Feet are the foundation of every animal. Because most
of us wear shoes, we don't tend to think very much about feet, other than when they hurt. Our shoes protect
our feet from most hazardous things and weather conditions that we come upon during the day. Large
dogs that are outside most or all the time develop extremely tough and roughened pads on their feet that can withstand almost
anything nature can offer-up. Smaller, house dogs on the other hand, tend to have much softer pads. Those
of us who live in areas of the country/world that receive considerable snowfall and/or very cold conditions need
to remember this fact when allowing our smaller dogs to be outside during these times. Their soft pads offer little
insulation from the extremely cold ground, snow and ice. When the snow/very cold weather breaks and we decide it's time
to start taking those nice long walks with our dogs, we need to again think about their feet. Being on that nice soft
carpet all winter has allowed the "pads" to become even softer then they were during mid-winter. To
make an association with the tenderness of these pads, you might lay the palm of your hand, flat on a roadway's
asphalt or similar surface and press down firmly several times as if walking on your palms. Of course, this is not exactly
what your dog may feel but, it will be close enough for you to understand the need to limit those walks to 1/2 hour at most
for awhile until his/her pads toughen-up. As time goes on, and while you're checking his/her pads now and then, you
find they are resuming their toughened state, now,you can increase your walks together accordingly.
There are some things you should never allow your dog to walk on.
If he does, you should wash his feet with dog shampoo and water very well as soon as possible. Even though the pads
become tough, the skin between the toes and pads is extremelytender and can and will absorb
whatever comes into contact. Below I have listed some of the materials you need to be careful of. You can read
more in-depth information about these on our page entitled "Winter/Summer Pet Care Tips".
1.
Salt and other de-icing chemicals.
2. Any
kind of lawn fertilizer.
3. Cleaning solvents.
4. Wet cement.
5. Urine in horse,cow or other such animal corrals/barns.
6. Gas/oil spills.
Most dogs grow a considerable amount of hair between their toes
and pads. A reasonable amount is not a problem but, when it extends beyond
the pads, it's time to trim it. In winter, long hair may cause ice-balls
to form which makes it difficult for the dog to walk. Once the smaller dog enters the house or the outside dog goes
into his/her shelter, this hair will remain wet for quite some time and may allow one or more forms of fungi to grow in this
nice, warm, damp, hairy place between the toes and pads. This will cause
irritation, inducing the dog to lick the affected area which, in turn adds to the dampness, which aids the growth of fungi.
Now, you've got a "Marry-Go-Round" effect that will need to be addressed with an anti-fungal ointment.
While trimming the hair, look deeply into the areas between the pads. If the hair in any of these sections show signs
of mating, do what you can to closely trim all of these mats out. It may be best, if you have a severe situation,
to make an appointment with a qualified dog groomer to have this conditionresolved. If left unattended, these mats
can/will surely create severely sore/infected feet.
Other than what we have discussed herein, dogs generally have little problems with their feet.
