My chihuahua's dog booties leave imprints. Are they safe to use?

They can be worn to protect his feet when he goes outside for walks and play. Take them off when he is indoors to allow his feet to "breathe". Leaving them on all the time may predispose him to foot infections.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you are going to go outside and it is very cold out, or if you will be going for long walks or on colder surfaces (not snow but ice or cold pavement) then booties are a good idea as they can get frostbite and wounds from cold on their feet. Best of luck with Spike! Have fun with him!

Hi there and thanks for your request. An half an hour walks twice daily would be appropriate as well. The jacket will help him but in my opinion booties are not needed. Frostbite is very rare in dogs, but it can occur. A recent paper published on veterinary dermatology (actually the author is Japanese!) revealed a specific mechanism to avoid excessive heat dispersion from paws. Please find related article here: https://phys.org/news/2012-01-dogs-ice-paws.html Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chihuahuas can be great pets! They tend to be a little anxious about their feet and mouths sometimes, so diligent practice at home is very helpful to the veterinary team. (Of course some chihuahua's could care less and are happy to see us!) From a medical standpoint, I will note that they are prone to significant dental disease. Usually from age 2 or 3 on, they will need a professional, anesthetised dental cleaning with the veterinarian every 9-12 months. The only exceptions I have seen to this are the chihuahuas whose teeth are brushed 4-6 times weekly. If you can commit to that, you can save yourself the frequent dental cleanings. Chihuahua's may be slightly more prone to heart murmurs later in life, though this infrequently causes a problem. Otherwise, they tend to be very healthy, long-lived dogs (I would estimate my average chihuahua patient lives to about 14) and are a great choice! Best wishes to you and your fur family!

It's really difficult to tell what they are from the photos, because they are so small. If they have been there for a few months, then I would be concerned that they are an abnormal growth. I am concerned about melanoma as a potential cause, or they could be little warts or cysts. It's best to bring him in to the vet for an exam. They can look closely at this and help identify the cause. They may need to take a sample and send it to the lab in order to identify it. The sooner the cause is identified, the better the outcome can be if it's something serious.

It really depends on the age of the dog. If it is an adult dog than he can probably be home 6-8 hours alone without needing someone to take him out. If it is a puppy, than he would probably need someone to let him out to go to the bathroom during the day. It also depends on the dog's temperment as some dogs need more attention and exercise than others.

The main things to keep in mind our that hot pavement will cause significant injury to paw pads. The pavement can heat up very quickly in the afternoon sun and it doesn’t necessarily need to be very hot temperature wise. You must always check the pavement to make sure it is not too hot or take him out first thing in the morning before the sun has had a chance to warm the pavement. Hard stopping or hard turning also increase the risk of tearing the pads. Running on gravel or things like glass can also increase paw pad injuries. There are protective booties which will help to protect the pads. Also, start slow and short and gradually build up. Choose your route wisely. Use a harness for this activity to prevent injury to his neck. I hope this helps.