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Take Care of Their Tootsies!
by Jennifer MacDonald

Have you checked out your pet's feet lately?

I'll start with dogs. All dogs get sore paws every now and then. Walking on cement in winter or summer can cause the pads to dry out and crack. There's also frostbite from walking in the cold snow and ice or allergies and reactions to the salts that some people put down to melt ice. When conditions are wet your dog may get fungal infections if the paws aren't dried thoroughly. There are even some indoor enemies to your dogs paws, like allergies to floor wax or chemicals that are used to treat carpets and the dreaded rug burn can have a dog licking their toes for days. Finally, if your dog is older, wear and tear on those poor old paws can warrant some extra attention from you, do you know what to do?

If it's frostbite that has your dog howling, put the effected feet in warm water, do not rub the feet as that will cause further irritation. Frostbitten skin will turn gray and start to peel, if this is the case take your dog to a vet right away. If it isn't that severe, warm water and warm towels will bring the skin temperature to normal and you should feel the pads to make sure they are warm to touch and the skin is smooth.

Dry, cracked skin on the pads can cause a dog much pain. If you notice your dog licking his/her feet excessively you may want to apply petroleum jelly to the affected foot and tape plastic bags around it (so the dog doesn't lick the petroleum jelly off). Hopefully, you can keep the bags on for a few hours to let the jelly soak in but don't worry if your dog rips the bags off and licks all the petroleum jelly off, it's not harmful. You may need to do this a few times to heal the cracked skin. It's also a good idea to slather your dogs paws in petroleum jelly before you go out for a walk. It adds some protection against further drying of the pads and seals the skin from other harmful elements. (Watch out for certain brands of petroleum jelly as some are tested on animals. Use Safeway or Life Brands.) You can use other moisturizers as well provided you know they are safe when your pet inevitably licks it off. Do your best to help the dog keep the moisturizer on as long as possible.

Fungal Infections
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