Paw Pad Importance and Care

Pet owners, you take care of your feet and hands, right? Paw pads play an important role protecting your furry friend, so why not provide proper care for them?

What exactly are paw pads?

I like to think of paw pads as built in Dr. Scholl inserts. They are a thick insulated cushion on the bottom of your dogs feet, to protect bones and joints. Now what are paw pads made up of? Simple, connective tissue and fat. There are multiple layers, which makes them the thickest skin found on your dog. They are to protect against all temperatures, like melting in the sun or freezing like polar bears in antarctica. Okay, maybe not that dramatic but you get the idea. They also complete your dogs foot structure, which helps them balance. Now that you know what your furry friends paw pads are made of, have you figured out what they are so important? 

Paw pads are important because they have to accommodate your dog on all different kinds of textures. 

Routine Care  

We've established that your dogs paw pads are tough but they are not unbreakable. I check my dogs 2-3 times a week out of habit now. I use to set reminders on my phone because it's hard to remember. It can be very painful if your dogs paw pad blisters and/or rips. Try and remember the 5 second rule when taking your dogs for a walk in higher temperatures. If you have place the back of your hand on the concrete for 5 seconds and it's to hot for you, it's way too hot for your dog! I'm going to give you a few suggestion, that I use for my dogs, to help you protect your furry friend!

1) BOOTIES! We've all seen videos of dogs learning to walk with 'shoes' on. If you haven't, click here to get a good laugh. Now it may be funny but some dogs don't take to the idea as well. Remember to introduce the booties slowly, so your dog feels less stressed and more excitement about moving around in them. Dogs don't use different shoes daily, like we do, so booties are unnatural. I recommend using Ruffwear Summit Trex booties. They are a company dedicated to making sure your pup and you have great outdoor adventures. If you are running on a budget, check out Pawz Rubber Dog Boots. They are equally as good, in my opinion, and not as pricey. 

 <-----> 

2) MUSHER'S SECRET! So your dog doesn't take to booties well? Don't worry, waxes or balms are the way to go! I've used musher's secret on my dogs since they are puppies. I use it year around, once or twice a week, while i'm doing my routine check up. It helps moisturize, like lotion, and creates a wax barrier to protect against all kinds of weather.  It is 100% natural but that's not the best part. It doesn't rub off on my floors, yay for non waxy floors! If you are interested in this product, take a look at their website, you won't regret it. 

3) TRIMMED PAW PADS! Have you ever seen the fur that grows between your dogs paws? You want to make sure you are keeping that short. Think of it as an older man not keeping his nose hairs trimmed, that's not a pretty site. Shorter hair also makes it easier to inspect the paw pads, especially during the winter. It stops ice from collecting inside their toes. I wouldn't recommend using scissors, unless you groom dogs professionally. I take my pups to the groomer to have their nails trimmed and they will trim up the hair for me, if needed. There are ways to trim it from home but I highly recommend a groomer or watching a lot of 'how to' videos before attempting. 

I hope this post was informative but not an overload on your brain. Feel free to comment below if you already use any of these products, or just show me your doggos! Enjoy a picture of my dogs and I, until next time. 

-Ky