Your dog’s paws are an essential part of their body that need to stay healthy. Their paw pads provide them with balance and traction, along with shock absorption for their bones, tendons, and ligaments. Here are some insights to keep your pooch’s paws healthy!
Trim their nails regularly
Trimming your dog’s nails is a very important aspect of paw health that is sometimes overlooked. If you do not trim your dog’s nails, you risk their nails becoming excessively long. When a dog’s nails become too long it makes walking uncomfortable which can cause your dog to bite the ends of their nails off. Furthermore, their nails are more likely to become snagged and torn off. If you are not comfortable cutting your dog’s nails, your local groomer or veterinarian can do it for you!
Be careful of extreme climates
Some dogs love going on walks even in the middle of summer or winter, but make sure the pavement or asphalt is not too hot or too cold . Your dog’s paw pads can become burned if the pavement is too hot. During the summer months, it is recommended to take your pup on walks in the morning or at night. If you enjoy taking your dogs on walks during the day, try to stay in the grass or place your own bare hand on the pavement for 10 seconds to see if it is too hot. During the winter months, the colder climates can cause cracking of the paw pads. To help reduce cracking, you can apply topical creams made for paw pads or get your pup a pair of booties. Booties will protect your dog’s feet from the colder climates and be entertainment until they get used to wearing them!
Keep their paw pads in mind
It is easy to forget about checking your pup’s feet, but it should be done frequently! After a walk or at the end of the day, inspect your dog’s feet to look for cracks, sores, dirt, and foreign objects. If anything is stuck within the paw or between the toes, use a warm washcloth to remove the debris from the paw. If cracks and sores do not resolve on their own, it should be examined by a veterinarian to ensure your pooch’s paws can heal and are not causing pain.
Comments