Care Guides

Paws take more abuse than any other part of a pet's body and get checked less often than almost anything else. They walk on hot tarmac, frozen pavement, gritted roads, gravel, and whatever was spilled outside the corner shop. Then they get licked clean and nobody looks twice.

A five-second check after walks catches most paw problems before they become vet visits. Here is what to look for and what changes with the seasons.

How a paw pad is built

Pads are thick, fatty, keratinised tissue — essentially a shock absorber with a tough outer layer. That surface toughens with regular use, which is why a farm dog walking rough ground daily has leathery pads and a dog who only walks on carpet and grass has soft ones.

This matters practically. Pads condition gradually. Taking a soft-padded dog on a long hike over rock will tear them up in a way the same distance on grass never would. Build up surface variety slowly, the same way you would build fitness.

Pads also have limited blood supply relative to their workload, which is part of why cuts there heal slowly and split pads are frustrating to treat.

Summer: the pavement problem

Asphalt in direct sun can reach 60°C or more when the air temperature is only 30°C. Pads burn on contact, and burns from hot ground are among the more common summer emergencies.

The back-of-hand test is the standard check and it works. Press the back of your hand flat against the pavement and hold for seven seconds. If you cannot keep it there comfortably, your dog should not be walking on it. Do this even when the air feels mild — dark surfaces hold heat long after sunset.

Walk early morning or late evening in summer. Stick to grass where possible. Watch for the signs of a burn: limping, refusing to walk, licking at the feet, pads that look darker than normal or unusually red, and in bad cases blisters or missing patches of pad surface. Burns need veterinary attention — they get infected easily and hurt considerably.

Summer also brings grass seeds. Those arrow-shaped seed heads work into the soft skin between the toes, then migrate under the skin. A dog suddenly licking one foot obsessively, with a small swollen lump between the toes, has usually picked one up. They rarely resolve on their own.

Winter: salt, ice, and cracking

Cold weather brings a different set of problems. Road salt and chemical de-icers irritate and dry out pad tissue, and dogs then lick their feet, which means ingesting the chemicals as well.

Rinse paws with lukewarm water after every winter walk on treated pavement. A shallow tray of water by the door makes this fast — dip, swish, towel dry, done. Pay attention to drying between the toes, because trapped moisture in cold weather causes its own irritation.

Ice balls are the other winter nuisance, especially in dogs with hairy feet. Snow packs between the toes, compresses, and forms hard lumps that pull on the skin and make walking painful. Trimming the hair between the pads level with the pad surface prevents most of this. Do not cut down into the webbing — just level off what sticks out.

Dry, cracked pads are common in winter thanks to cold air and indoor heating. A paw balm with beeswax or shea butter, applied a few times a week, helps considerably. Apply before a short indoor rest so it absorbs rather than being licked straight off. Human moisturisers are not suitable; they are too soft and some contain ingredients you do not want ingested.

The weekly inspection

Once a week, sit down and go through all four feet properly.

Spread the toes and look between them. Check for redness, swelling, foreign objects, and matted hair. Look at the pad surface for cracks, cuts, punctures, and worn patches. Check the webbing for cuts, which are easy to miss. Look at nails, including dewclaws, which grow in a curve and can circle back into the pad if forgotten.

Sniff. A yeasty, corn-chip smell is fairly normal in small amounts; a strong sour or musty odour with brown staining between the toes suggests a yeast infection, which is common in allergic dogs and needs treatment rather than just cleaning.

Persistent licking of one foot means something is there. Persistent licking of all four usually means allergies.

Cats need this too

Indoor cats have soft pads and rarely get injuries, but they do get claw problems. Older cats in particular stop wearing their claws down and grow them into the pads, which is painful and easily missed under fur. Check an older cat's front paws monthly, pressing gently to extend each claw.

Outdoor cats pick up cuts and abscesses from fights, and paws are a common site. Swelling, heat, and limping need attention promptly since cat bite wounds abscess fast.

Boots, honestly

Dog boots work well for specific situations — heavy salt exposure, long hikes over sharp terrain, protecting an injured pad during healing, extreme cold. They are not necessary for ordinary neighbourhood walks.

If you use them, fit matters as much as with a harness, and most dogs need a genuine acclimation period. Put them on indoors, reward, take them off. Build up. A dog wearing boots for the first time outdoors typically walks like a startled horse, and that is normal for the first few attempts.

When to call the vet

Bleeding that does not stop with five minutes of firm pressure. A cut deep enough to gape. Any burn. Sudden severe lameness. Swelling with heat. A foreign object embedded and not easily removable. A pad flap torn loose.

Everything else — mild dryness, minor grit, small scrapes — you can manage at home with cleaning, a balm, and a few days of easier walks on soft ground.