With winter, snow and poor road conditions, the salt trucks often come out of their garages. And while humans can run away on bare ground, the salt can create bigger problems for man’s best friend. In Bodø, veterinarian Hanne Myrnes has brought Echo the hunting labrador into the treatment room. The bitch is on a follow-up check after struggling with ulceration under her paws. But fortunately for mother Nina Hauknes, the message from the vet is that everything looks good. But it’s not like that for everyone. On this January day alone, Myrnes has had five dogs in for treatment for sore paws at Evedencia Animal Hospital. Echo’s paws have now healed and are looking great after being treated for wound problems. Photo: Andreas Nilsen Trygstad / news Salt in the wound Myrnes says that there are many different reasons why dogs can have problems with their paws. – When the dogs have sores on their paws, we must first try to find out what is the cause of the injuries, and try to remove them. Then we have to treat the symptoms. But it is not the same treatment for every dog. It is very individual, says Myrnes. However, she is aware that salt on roads can make the condition worse for dogs who already have exposed paws. – Salt attracts fluid, and it dries out the skin. Then you can get cracks in the paws, says the vet. – Getting salt into open wounds will be painful and make the wounds worse. When the dog is in pain, it will often make up for this by licking the wounds. Then it usually gets even worse, she adds. Mother Nina Hauknes has in any case taken precautions to spare Echo and his sore paws. – We try to avoid walking where there is road salt, but it is difficult because the salt is almost everywhere. Does not apply to all Veterinarian Linda Bakken Bøe at Dyrlegene Bodø says that not all dogs are bothered by salted roads. – It seems that we get a few inquiries from people who believe that the dogs do not tolerate road salt well, but this does not apply to most people. She says that dogs who struggle with salt on the roads often struggle with eczema before. – We assume that the majority of dogs that cannot tolerate road salt have atopic dermatitis. This leads to a reduced skin barrier under the feet, a defective Gore-Tex if you will. Linda Bakken Bøe is a veterinarian at Dyrlegene Bodø. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news Bakken Bøe says that around 100 breeds in the world often struggle with this skin disease. – For example, French bulldogs, retrievers, labradoodles and Dalmatians, she says. The vet says that dogs with this condition often have a tendency to scratch or shake their heads at times, as well as have a lot of earwax. – If we experience this, it may be that the dog needs different and more extended supervision. This is the vet’s advice. In other words, there is reason to regularly check the dog’s paws to look for injuries or signs of eczema. And if the dog is first exposed to sore paws, there are several things you can do to protect it as best as possible. – If you can stay away from areas with salted roads, then do it, says Myrnes. Paw bags can be a measure for dog owners who struggle with troublesome paws in their dog. Photo: Private – But if the dog has been exposed when they have been outside, rinse with good clean water when you get home. If necessary, you can apply something that protects the dog. Bakken Bøe also says that so-called paw socks that protect against salt are also an alternative. – But if you suspect that the dog may have symptoms as described above, I would take it to a vet with extensive knowledge of skin diseases. It may be signaling something.
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Road salt can give your dog painful paw problems – this is the vet’s best tip – news Nordland
