During winter clean ups, there is often a lot of salt left on the roads, especially if it has been dry. If dogs get this in their paws, it can become very irritating. If you suspect that your dog has got salt in its feet, rinse the paws with warm water (no soap) then soak each paw in a vinegar solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water for about 1 minute per foot. Let the feet dry naturally.

Soft And Cracked Pads

If your PON's pads are particularly soft and prone to cracking, wait until they have healed and every so often (on a healthy paw) dab on surgical spirit with a wad of cotton wool. This will harden them up. Doing this about three times a week should do the trick.

For sore cracked pads, boil up some potato peel and use the water when cool to immerse the paw. The pad will heal in a couple of days.

Trim out as much of the hair between the pads as possible and dust with an anti- fungal powder.

Smear vaseline on wet pads on your PON, then dust liberally with baby powder to create a covering on the pad.

Neatsfoot Oil (from agricultural suppliers or horse tack shops) rubbed into the paws will also soothe sore pads.

You can also use 1 pint of ivy leaves boiled in 2 pints of water. Allowed to cool, and add 1 teaspoon of Witch Hazel to every cupful of liquid. Bathe this onto the paws, then dust them with very fine oatmeal.

It may help to stand your PON in warm water with two or three tablespoons of Epsom Salts added for about 15 minutes twice a month.

If your PON gets a wood splinter in its paw, soak the area in cooking oil to soften the skin, and then apply an ice cube to deaden the paw before removing the splinter with tweezers. Consult your veterinarian whenever first aid measures do not heal paws within a few days.