Better Grip?

[Beachbum1]

Sunday morning, we were at Petco. Both dogs came around a corner and I think Face bumped Taylor, and Taylor lost his footing and his back legs splayed out and he got real scared. I got him onto some carpeting. He is still a little scared on my tile floors. I put down some runners. His nails were just trimmed. I don't think he has a lot of hair on his feet.

Is there anything to apply to his pads to give him a little more grip until he gets his confidence back?

 

(this is how they were sleeping together 3 days after Face arrived last month).

 

Edited June 13, 2013 by Beachbum1

[Guest Scarter55]

Poor guy! Lady HATES tile floors. When she sits in our kitchen waiting for the command to eat, her front paws slowly slip forward. We've been trying to get her trained with booties, http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753820. She still doesn't like them, but they definitely give her better grip.

[KF_in_Georgia]

You can google "paw wax," but I don't think you'll find it carried in stores in Pompano Beach.

 

Try to get his pads softer and moister: a cream that will soften the pads without actually making them greasy. That will help. If Taylor's pads are smooth, it'll be like walking in slick, leather-soled shoes.

 

Some people have used "Tacky Finger"--the stuff you buy in office supply stores to moisten the fingers of people who have to handle lots of paper. There was a huge debate somewhere over whether the formula was safe for dogs, but finding the MSDS for Tacky Finger didn't reveal anything toxic in it, and since people are prone to stick their fingers in their own mouths, the consensus was that the stuff was safe. (I've heard of people using it for dogs in dog shows--when you don't want Spot skidding on the carpet in front of the judge.)

 

Meanwhile, try to make both Taylor and Face move slowly on slick floors. Dogs get nervous and try to move faster to a perceived safe spot and they're more likely to slip then than if they'd just stayed on the slick spot.

Edited June 13, 2013 by KF_in_Georgia

[OwnedBySummer]

I use paw wax for Summer -- but it really doesn't last very long. I also use Show Foot but it's really sticky and also doesn't last all that long. I use these products for therapy dog visits when I don't know what kind of floors we'll run into.

What I also do with Summer is take her everywhere I possibly can which has bare floors and walk her around and around and around. Treats are involved. Over time, she has greatly improved.

[Guest Scarter55]

When you make the pads a little more sticky, are they likely to pick up dirt and other stuff outside? Or is it not that sticky?

[Beachbum1]

I think if I find something that moisturizes his pads, that will be of help.

[Fiona3]

I have been using Tomlyn Protecta-Pad Paw Pad & Elbow Cream for a number of years on Zeke's feet. It is used to soften the Corns but has also left all of his pads very soft as it does moisturize and heal cracks, etc. I bought it through Amazon. This might do the trick for Taylor.

[KF_in_Georgia]

When you make the pads a little more sticky, are they likely to pick up dirt and other stuff outside? Or is it not that sticky?

 

It's not that sticky. Rather than "sticky," think "not-slick." Ever tried to get the edges of a poop bag apart with dry fingers? That's dog feet on slick floors. Lick a finger and try opening the bag again. Magic.

[kudzu]

It's not that sticky. Rather than "sticky," think "not-slick." Ever tried to get the edges of a poop bag apart with dry fingers? That's dog feet on slick floors. Lick a finger and try opening the bag again. Magic.

Yep. Also, paw pads provide better traction when they are softer & more supple. Pad conditioners, like some of the paw waxes, Musher's Secret & some other products, can help keep pads from becoming dry & smooth. Add some moisturizing & the natural grippiness of the pad's surface is able to work much better.

[Beachbum1]

Yep. Also, paw pads provide better traction when they are softer & more supple. Pad conditioners, like some of the paw waxes, Musher's Secret & some other products, can help keep pads from becoming dry & smooth. Add some moisturizing & the natural grippiness of the pad's surface is able to work much better.

Thanks for the info.

Do you have any particular pad condtioner or moisturizer to suggest?

You can google "paw wax," but I don't think you'll find it carried in stores in Pompano Beach.

 

Try to get his pads softer and moister: a cream that will soften the pads without actually making them greasy. That will help. If Taylor's pads are smooth, it'll be like walking in slick, leather-soled shoes.

 

Some people have used "Tacky Finger"--the stuff you buy in office supply stores to moisten the fingers of people who have to handle lots of paper. There was a huge debate somewhere over whether the formula was safe for dogs, but finding the MSDS for Tacky Finger didn't reveal anything toxic in it, and since people are prone to stick their fingers in their own mouths, the consensus was that the stuff was safe. (I've heard of people using it for dogs in dog shows--when you don't want Spot skidding on the carpet in front of the judge.)

 

Meanwhile, try to make both Taylor and Face move slowly on slick floors. Dogs get nervous and try to move faster to a perceived safe spot and they're more likely to slip then than if they'd just stayed on the slick spot.

Any cream to suggest??

[duncan41]

I tried all of these products on a sick dog who insisted on laying on ceramic tile all the time but had a difficult time getting up and down. Unfortunately nothing worked. In my quest to find a solution, I read that professional handlers of show dogs have been known to spray the pads with a sugary beverage/water combination. The idea is, if you can get the sprayed surface to dry before the dog gets up, the result is a tacky residue. Again, it's a very short term solution.

 

A friend has a 13 year old Greyhound who is showing his age, and is currently wearing toddler socks with the non-slip rubber dots on the bottoms. She swears by them because they are easier to put on than the dog version and the grippers seem to be more effective.

 

p.s. Taylor was upright and you didn't get a photo??? Love that boy and hope that he suffered no long term effects from his mishap.

[LaFlaca]

How about Bag Balm? WIll that work? Wendy is always slipping and sliding - not so much on the tile floors, but on our concrete patio.

[Beachbum1]

I tried all of these products on a sick dog who insisted on laying on ceramic tile all the time but had a difficult time getting up and down. Unfortunately nothing worked. In my quest to find a solution, I read that professional handlers of show dogs have been known to spray the pads with a sugary beverage/water combination. The idea is, if you can get the sprayed surface to dry before the dog gets up, the result is a tacky residue. Again, it's a very short term solution.

 

A friend has a 13 year old Greyhound who is showing his age, and is currently wearing toddler socks with the non-slip rubber dots on the bottoms. She swears by them because they are easier to put on than the dog version and the grippers seem to be more effective.

 

p.s. Taylor was upright and you didn't get a photo??? Love that boy and hope that he suffered no long term effects from his mishap.

Notify CNN, FOX, SKY News.....Taylor was upright

[KF_in_Georgia]

Thanks for the info.

Do you have any particular pad condtioner or moisturizer to suggest?

Any cream to suggest??

 

Nothing in particular. Paw Wax or Musher's Secret or even Tacky Finger should be fine for going out and about. At home, to soften the pads, pretty much any cream that you can rub in while Taylor's lying around (which is perhaps a preferred position?). I've got a dog with corns, and I'll frequently soften her pads with Bag Balm or with a cocoa-butter skin cream (surprisingly not greasy) or with any of the non-greasy hand (or foot) creams I use on myself.