Getting G's Galoshes On

As I mentioned yesterday, the snow came (maybe 2 inches in all) finally on Friday evening and Saturday morning, which meant the salt arrival was imminent.

I understand the use of salt on the sidewalks and as an urbanite who has to walk come rain, sleet or snow, I can even appreciate it's protective properties. That being said, I as a dog owner, I've become pretty leery when I see the stuff sprinkled on the sidewalk and crosswalks, because I know how painful in can be when it gets between the sensitive toes and pads of pups.

There have been several instances (especially last year when NYC had a snowmageddon in January) where G was walking along and a nonchalant step caused her to yelp in pain and hobble down the street. Last year, I frequently ended up carrying her from several blocks away to home because the salt was stinging so badly.

I had some winter snow booties for her that were okay, but I noticed they were awkward to get on and off, wore easily if they became loose, fell off frequently and tended to soak through. Not to mention, they also made G walk like pigeon-toed chicken, as she would pick up her feet and try and kick the shoe off with each step. Even walking several blocks, she still waddled in them due to their bulk.

After one particularly bad salt instance, I finally picked up G's golashes (aka Protex Pawz) - which are essentially balloons that stretch over her paws. The nice thing about them is they don't have any additional padding which allows her to feel like her feet are still on the pavement and cuts down on the waddle.

Albeit, a bit awkward still to get on and off, they are eons better than the cushy booties she had before and at about $15 for a pack of $16, relatively more affordable (I reuse each Pawz until one rips - I am still on the same pack from last January).

And despite the fact that, yes, they are essentially balloons, they still look cute!