Worn pads?

Thumper · May 24, 2001

I am sure you have ran across this problem with a hound wearing out pads. (soft foot)

This can put the end to a hound for a season as you know!
In the past, I would let them lay up for the healing to finish, only to find that within the first two days of a hunt they would be busted again!
What can you do???
Another question is does having a hound on cement kennels have much to do with this, or in a wet ground pen??

I have always tried to keep hounds off cement and on dry ground, but I have heard pro's and cons on both!
Is a cement pen hard on a hound or better than ground that may get damp??
Thanks,
Thump

Calif. Hunter · May 24, 2001

The problem with cement is mainly that it will eventually give a dog "flat feet." They will lose a lot of the arch in their toes, which in turn causes them to be less sure-footed and prone to "foot fatigue" or limping. Cement also tends to give them the old "dry elbow" patches.
I used to use a coarse gravel or even pea gravel in my dog runs...that's when firm stools become important!

But my dogs were really only in the kennels when no one was around...otherwise, they were loose in the yard or house.
As far as the tender pads, I used to use Tuff Foot, or Tuff Skin or whatever it is called. Used over a course of time, it toughens the dogs pads up and then you only have to use it when you firt start running the dog again after a lay-off.

BullHunter · May 25, 2001

An old timer once told me, if you run em off, ya run em on. I run the dogs to get them in shape for bear hunting. Once ran the pads off of a dog in less than a quarter mile on blacktop (beginners mistake), kept running him and pretty soon his feet were tough as nails. It really didn't seem to bother him either. He would limp a little a first but after a hundred yards you wouldn't have known.

It sounds really mean, but it doesn't seem to bother the dog. They would be up ready to run every time I go to leash them up.

Worn pads?

Thumper

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Calif. Hunter

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BullHunter

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