Imagine walking barefoot in steep terrains during a hot summer day or braving the cold in a snowy morning. And then, imagine the blisters and skin sore in your feet after and the excruciating pain that comes with it. Thank goodness, we have foot wears to use to avoid these, but how about our dogs?
Dog’s paws are made of fat covered with thick layers of skin. This protects them from injuries when you play fetch or when you walk them in different surfaces. The paw pads are also essential to their well-being since they balance their body’s insulation from changing temperatures.
Doggie’s paws are as sensitive as our feet and they need more love and attention than what we think. Like going for a foot spa, our dog’s paws need to be pampered and it is not just because they need to relax but because the paws give away some unseen discomforts experienced by our dogs like cracked paw pads, wedged foreign objects in between the paw pads and even nail length.
Visiting the grooming parlor or to your trusted vet every now and then would cost you a lot. Pampering your dogs does not require a huge deal of effort and they would really feel loved if you take care of them with your human touch. So if you are thinking of ways on how to pamper them or to take care of their paws, here are some useful tips you can do.
Nail Trimming
Always be attentive of the ‘clicking’ sound your doggie makes when he walks because that would be a great indicator that his nails need trimming. Irregular nail trimming causes painful matting in the hair between the paw pads. While trimming your doggie’s nails, you should also check for harmful debris or other objects wedged in between the pads. After trimming the dog’s nails, you should also trim the hair surrounding the paw pad because debris and fleas might cling there if the hair is too long.
Got Cracked Paw Pads? How to Recover It
Without Costing Your a Fortune
Cracked paw pads are visible signs of dehydration. When the paw pads get too dry, they crack and possibly bleed. It is essential for you to moisten your dog’s paw pads regularly. Refrain from using commercial human lotions because they may damage your dog’s paws in the long run. Remember that we have different skin texture from them and the SPF levels of human lotions may cause them skin diseases like allergies. Dog’s paws need moisture every now and then so you should also treat them with a soothing paw massage.
Looking for Best Dog Balm To Recover Cracked Paws? Click Here
Always ask your vet about moisturizing balms that you could use. Or if you buy one, make sure that the moisturizing balm that you use has all-natural ingredients like the PAWSITIVE FX Moisturizing Balm . Moisturizing balms are also used during cuts or scrapes. You can use the moisturizing balm after cleaning your dog’s paws wound to reduce pain and swelling.
Get your dog season ready with Natural Balm or Wax
Like us, dogs also need to be season ready. Winters prove to be very harsh on dog paws. It is not only the potential frostbite that we should be worried of. There may also be sharp objects hidden on the snow and the snow itself may cause burns on our dog’s paws. The salt is usually harmful to dogs and licking them during winter walks might get them sick.
You can prevent these during winter by limiting their outdoor walks. Or if you really have to walk them, you should get them dog boots or use paw wax. Again, make sure that the you buy have all-natural ingredients for your dog’s safety.
During the summer, choose the surfaces that you will walk your dog to. Concrete pavements and asphalt roads can get too hot and it may scorch your dog paws. Although their paw pads can tolerate more heat than your hand, they could only take so much so a walk in the park or grassy surfaces is most commendable.
The summer also dehydrates your dog’s paws. Make sure that you give your dog’s paws the necessary moisture by massaging the in-between of their paw pads every night or before you go out for a walk with moisturizing balms.
Inspect the Terrain Before Your Dog Paws Get Hurt
Before walking your dog in any terrain, always check for debris, sharp objects and other harmful substances that may be present. You should also inspect your house regularly and make sure that none of these are present at your dog’s reach.
No matter where you live, inspection prevents injuries for your dogs and wounds on their paws. Remember that prevention is always better than cure.
In cases where wounds are inevitable, know the proper first aid treatment that you should apply. The first step is to always wash the wound. Do so with antibacterial soap and after drying, apply with antibacterial cream or paw wax to prevent infection.
The Pampered Dog is a Happy Dog
There are a lot of ways in which you could pamper your dogs. Pampering them means that no part is forgotten. Make sure that you also give your dog’s paws the attention and priority they need because they are the ones who are in direct contact with the surfaces where we walk them.
We should stop thinking that just because dog paws are built for more extreme conditions they should not be checked regularly or they should come last in our doggie list of priorities.
Perhaps the most important thing regarding taking care of your dog paws is to be knowledgeable about particular products that you can use. Whether it is to provide moisture or just to give them a soothing massage, moisturizing balms and paw waxes should always be one hundred percent natural and organic. Remember that compromising your dog paws is also compromising their total well-being. And for dog lovers, it is always a tragedy looking at dogs that are sick. We would never want that right? So choose the best for moisturizing products for your dogs well.
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Originally published at https://www.vitactivate.com on December 24, 2019.