August 27th, 2020 by Amy Varley

Your dog’s paws are, by design, tough – they have to be because they are exposed to the elements all day, every day. While us humans wear socks and shoes that help to protect our feet, our four-legged friends walk on all surfaces, in all weathers with their paws out in the open – which can sometimes cause them problems. Here are our top tips for protecting your dog's paws all year round.

Will I know if there’s something wrong with my dog’s paws?

Usually, if your dog is suffering from a paw problem, they will start to limp or refuse to put their affected paw down to the ground. This is an indication that you should definitely take a closer look, to see if your dog has a thorn or a tear in their paw, or has a burn or frostbite (depending on the time of year/weather!). Many dogs do not always let us know when they are suffering, however, so regularly inspecting your dog’s paws is an essential part of pet ownership! Catching any potential problems early is always the best way to ensure your pooch stays healthy and happy.

Keep your dog’s nails trimmed

Dog’s nails play a part in their paw-health. If a dog’s nails get too long, they can affect the position of the foot which may become painful and affect your dog’s walking. Long nails can also curl under the top of the foot and penetrate the paw pads below. This can be extremely painful for your dog, along with the risk of the infection our dogs may face from having long nails that can get caught on things – which may cause them to split and break off. Keeping your dog’s nails trimmed to an appropriate length will help to protect their entire paw.

Restrict walking on days with hot temperatures

Heat can play a massive part in damaging our dog’s paws. If the floor is too hot this can cause burns to our dog’s feet which can affect them massively and may put them out of action until they heal – not to mention it will be extremely painful for them. During the heat of summer, you may have to restrict your dog’s exercise to mental stimulation in the home and garden, or taking your dog out for walks early in the morning or later on at night when the temperature has cooled down to ensure your dog isn’t at risk of burning their paw pads.

Be more aware when there is extreme winter weather

We don’t often get masses of snow here in the UK over winter, but when we do the majority of our pets simply LOVE running around and playing in it. While it’s obviously important we let our dogs have fun and enjoy themselves – it’s important that we don’t let them out in the cold for too long. Dog’s paws are at risk of frostbite, which should be protected against by restricting the time that they spend out in frosty or snowy weather, or by getting them a set of boots to wear!

Consider special doggy boots

This brings us on to doggy boots – while many people may think these are simply a ‘fashion accessory,’ a decent set can actually be of great benefit to dogs – especially those that are very active or take part in dog sports. Dogs that do endurance running or Canicross may benefit from having that extra protection on their feet, as can dogs that enjoy being out in the snow and cold weather – also providing a bit of traction on the bottom of their feet so they don’t slip.

Clean off paws in winter or after the beach

Ice, snow, salt and any other chemicals can be harmful to your dog’s paws, so care must be taken to ensure all of these are removed after your dog has been outside. Your dog may be tempted to lick their paws to clean them, but this could be toxic to your dog depending on what they have picked up between their paw pads – especially in winter when anti-freezing salts may have been used. Cleaning sand from your dog’s paws after they have been to the beach is also important because the sand can become irritating for your dog, causing them to lick and nibble at the affected area which can sometimes lead to infection.

Use doggy paw balm

Using a good quality, natural paw balm can help to keep your dog’s paws protected from a number of different things. It can help protect against damage from extreme heat or cold, and can also help to prevent your dog’s paws from absorbing any toxic chemicals they are exposed to. Paw balm can help to soothe sore and irritated skin and can even help to speed up the healing process of cracks or cuts. The majority of paw balms can also be used to help soothe your dog’s nose if they suffer from dryness or cracks on their snout!

Check your dog’s paws regularly

Make it part of your daily routine to check your dog’s paws. This way you can check for any redness on or between the paw pads, check for any tears or cuts to the pads or see if there are any foreign objects stuck in there. Checking regularly means you can catch any problems before they escalate – for example, if your dog had a thorn stuck in one of their pads, you could remove it before it became embedded and potentially became infected.

Many dogs will run and run until they are exhausted – and their paws take the brunt of this, so to keep our dogs in prime health we must keep their paws in tip-top condition. It only takes a minute to look and check your dog’s paws over so there are no excuses! Keep your dog’s paws healthy and they will be running around for many years to come!