Tuf-foot spray

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Mosby
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Location: Kansas City, MO

Tuf-foot spray

Post by Mosby » Sun May 23, 2021 9:05 am

We live on a gravel road and I am new to roading dogs with an ATV. We are going to start roading this week but one thing I am concerned about is my GSP hurting her feet and pads on the gravel. I am sure they will toughen up in time but I want to minimize cuts, cracks and injuries and I am looking at products for foot care.

I was looking at a product called Tuf-foot. It is supposed to help condition and toughen up the dogs pads but I have never used it. Does anyone have any experience with this product or something similar, good or bad? I have used Musher's secret on dogs when hunting in snow and ice, but looking to see if there is something to help to condition their pads for hot, dry gravel roads. Thanks.
Last edited by Mosby on Sun May 23, 2021 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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deseeker
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Re: Tuf-foot spray

Post by deseeker » Sun May 23, 2021 10:10 am

I've had good luck useing tuff foot. It doesn't work over night--it will take a little time to tuffen their pads. Do not use their squirt bottles or you will waste a lot of product. I like useing a small foam pad brush(like you use for painting edges--you waste less product). I've got concrete floors in my kennels now and that toughens them up, so I no longer use the tuff foot anymore.

birddogger2
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Re: Tuf-foot spray

Post by birddogger2 » Sun May 23, 2021 6:56 pm

My experience with Tuff Foot is both good and bad. I first used it years ago and put multiple applications on the dog's feet. At first they seemed to harden up but with additional applications the pads got brittle and cracked. Some years later I used it on a dog that had worn his front pads almost raw. i put one application on and then put a second one on four or five days later when the worn parts started to show through. The pads were coated and protected, but the tuff foot was not on so thick that it made the pad brittle.

FWIW, I have used a product like musher's secret and it seemed to help with pad conditioning, toughening the poads while keeping them supple and pliable, which I think is the best situation.

I would use Musher's Secret and start roading gradually, checking the dog's feet every half mile or so.

If your dog does grind through its pads on the gravel, you can use a horse product by Hawthorne. It is called Sole Pack. It contains pine tar, iodine and some other stuff but it effectively coats, protects and sterilizes the worn pad. It is VERY messy to apply and until it dries hard, will leave black prints everywhere. But it works.

FWIW I put a couple of loads of yellow 3/4" pea gravel in my back yard, in a wide band around the concrete kennel and made walkways from the deck to the kennel with the stone. I think it helps to condition their feet as they run around the back yard... and it is less I have to cut and maintain.

RayG

Mosby
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Location: Kansas City, MO

Re: Tuf-foot spray

Post by Mosby » Sun May 23, 2021 8:32 pm

I have a new jar of Musher's Secret at home so maybe I will just start with that, Our road is not flat and much of the first 1/2 mile from my house is a gradual incline up hill, so she should be pulling for the first 10/12 minutes or so. I am planning on starting with that every other day for the first two weeks and add to that very slowly. I will check her pads when I stop to water her. Hopefully her pads will get conditioned without much issue. It was warm today and it reminded me that the summer heat is coming. I am going to try to get her out in the morning before it gets past 75 degrees.Thanks for the advice and your help. Much appreciated.

Tenderfoot
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Re: Tuf-foot spray

Post by Tenderfoot » Fri May 28, 2021 10:08 pm

I’ve had success just easing them into it and after awhile the pads get pretty tough without applying anything.

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Up North
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Re: Tuf-foot spray

Post by Up North » Sat May 29, 2021 7:22 pm

It worked great for healing a nasty crack in my dogs pad this spring.

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MNTonester
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Re: Tuf-foot spray

Post by MNTonester » Sun May 30, 2021 3:56 pm

Up North wrote:
Sat May 29, 2021 7:22 pm
It worked great for healing a nasty crack in my dogs pad this spring.
nice to see some of the Not folks visiting here

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