Pausing About Dog Paws

Ahhh January…it shouldn’t surprise any of us that it’s snowing again, and yet the recent snows have caught at least some of us off guard.

Yes, I am including myself in that group. I have finally pulled out all the cold weather and snow gear. And, I will now be better prepared (and warm) while walking the dogs. I am pausing, however, with concern over both of my dogs' paws. 

As we get more snow storms, especially the heavy wet stuff, the problem of "packed paws" becomes more frequent. When the paws get packed with snow between the pads, it can be painful for a dog to walk. Many a cold day, one of my dogs will come to a complete standstill and raise her paw. This is my signal to dig the icy wet glob of snow from between the pads. And, by the way, the procedure can never be done with a gloved hand. Inevitably, the other dog will usually do this same pose just a short time later, but never at the same time.

When we get back home, both dogs are trained to sit and wait on a towel. They know it’s time to wipe the paws, all eight of them. One goal of cleaning the paws is to remove any ice melting chemicals that may have gotten on their paws. I have found this to be good practice because you never know what type of chemical has been used in different areas. Further, these chemicals may be a danger for your dog if she licks her paws clean. 

In addition, wiping the paws with a cloth will start to melt any balled up icy snow in between the pads. This will make it easier to remove the little snow balls that will otherwise end up all over your floor. I hate stepping on those mini snow balls and getting my socks wet.

Recently, I saw a veterinarian on television recommending clipping the hair that extends beyond the pads on the bottom of the paws. Clipping the hair would decrease the amount of snow that gets caught between the pads, as well as reducing any chemicals in the fur. Now, if your dog is like either of my dogs, a hair trim on the bottom of their paws would be a major challenge.

I would say if this is something you choose to do, extreme caution is warranted. First of all, neither one of my dogs will let me near their paws with scissors of any size. Yes, I tried it once. Needless to say, I’m not anticipating any further hair cutting in this house. We'll just stick with our routine of using a cloth to wipe the paws.

So, as we make our way through winter, remember to pay close attention to your dog’s paws.  They’ll love you even more if that’s possible.