We arrived at the car park to feed the stray cats who go by the names of Blackie, Tortie, Grey, Ginger and Whitey. You can rely on me to pick suitable, highly original names for our feline friends!!
The approach road had recently received a new top layer of tarmac, which had been rolled and was dry, and all was well. Only it wasn’t!! Unbeknownst to me, the driver of the tar-laying machine had decided to empty the final part of the load at the back of the car park out of sight and then depart, leaving a piece of wet tarmac.
Now, anyone who is familiar with Ziggy knows that if there is something new to explore, then Ziggy can be relied upon to be the first to find it; however, I did not appreciate her finding wet sticky tarmac. The good news is that I have a thick towel over the back seat where Ziggy normally travels, attached of course to her seatbelt. This luxury travel arrangement obviously allows her to raise the regal paw as we pass the masses!!
Imagine my horror to see black paw prints appearing in the towel, not just any dirty paw prints, but tar! Just to complicate matters, Ziggy is jet black, colour-wise, with black nails, so differing between tar and hair was going to be complicated.
Now, fortunately, I knew what to do and, more importantly, what not to do.
Let’s deal with the do-nots.
If possible, DON’T LET IT DRY!!
If it has dried, veterinary advice should be sought
Do not try using water; it only makes the stuff even more sticky
Likewise, using soapy water is not the best, but if nothing else is available, it will have to do.
Never try to pull it off with your hands, even when wearing gloves. It is painful for your pet, and the stuff sticks to your hands and gloves; in fact, you just end up putting the tar back where you are trying to remove it.
Do not use white spirit, methylated spirit, petrol or paint thinners.
These items are extremely toxic and can damage or even burn a dog’s skin. Also, they are not that healthy for humans
It sounds obvious, but just in case, stop the dog from licking its paws.
So what to do?
Check for obvious damage, in particular open wounds if there are some a visit to the veterinary surgeon is essential.
Removing the tar is actually fairly simple, although messy, provided you have access to the essential ingredients.
These are either vegetable cooking oil, baby oil, or, at a push, Vaseline. Whilst not everybody has instant access to baby oil or Vaseline and even if they do I guess we can probably find better uses for such products!
Vegetable cooking oil, however, is in most kitchen cupboards. You will find it helpful to have a roll of kitchen paper towels and a bag to dispose of the paper.
Kitchen rubber gloves, the marigold type, will be helpful, but as I have spent years working for veterinary surgeons, I am never without disposable gloves.
So we massaged the oil into Ziggy’s paws. The tar went from that thick, sticky, gluey substance to a liquid and was easily wiped off her paws with a paper towel. We started with a 20-minute session, gave her a 10-minute break, and repeated the process. A final twenty-minute session was needed before Ziggy’s paws were finally clean. So, nearly two hours later, having used half a roll of paper towels, three pairs of disposable gloves, and half a bottle of cooking oil, the job was almost complete.
After removing the tar, we washed her feet in mild, soapy water.
Ziggy had no adverse reaction to her experience, and given the chance, I do not doubt that, given the attention she received, she would happily repeat it. I have never removed tar from a dog’s feet before and will be delighted never to have to do it again.
“House rules for canines”
- The dog is only allowed into designated rooms
- Ok the dog is allowed in all rooms but must stay off the furniture
- The dog is allowed on the furniture but by invitation only
- The dog doesn’t need an invitation but must not get on the bed
- Humans must ask the dog if they can sleep in the bed!!
With subtitle or not?