Cottage Q&A
QUESTIONI take my dogs to our cottage on White Lake, near Pakenham, Ont., and because of the isolated location I let them wander during the day. Last summer, I noticed that their paws loaded up with pine sap that I couldn't remove. They both have long, thick fur, including on their feet and, eventually, so much sap builds up they have a hard time walking. I've tried soap and water (ineffective) and solvents (also ineffective, besides drying out their foot pads). Is there an easy way to clean their paws?
ANSWER
It's a problem our veterinarians have seen for themselves, either at their clinics or on their own cottaging dogs. Berney Pukay, of the Alta Vista Animal Hospital in Ottawa, suggests trying vegetable oil to soften the sap, then removing the goop with paper towel and, if need be, applying pet shampoo for a final cleanup. Another oily "solvent" that might engage your pooch in the sap-removal process is smooth (not chunky) peanut butter, adds Claire Duder of Bracebridge Animal Hospital. "The oil tends to break the sap down so you can comb it out. And it's kind of fun because the dog licks it up afterwards."
You can slow down the buildup of sap by very carefully shaving the furry areas between the dogs' toes, using a surgical clipping blade, such as those made by Oster, says Whitby, Ont.-based vet and cottager Walt Ingwersen. He trims his own dogs' furry paws with one (Oster clippers run about $120; a number 40 blade is recommended for this job). However, he stresses that if you don't feel comfortable negotiating this sensitive area yourself, let a groomer do it. You don't want to clip so close that the pine sap, an irritant, would directly touch the dogs' skin. "And never use scissors around the pads," he adds.
* Published in the November/December 2003 issue of Cottage Life
