b"Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY ARE YOUR DOGSthe magazine PAWS BURNING?Mike BarnaITS HOT OUTSIDE AND SURFACES, SUCHfor more than five seconds, then the pavement isnt Publisher AS METAL, PAVEMENT, CONCRETE ANDhot enough to injure your dog. Remember that ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com SAND CAN CAUSE YOUR DOG TO BURNartificial turf, running tracks, sand, and even brick THEIR FEET. Your furry friend can suffer fromand concrete will also be dangerous to your dogs Erika Smith Royal some very nasty burns on their paws if you are notpaws during the hot summer months.careful. While a dog's paws are known for being Editor durable, they aren't indestructible. As a result, it'sIf you end up taking your dog out during the erika963realcountry@gmail.com up to us to protect them. warmer times of the day, be sure to stay on the grass and stick to shady areas. Stay away from Heat entering through the feet can lead to yoursidewalks or any paved areas to avoid burning. A Misty Voitovski dog overheating. Signs of overheating in yourshady park can be a great place to take your dog on dog can range from heavy panting and excessivea warm afternoon. Besides staying on natural grass, Creative Director thirst to vomiting, unconsciousness, or seizures. what else can you do to protect your dogs paws? Overheating is a serious issue, so you need to makeInvest in some fitted dog booties to help provide a Contributing Writers sure it doesn't happen to your pup. You should bebarrier from hot surfaces, especially when pets have able to tell relatively quickly if your dog isn't feelingto go outside to potty.Dog shoes are one of the Lee AndersonDebbie Blankenshipwell after coming home from your walk. Make surebest ways to protect your dogs paws from heat and Justin LeglerEmilio Martinez that after your walk, your pet is behaving normally, and doesn't seem too out of it. More than your pet's Betsy NunnJim & Bobbi Jeen Olson feet could be at stake. Bill RobertsAlan Rockman One of the best ways to protect your pet in the Bob RoloffJohn Samsill summer is to avoid the sun during the peak Hank ShefferAva Szogyenyi temperatures of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. but even if you Michele Wilson are enjoying your stroll at dusk and not in the suns direct light, dont forget about the asphalt, which may retain most of the days heat and damage your dogs paws. You might look at your phone to see 801 W. Wickenburg Way what the air temperature is but the air temperature Wickenburg, AZ 85390 is not a good indicator of surface temperature. What seems like a nice comfortable stroll might be (602) 254-6644 agonizing for your dog. If the outside temperature is a comfortable 77 degrees, driveways and roads ArizonaRealCountry.com can still reach 125 degrees Fahrenheit. At 87 degrees air temperature, a blazing 143 degrees can be reached on the asphalts surface and at 95 degrees the asphalt will be a scorching 155 degrees. potential injuries if your dog will wear them. If this seems like the right solution for your dog, be sure Keep in mind an egg can fry at 131 degrees in justto buy shoes that have rubber soles to offer the best five minutes. A good rule of thumb to follow isprotection. Be aware that not all dogs can get used Follow Arizona Realthe five-second rule.If you can press the back ofto dog shoes, and some might have a hard time your hand against the ground for five seconds, itswalking in them. It can be a trial and error process Country for news, events,probably safe for your dog to walk upon. Betterto find the set your dog likes best.If you can get yet take off your shoes and stand on the pavementyour dog used to using them, nothing else offers giveaways and more! barefoot. If you can keep your feet on the pavementbetter protection. Some are made of stretchy latex material and others of fabric with Velcro straps and even reflective material. Have your dog practice Arizona Real Country is owned andwearing their gear inside and with plenty of treats. published by Barna Broadcasting LLC. No person, organization or partyAnother option to provide a temporary barrier can copy or reproduce the contentbetween the sensitive paw pads and the elements on our website and/or magazine oris a paw balm or wax. Paw wax can easily be any part of this publication withoutsmeared onto your dogs paw pads to protect a written consent from the editorsthem from harmful surfaces. Paw wax is designed panel and the author of the content, asto protect your dogs feet from hot surfaces and applicable. The publisher, authors andpotentially harmful chemicals too. (If you need contributors reserve their rights withsomething right away, you can try some Vaseline. It is not nearly as good but is better than nothing regards to copyright of their work. in a pinch.) Mushers Secret is an especially popular non-toxic wax. Other DIY dog paw balm continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com July 2021 5"