Five tips for winter paw health

Keeping your pet’s paws healthy in the winter should be a top priority. Just like our hands tend to be dried and get chapped more easily, so do your dogs paws. In winter sometimes we put out deicer and it can play havoc on our furry friend’s feet. Here are some tips to keep their feet healthy.

Prevent your dog’s paws from drying out and cracking by avoiding unnecessary baths. Once every 1-2 weeks should be all your pet needs unless they have a medical problem that requires more frequent baths, or they tend to love to get dirty. If your dog’s paws need some softening-up, you can see your veterinarian for a product that would be helpful. Booties are great to use in snow and ice. They keep snowballs from building up on the paws. If your furry friend does not like anything on their feet consider a compound such as Musher’s Secret that protects paws, keeps the paw pads from drying out and also getting snowballs on the feet. Trim the long hair on your dog’s feet. That extra hair collects snow and ice. Trim the bottom, sides, and between the pads and toes. Your pet will thank you for the trim. Keep a towel near the door so you can dry and wipe your dog’s feet after coming in when it is wet outside. After coming in from being in the snow and ice be sure and check between their paw pads and toes for balls of ice and snow. This is especially true for long haired critters. Keep the nails trimmed. Long nails get brittle in cold weather and can break off. The nails also make walking on ice and frozen ground harder.

If you have concerns about your pet’s health, please contact Dr. Norette L. Underwood of Trumann Animal Clinic at catdoc56@gmail.com.