Our furry friends rely on their paws for everything they do, from running and playing to exploring the world around them. Like humans, dogs can be susceptible to various weather-related challenges, making proper paw care essential for their comfort and well-being. To make things easier, here at Christies we want to provide some education on paws and suggest some tips and tools to prevent, or treat, paw problems.
Getting Familiar with Paws
While it would be easy to dive right into product recommendations and tips, we think it’s best to educate ourselves, pet owners, and groomers as best as we can, so we want to cover some basics of paw anatomy, which should make ongoing issues, or potential problems as easy to spot as possible before consulting a vet.
Digital Pads: These are the four smaller, fleshy pads between the toes that help with traction and balance. If a dog is suffering issues with their digital pads, you may notice them limping more.
Metacarpal and Metatarsal Pads: These larger, slightly raised pads are located behind the digital pads and offer additional support and cushioning. Similar to digital pads, this area can be injured or become sensitive and require care, especially with active breeds that might run around on hard surfaces.
Claws: Dog's claws, or nails, are used for digging, scratching, and gripping surfaces. Nail care should be a key part of any routine. If nails get too long they can become very sensitive and even cause pain by clicking the ground as your dog tries to move around.
Toes: Dogs typically have four toes with claws on each paw, and some may have a dewclaw; a fifth toe without a claw. Most dogs just have them on their front legs; a few, like Great Pyrenees and Briards, also have them on their rear legs.
The Importance of Year-Round Paw Care
Weather, activity level and genetic conditions can all play a part in dog paw care. Even in seasonable weather, problems can occur, and that makes year-round paw care all the more important.
Weather-Related Concerns: In the winter, cold temperatures and road salt can harm your dog's paws, while hot pavement and sand in the summer can lead to burns. Year-round care helps mitigate these risks.
Preventing Infections: Dirt, debris, and foreign objects can easily become lodged in your dog's paws, potentially leading to infections. Proper paw care can help reduce these risks.
Nail Health: As mentioned earlier, overgrown nails can cause discomfort and impact your dog's gait. Regular nail maintenance is vital for their well-being.
Skin Conditions: Dogs can develop skin issues on their paw pads. Routine care can help spot problems early and prevent complications.
How Can I Prevent Paw Care Problems?
Being proactive and regularly checking your dog’s paw condition can go a long way to preventing any issues from spiralling and becoming a bigger concern. There are a few products every pet owner and groomer should have when it comes to paw care. We’ll cover them below:
Nail Care: Nail Care should be carried out proactively and regularly, and this usually comes in the form of clipping, grinding or filing dogs' nails. To browse our entire nail care section, just click here.
There are plenty of options when it comes to nail care, with classic or modern nail clippers available from Groom Professional, to high-speed, quiet nail grinders from Andis and Wahl. In addition to these tools, it’s important to plan for any unfortunate accidents, so a styptic powder is a must-have when tackling nail care.
Helping Dry and Cracked Paws: Here at Christies we can boast an extensive range of paw care products, including scrubs, balms, sprays and treatments.
Balms offer a great solution to dry and cracked paws. With options from Warren London, Wildwash, Pet Care by GP and Show Tech there are plenty to keep paws healthy and moisturised!
Cleaning the Paws: Paw cleaning can remove bacteria and prevent infections in damaged paws, but can also offer a luxury experience, making them useful for groomers who offer pet spa services.
Two products we offer are the Warren London Paw Sani-Scrub, which comes with a brush included for deep cleaning between paw pads, and deep cleaning paw fizz tablets which offer a luxury foot bath for our four-legged friends!
Protecting the Paws: When it comes to being proactive, there is one standout product designed to provide protection thanks to its antibacterial and moisturising properties. Wahl Paw Protection Spray contains aloe, jojoba oil and lavender to soothe and restore as it protects.
