Let's Paws for a Moment!
Hello everyone this is Krista with Episode #164 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. A new study called Dogs are Sensitive to Small Variations of the Earth's Magnetic Field was published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology. And it demonstrated that dogs can sense and respond to magnetic fields. And it's the first time that this has been shown specifically in dogs. Researchers found that under certain conditions, dogs choose to pee and poop with their bodies aligned along the north-south axis, and actually avoided orientation along the east-west axis. And they studied 70 dogs from 37 different breeds over a two year period. And the observations were all made, while the dogs were off leash and in open fields, so that they were not influenced by walls, fences, fire hydrants or any other objects. So finding out that dogs can in fact, sense the Earth's Magnetic Field, just like a compass, makes us realize their extraordinary navigational abilities. Why dogs are choosing to orient themselves in this way is the big question. And hopefully future research will give us more information. Aren't dogs amazing?
Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.
Lisa Baronoff grew up in South Africa and moved to New York City in 1996, where she worked for Revlon and Mattel before settling down and having her 2 children. She is dog crazy and came up with the idea for Walkee Paws in 2016 when he had problems finding boots for her dog Toffee. Her invention Walkee Paws solved the 3 main pain points people have with regular dog boots.
Hello dog lovers and welcome to another Wag Out Loud informative episode. And joining me today is Lisa Baronoff and she is going to share with us how and why to keep our dog's paws healthy. So Lisa, thanks so much for being with us.
Thanks, Krista. I'm very excited to be on your Show.
This is so cool. Well, let's “paws” for a minute and have you introduce yourself and tell us why are you so passionate about paw health?
Okay, wow. I'm certainly passionate about dogs. I am obsessed. I have had many, many dogs in my lifetime, probably about 18. All different breeds and sizes. And I sort of fell into the business of dog paws so to speak. Back in 2015 with my cocker spaniel. I live in Manhattan. And as you know, it snows in the winter and there's all that, you know, the snow and the snow melt chemicals of salt that goes on the sidewalks. And my dog Toffee got really sick one year and was vomiting, he had diarrhea. I took him to the vet and the vet explained to me that he had ingested the salt off his paws had actually come home and licked his paws and ingested the, you know, the chemicals which are are toxic, and that had given him diarrhea and caused him to vomit. And the vet said to me, it's made simple, you need to put boots on Toffee and I have never ever thought of putting boots on my dog. So I went ahead and ordered all these different boots and thought that they all had the same you know, three problems it was really hard to get them on because they are four individual boots, they needed to be tight around his ankles and he hated that because it felt uncomfortable, sort of blocked his blood flow. And then invariably I get out into the snow with Toffee and one or more of them would fall off and we’d lose the boot, it's really frustrating. And, and I have a background in marketing. I worked for many years for Revlon and Sara Lee Hosiery and Mattel Toys. So I had this idea to do a dog bootlegging sort of attaching a boot to a doggy legging that would suspend over a dog's back and stay on and I tried those on Toffee and they really seem to work well because they were not tight around his ankles and they stayed on really well and I never lost a bootie. And even if one slips off, I can slip it back in again. So when I launched that I really was launching for dogs for winter because I thought that was a real issue for paws is you know the one term that I mean since then a lot of people told me as well in winter that you know, the dog paws get very sensitive as well if they're exposed to a lot of cold and to the salt. They can get like a chemical reaction, they can get hotspots you know there's also a big issue with snowballs collecting in the dog’s fur and paws, especially for like the fluffier dogs, like my golden doodle. With Stirfry when I take him out in the snow and he comes home and he's got like snowballs all over his legs. And that caught in between his, you know, his little toes and paws and I need to literally put him in a warm bath to to get rid of the snowballs. So it's not only a problem for the paws, it's also a problem going into the fur. So, you know, when I launched Walkee Paws, which is dog bootlegging, I thought it would really be for the winter where people would need it the most. But to my surprise, we sell the products throughout the year. And I've since learned that there are many other paw issues that dogs have that I wasn't that aware of. And I can tell you about a couple of them if you'd like and there's, there's a ton.
Anatomy of Paws
Well, let's see if we can back up a little bit first and talk about the anatomy of paws. I really didn't know what they were made of until I actually looked it up. But paws are made of you know, muscles, keratin, collagen, tissue, ligaments, tendons, bone. And, you know, a lot of people don't think about it. But paw pads are really sensitive if your dog doesn't have calloused pads. So there's a thick layer of pigmented skin that we can see, you know, the pads are usually pink or black. And they cover fatty tissue. And these pads are so helpful with your dog's balance and traction, stability. And they also act as shock absorbers which this was just fascinating to me when I actually researched. So another thing about paws that we all know is that the paw contains the sweat glands for the dogs. And that pushes the perspiration to the outer layer of the skin, trying to cool them you know when they're hot on a hot day. So paws are really an important indicator of our dog's health. And you mentioned before like snowballs can collect not only on their legs, but in between their paws. And we really need to make sure that our dog's paws are healthy, you know, do they smell really bad? Are their nails long? Is the hair overgrown between the pads? These are all signs of Paw ailments really. So why don't we get into what comes to mind for you, when you think of some of the paw issues and I'm not talking environmental. But when we look at a paw, what should be a red flag for us?
What to Look Out For with Paw Issues
Well, definitely the first red flag would be if your dog’s licking and biting at their paws a lot because that could mean either something is caught in their paws, it could be a foxtail, a little pebble, a rock, some you know salt or and I am so if they are bothered by their paws, definitely investigate that and look at the paw to see if there is something there that you can remove. We've had a lot of customers who've had foxtails or sand burs burrow into, into dog paws and cause you know, bad injuries and they’re kind of hard to see. And if you don’t know what those are, they're these plants that have little tiny barbs on them. And if a dog steps on that, the barb sort of penetrates their paw and could even go into the you know, onto their legs. So that would be the first thing and then also if they are licking a lot and it's not because there's something there or the paws are not red or irritated because sometimes it's you know, dogs get hotspots from all sorts of irritants or allergies. But it also could be environmental allergens because dogs have contact allergies from from stepping on things like pollen outside. And if they are allergic to the pollen it’s the contact on the paws and they bring that into the house, on their paws and they lick it. So definitely look to see what's going on. If there's anything you know that that looks suspicious to you. The other thing is to look for is for ticks. Ticks can also in the summertime, burrow in between, you know dogs paws, and definitely take your dog to the vet if there's anything that looks suspicious. And if they carry on licking their paws, they may have an allergy situation where you may need to actually put a doggie booty on or you know something to protect them from that allergen. So they don't actually come into contact, you know with it.
And one thing I think of that we've talked about on the show before is glyphosate, which is the toxic pesticide that is sprayed not only on a lot of our crops, but, you know, how do you think that they keep those parks and golf courses looking so beautiful and green? Well, it's, you know, sprayed with glyphosate. So dogs are bringing that into the house, and it's on their paws, because they're walking in it.
Protect Against Pesticides
Yeah, that's the big issue, whatever they walking on, it's on their paws, and then they get home and they have a habit of licking their paws. So they then ingest things, whatever they were walking on. It's interesting, you mentioned the pesticides, and even just the regular, you know, lawn chemicals that are sprayed on to kill weeds and, you know, just pesticides, it's been proven that they'll stay on the surface for at least 48 hours. So they generally recommend that dogs and children are not left on the lawn after, you know, it's been sprayed for about three days. So that's another time to really be cognizant and protect your dog your dog's paws to make sure they don't come into contact with any chemicals. Because that's toxic as well. So there are a lot of environmental, you know, dangers that are lurking, that you don't really think about, you know, and I know often when my lawn is sprayed, they'll say just 24 hours don’t go on the lawn. And I was researching it recently. And it was they were saying it's at least 48 hours. So that's a little a little scary.
Thanks for that tip. Well, Lisa, we're gonna talk about some environmental factors. So why don't we talk about the first one being paws and hot pavement?
Environmental Factors
Right. Well, that's an interesting one. Again, for me, it was an interesting learning because again, I launched Walkee Paws for dogs in the snow and found tons and tons of people calling us saying they were using them for hot pavement. And I did research and realized that if you if you put the back of your palm on hot asphalt or you know sand or whatever your dog’s walking on, if you can't keep it there for at least five seconds without you know having to take it away, then your dog should not be walking on that surface. Because that is going to burn their paws because dogs paws can get burned in a lot of asphalt gets really really hot in the burning hot summer. So the recommendation is to walk your dog from the cooler hours early morning, you know, late in the evening, or you know, as the sun's going down. Or alternatively again, you know, put on doggy boots or, you know, some sort of dog covering to protect their paws from you know from the pavement. And and it's not only that it's also you get sometimes melted tar you know on really hot days to get that melted tar. I know vets have told me that dogs come in with bubble gum stuck in their paws and broken glass in their paws. So there's, you know, crazy stuff out there. Especially I live in Manhattan. So walking the streets of New York, there's just, you know, and not even just to mention, just the gross, fecal matter and dried out urine that dogs are just stepping into on pavements and then bringing into your home afterwards as well. It's kind of crazy when you think about it, because as humans, we take our shoes off when we come home. And they've done a lot of studies on what humans you know, bring into the house on the bottom of their shoes. And it's kind of the same for dogs. So it's best to you know, another another point that came up with lots of our customers is they're like, you know, my dog's like my baby. He sleeps in the bed with me. And I love that he doesn't have street feet because he’ll wear the Walkee Paws, we’ll come home, take them off, leave the dirt outside and he'll jump in the bed with me and I know his paws are clean. So there's more and more people. I mean, I'm one of them. My dog’s on my sofa, the bed. He goes wherever I go. It is interesting. That's the whole idea of you know, dogs can't take their shoes off. They kind of come in and they whatever's on their paws is on their paws.
That's a great point. Lisa, I think this is a great time to just take a pause for a minute and listen to our sponsor ad. We'll be right back.
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We're back everyone. We're speaking with Lisa, about the importance of paw health. And we just talked about the summertime, how paw pads can actually burn and blister. So just a reminder, Lisa brought up that great check that you can do. So the back of your hand, put it down on whatever your dog is walking on on a hot day. And if you can't keep it there, for a minimum of five seconds, it's too hot for your dog to walk on as well. So thanks for that reminder, Lisa. All right, we're gonna change seasons. And because this episode is coming out in November, it's the perfect time to talk about the winter issues with paws. So if you can talk about that. You talked about your cocker spaniel and awful ice melt chemicals that are used in a lot of parts of the country.
Yeah, so you know, it's, it's interesting, because dogs have such different personalities, and I hear from customers, some dogs hate the cold, hate the rain, won’t go out to do their business, if it's cold and wet, some of the other dogs love it and love playing and it's such a you know, all dogs are different. But um, for the dogs that really hate and don't really want to walk on cold wet surfaces. We have Walkee Paws, which have little grippies underneath the rubber. So they actually provide a traction, and you know, on hot pavement, those little grippies raise the paws off the pavement so they don't absorb the heat. And in cold as well. It's a little bit raised so they don't feel as cold. So I think it's just the big thing for me, overall, in the winter, especially living in New York is just the mess. You know, coming in with a dog that's got snow and snow melt all over them is, you know, really awful.
Yes. And we have to remember I mean, I know there's products out there that are, “safe for your dog,” you know, that melt the ice. But yes, I've heard that those products can really dry out their paw pads, because they’re not natural. So we have to, we have to really be cognizant of where they're walking no matter what the season it is.
And again, realizing as we mentioned before that generally speaking dogs are licking their paws. They're coming home, they're lying on the sofa and licking their paws. So whatever they were stepping in, they are ingesting. So, you know, you can also come home and wipe down your dog's paws with a with a wipe. The only issue with that is then you have wet paws. And it doesn't really get if you've got snow, you know, snow clumps. You almost need to bathe them. And my dog hates baths. It’s the worst.
So yes, I'd say you know the cold as well they just don't like it they really hate being cold. So and a lot of customers tell us that when they wear Walkee Paws, they can run around in the snow for much longer so they get much more playtime. And then it also protects not only the paws that are on the ground, but also the because it's a legging that goes up the dog's leg and protects the fur as well from getting you know the snowballs in it so when you when you bring your dog home the both the legs and the paws are are clean, which is helpful. And there are certain breeds of dogs like chihuahuas, a lot of short haired dogs that get very cold in the winter. So they should, you know ideally also have a coat on as well. When it gets really really cold.
Yep, that makes sense. Well, since we're talking about the paws and the paw pads, just a reminder because I groom my own dog and the fur between the pads should be trimmed and you know sometimes they do get mats between the pads, which is very uncomfortable for them. So if you groom your dog yourself or if you take them to a groomer you know, I call it Grinch feet, when they've got all this excess fur on their pads because the pads more exposed is going to give them the traction that they need on slippery surfaces. So I think that leads us to, we were going to talk about, you know, especially senior dogs getting up and down on some of these slippery floors, do you want to talk about that?
Senior Dogs Need More Traction
Sure. So that's, you know, it's kind of a topic that's very dear to my heart, because my same dog Toffee who actually passed away a year and a half ago, he was 17.
Wow, that's amazing Lisa.
what happened in the in the latter years of his life. And, you know, I invented Walkee Paws around him because of the snow and the issues he had there. I found that he couldn't get traction in the house on the tiles or the wooden floors. And I, you know, I have videos of him spinning in a circle with his front legs that just trying to get up. And it was absolutely awful to watch. I mean, there were, there were many mornings that we came down, and we'd find him just back in a puddle of his own urine because he couldn't get up to go to the bathroom, he just couldn't move. So I know a lot of people put down yoga mats in you know, in their apartment or do all sorts of things to accommodate dogs that you know that they can't get traction, but and they also use something like those little grippy socks. But a lot of the the issues with those is they sometimes don't stay on because again, they're relying on being tied around a dog's ankle. And as you can imagine, one will, you know, fall off at some point. So we launched the indoor grippy socks stay on grippy socks, which are four little socks, again attached to leggings that to spread over a dog’s back. And that really worked for, for Toffee, and for a number of other dogs that are having this issue because it gives them a little silicone sock on the soles of the feet. So it's very comfy for them because it's a stretchy sock and a stretchy you know, nylon, spandex four way stretch fabric. So it's really, really comfortable. Almost like wearing pajamas for them. But that gives them the, you know, the security that they can actually get a grip and get up and get down. And I know there are a ton of dogs, especially bigger dogs that can have really bad injuries by stripping and playing on floors, when they're older, they can have disc injuries, back injuries. You know, another issue is as dogs get older, you know, they might have arthritis, but even if they don't have arthritis, they could have lack of coordination, neurological issues. And all of that makes the you know, being able to get a grip a little bit more challenging for them. So what happened is when we, you know, initially, people were telling me they're using our Walkee Paws on, you know, on their dogs indoors, and exactly for the reason you mentioned that dogss sweat through their paws, etc. I didn't like the idea of having a rubber bootie on a dog all day long at home, it's fine to take them out for a walk and come home. So that's why we developed the same, you know, sort of the same design of Walkee Paws, but with the grippy socks so that people could leave their dogs in them, you know, all day long, and they have the security that they could get up and down.
That's great. Are they more breathable? The indoor ones?
Yes. It's like a cotton sock. And it's got a loose opening at the top. So you can get air ventilation coming in and out. Yeah, dogs don’t seem to mind them at all. It's interesting. I've never had a dog trying to get the socks off. They just seem to like them. Interesting. So yeah, that is that's a big problem. And especially as I said, the big dogs because if they slip and fall, that's very, you know, a big problem.
Good point. Well, just while you were talking, I just thought of two other instances where booties like the Walkee Paws would be great. You know, I live in Colorado, a lot of people here go hiking with their dogs over you know, it's rough, rocky terrain, I would think protecting their feet on hikes like that. Or if your dog has a paw injury, like a blister or a cut. It would be nice to put this over a wrap while they're healing.
Exactly 100% Because a lot of Dogs hate those cones that they have to wear. So if the injury is on the paw or on the bottom part of their legs, the Walkee Paws will totally cover that as socks. So you could have a wrap, have a sock over that and you know stop them from scratching and licking and that thing. So 100% And people are using them for that as well. Dogs love to lick their paws after an injury and anything you know that's itchy or irritating them, they go crazy.
Well Lisa for any of us that have tried booties before. It's inevitable. You think of the booties are on and your dog is just frozen in place. They don't know what to do or when they start walking. They've got this weird prance. So how do you get dogs used to wearing the Walkee Paws?
How to Get Your Dog Comfortable Wearing Booties
It's actually so funny, you mentioned that that's actually a really amusing part of multiport. We actually call it going from the walkie waddle to the walkie wag. And interestingly enough, again, dogs have all different personalities, some you can put the Walkee Paws on and the'y’re fine, others will stand, they won't even move, they're completely it's almost like they have stage fright, and don’t know what to do with themselves. So Walkee Paws are more comfortable than traditional booties, because they're not as thick, and they're more stretchy. So dogs can feel the ground when they walk, which is important for their sense of security. But there still are dogs that don't want to walk or do a funny high step walk. So what we tell people to do is just get them on, you know, have a treat, ready, put the leash on and just start walking with them. And invariably, once a dog is in Walkee Paws for a couple of minutes, they completely forget that they have anything on. So it's just that first transition where people get nervous, they'll think, oh, it's hurting him or he doesn't like it. It's just an unusual sensation for dogs. And I tell a lot of our customers, you have to get their video cameras ready or their phones ready because it's very amusing. To film the first steps in Walkee Paws. And I think dogs are also inherently a little bit self conscious, you know, because I know even with my dog, when I put stuff on him, and I try and photograph a new product, new Walkee Paws and I want to get a picture of him. He won’t walk for me, I have to turn my back. Yeah, they’re kind of like humans. They can be shy and sensitive. And so the trick is just to have a treat, get them going. And they just forget about it after a little while. You know, it's it's a learning curve, when you first put any sort of apparel on your dog. It's a learning curve for the dog. And Walkee Paws is a bit of a learning curve for the human as well because it suspends over the back and you need to tighten the straps to get the tension so they stay on. So it's a little learning curve. And once you've got it all set, and the straps are done correctly, it's really super easy.
Well, as we're wrapping up, Lisa, there's just two things I just wanted to mention about since we're on the topic of paws, I think this is just fascinating that you know, when dogs sometimes sometimes they go to the bathroom and they use their back feet to look like they're kicking back. That they're leaving behind the pheromones that are on their paws so that other dogs know they were there. So they kick the dirt up after going to the bathroom or the grass.
So fascinating.
So I was here. And then everybody, we probably have all smelled our dog's feet and they smell like Fritos, right? Well, that smell is from bacteria or yeast on your dog's feet. And it's usually between their toes, or paw pads, and it's completely normal. But if your dog's immune system isn't up to par, these bacteria or yeast could overgrow. So just watch that.
Offer
So Lisa, I can't believe that we are out of time already. But you are making an amazing offer to the listeners. And I want to thank you for that. Again, Lisa's brilliant products and company is Walkee Paws. And they come in all different colors and patterns. So your dog can remain very fashionable, as well as protected. So Lisa is offering a 20% discount on any regular priced product. Again, that's https://walkeepaws.com/. And your discount code is WOL20. And we are nearing the holidays when this comes out. So this would be a great gift for any dog lover that you guys know. And even for your own dogs. You guys have to try Walkee Paws. So Lisa, as we leave here today, do you have anything that you want to leave us with?
No, I just want to thank you so much for being on your show. It's so much fun and I learned so much about dogs from you.
Thank you.
And just to do with this by the time this airs, we will have all of our new products online and one of them is our Easy On Deluxe. And it's going to be a booty that's shaped like a dog’s paw so it's more ergonomically shaped and it's also going to be lined for winter so will give it added warmth and protection and also protect the booties from a dog's nails so people can look out for the Easy on Deluxe. And then we also do have our accessory items that are super cute, like a coat that has attachable leggings and a cute little Pom Pom Hat. Leashes. So you know everyone they can check it out on WalkeePaws.com. And this could make a really cute and functional and fashionable Christmas gift for dogs.
Awesome. Well everybody check out WalkeePaws.com. Again, don't forget about that amazing discount WOL20 for 20% off. And thank you Lisa for being with us today.
Social Media URLs or Tags
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/walkeepaws
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WalkeePaws/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/walkeepaws/?viewAsMember=true
Thank you so much. So much fun.
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Hey Winston was that another tail wagging episode?
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