline Pet Care (from RUB 500),
- Beaphar Grooming Powder (310-370 RUR),
- Puppy Dry Bath for puppies (≈ 700 rub.).
Regular shampoos
- Pet Silk (Pet Silk) D-Limonene (450-580 RUR),
- Espree Argan Oil Shampoo (≈ 950 rub.),
- “Clandestine”, “Lugovoy” (from 100 rub.),
- Lambert Kay 2-in-1 Conditioning Shampoo in the Fresh Clean Scent (RUB 680-760),
- PhytoElite “Veda” (≈ 80 rub.),
- 8in1 Tea Tree oil Shampoo (RUB 370-510),
- Doctor Zoo (≈ 150 rub.),
- Hartz Rid Flea & Tick Shampoo (330-480 RUR),
- Arava for puppies (RUB 710-840),
- various antiparasitic.
How to care for your pet's paws
Keeping your dog's paws healthy into old age is not that difficult if you follow these rules:
- After each walk, you need to carefully examine the animal's paws
. Even the smallest wound on the pad of a finger can lead to big problems; - If something is clearly wrong with your dog’s paws, you can’t do without a visit to the veterinarian
. For example, foul odor from paws may indicate a bacterial or fungal infection that cannot be cured without the help of a specialist; - In the heat, when the asphalt is extremely hot, it is better not to take the dog outside
, waiting until the air temperature drops. Experienced dog breeders advise [2] to conduct a simple test to find out whether the dog can be taken for a walk. The owner just needs to place his own palm on the asphalt for 7 seconds. If it turns out to be too hot, it is not advisable to take your pet outside; - Cleaning the paws after every walk is mandatory
. Moreover, it doesn’t really matter what time of year it is outside. Even if a dog's paws appear clean, they can still contain dangerous microorganisms that can cause harm to the dog and its owner; - Hygiene measures
include, in addition to washing, trimming claws and fur on the paws; - Waxes and balms can protect a dog’s paws from the harmful effects of ice, snow, water and dirt
, which are applied before leaving the home (such products include, for example, “Beaphar Feet Balsam”, “Vedinol paw balm”, “Pchelodar Aida Walk” !” etc.).
Dry shampoo
It can also be a very useful product for dogs. Loose powder products allow you to remove dirt from your pets' fur without using water, and also do not irritate the skin. So, first of all, such a product will be the most convenient to use and is suitable for those who suffer from hypersensitive skin.
And if you are not afraid to experiment at home yourself, then you can make dry shampoo with your own hands , for this you will need:
- baking soda,
- corn starch,
- essential oil.
Prepare a brush, mix all the ingredients and feel free to start cleaning the wool.
