# Booties for mushing?



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

What kind of booties have you all tried?

Denali was having her paw pads peel and they weren't looking very good. I know paw health is a combo of diet, genetics, and terrain. She is raw fed so I increased the amount of fat in her diet and also started giving fish oil (which I should have been doing anyway). I got booties from dogbooties.com and they just don't last. I got the 1000 Denier Cordura booties, the ones that are like backpack material and meant to hold up better on sidewalk and rougher terrain. They don't last 10 miles before they start to get holes in them, and after about 15-20 I have to trash them. She runs about half sidewalk and half dirt. The dirt is a bit gravely in spots.

I know booties don't last forever but more than 10 miles would be nice! I'm hesitant to try material that's any stiffer because it still has to be flexible.


The good news is that with the diet change + booties her paws are looking great. She's running better than she ever has before!

Only the main pad on her front paws were having the issue.


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## odiesmom (May 31, 2007)

http://www.coldspotfeeds.com/index.php?cPath=22_43 

Check out this website for Coldspot feed store in fairbanks Ak , they have a good assortment of booties very cheap . This is where my daughter goes to and she loves this place.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Would fleece hold up on rough dirt?


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## odiesmom (May 31, 2007)

Sibe said:


> Would fleece hold up on rough dirt?


hmm, good question !!! It might be a bit more flexible than the other material. They are pretty cheap on that website so maybe worth a try ?? If you sew it would be pretty easy to just make a pattern off of a bootie and use whatever material you want. I wish I still lived in Wasilla then I would be at church today and Deedee Jonrowe belongs to the same church, I would of asked her.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

I've never actually used them, but this place has some pretty hard-core boots: http://www.neopaws.com/


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

sassafras I'm hesitant to try the ones that have soles. They seem mainly for hiking and slower speeds and I worry they wouldn't have the flexibility needed for mushing. I might give them a try though, I'll ask around with mushers to see if anyone has used that kind.

Today I ran her without booties. Regular ride to the park and back, 3 miles total. Part of her right front main pad peeled. Ugh.


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

Have you tried Musher's Secret? I bought a big thing of it online for the same price you'd find 14oz in store. 

I also use Pawsitive Therapy conditioning and protection balm. Not sure which has worked better but they've helped a lot. Kaki's paws were peeling for the better part of last summer. Whole chunks would slough off. We also don't have to pull as many thorns out of her pads which is nice for both of us. Some days, it felt like we couldn't walk out the front door without a thorn in her foot.

I'm pretty much done with boots. Her new ruffwear boots get ice and snow build up in the velcro straps and end up falling off that way. The boots from Alpine Outfitters didn't last five minutes before being MIA. PITA.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Good point about the soled booties. Do you have anywhere you can run them for awhile off pavement, maybe it will toughen the pads up a bit more gradually? I also like Musher's Secret, don't know why I didn't think of it.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

She runs about half sidewalk/half dirt. It's our ride to the dog park. It's only a mile and a half each way so I feel bad driving lol. I've thought about musher's secret but wasn't sure how much it would help. I'm not sure if it's more the sidewalk or the rough dirt that's the issue.. does musher's secret work well for both?

What is Pawsitive Therapy? I looked around online and didn't see anything.


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

The Musher's Secret has worked well for all terrian. We've had them on pavement, packed dirt, gravel, snow, and a patch of our hiking that is brimming with cacti. I tend to gob it on more than the directions suggest.

I'll try to find a link when I get home for the Pawsitive Therapy and 1lb Musher's Secret. 

I've alsi seen a wax made for hunting dogs but I figured it was probably the same as mushers wax.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Yea I use Musher's secret for running on pavement sometimes, but the trails we run the most are packed dirt and usually if we're on pavement it's just a connecting bit. I think that gravel can actually be harder on their feet than pavement, like running on sandpaper or something.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

sassafras said:


> Yea I use Musher's secret for running on pavement sometimes, but the trails we run the most are packed dirt and usually if we're on pavement it's just a connecting bit. I think that gravel can actually be harder on their feet than pavement, like running on sandpaper or something.


This is what I'm thinking too. The dirt here is not nice and smooth. I'll get some Musher's Secret and try that before more boots. Thanks for the help everyone!


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