Dog paws are not just cute; they are crucial for mobility and comfort. But many factors may affect the health of their paws and causing discomfort and potentially impacting their quality of life. As a pet owners it is your responsibility to take care of your pets. So, it’s your duty to keeping your dog’s paws safe for their wellness. Here, we explore some common paw problems in dogs and a brief discussion about how to prevent them for your canine friend happiness.
Cracked Paw Pads
Causes: Cracked paws cause by different factors such as, harsh weather conditions like- excessive heat or cold, excessive licking, walking on rough surfaces or chemical.
Sign & Symptoms: Cracked, dry, rough, chewing at the paws, discomfort when walking and sometimes bleeding pads, which also causing them to become sick.
Preventive Care: Regularly clean up and moisturize your dog’s paw pads with a pet-safe balm. Avoid walking on hot pavement or icy roads and cover the paws with booties when walking on the harsh way outside. Ensuring a balance diet is also needed.
Cuts and injuries
Causes: when your dogs are walking outside, it’s common to come across various Sharp objects like splinters, glass, rocks or thorns and that causes wounds their paws.
Sign & Symptoms: Swelling, visible cuts, limping or licking the affected area excessively. These cuts have the risk of being infection.
Preventive Care: Watch your dog’s paws after every outdoor activities. If you notice any open wounds or sharp object on their paws, treat it instantly as a first aid and consult your Vet for the best care and proper treatment.
Burns problems
Causes: When dogs are walking on hot surfaces during summer and cools or icy condition during winter, It may causes paw burn injuries.
Sign & Symptoms: Pain, redness, blistered or charred paw pads and also feeling discomfort for outdoor-activities.
Preventive Care: Check out the surface temperature with your hand. If it’s feel too hot for you, it’s too hot for your dog. Avoid walking during hot weather condition, walk during cooler parts of the day and also use protective shoes or booties if needed. If you notice burns paw on your dog, apply cold water or ice therapy but not excessively cold and consult your Vet for further treatment.
Infections
Causes: Dog paws can be infected by bacteria or fungus.These infections often resulting from cuts, abrasions or foreign objects fix in the paw.
Sign & Symptoms: Pain, swelling, redness, discharge, foul odor and licking the affected area.
Preventive Care: Always keep paws clean with disinfectant and keep dry. Check out regularly any signs of infections in paws. If it found, consult your Vet for proper treatment.
Allergic Reactions
Causes: Dogs have allergy like humans. Allergies to environmental factors and food may cause allergic reactions, which tends to sick your canine friends.
Sign & Symptoms: Redness, Itching, swelling and excessive licking which can cause an uncomfortable situation for your dogs.
Preventive Care: Regular grooming is needed for this. Avoid allergic foods and hypoallergenic grooming products. If you notice any allergic reactions, contact your Vet to identify and control specific allergies.
Inter digital Cysts
Causes: It may causes by Ingrown hairs, inflammation between the toes, foreign bodies or bacterial infections.
Sign & Symptoms: Painful, swollen lumps between the toes, excessive licking.
Preventive Care: Keeping feet clean and dry. Regular checking for foreign bodies can help your dogs. If you notice something like cysts, you have to consult your Vet and he/she may recommend a proper treatment plan.
Nail Problems
Causes: Lack of regular trimming of nails, overgrown or ingrown nails may cause nail and claw problems.
Sign & Symptoms: Pain, bleeding from nails, visible sign of injury, broken or infected nails.
Preventive Care: Trim your dog’s nails regularly by the systematic way. If you have no idea about how to do it, take suggestions from your vet or a professional groomer for guidance.
Parasites Problems
Causes: Parasites like- ticks, mites have a favorite spot between the toes of your dog. Lack of regular grooming may cause this problems.
Sign & Symptoms: Pain, swollen, hair loss, biting at self-skin, visible sign of injury or infected toes be seen.
Preventive Care: Regular grooming is needed for parasites. Sterilize your dog’s paw by the disinfectant. If you notice the presence of parasite on your dog, consult your vet for specific treatment.
Caring for dog’s paws is a crucial aspect for pet parents. Regular check-up, grooming, and preventive measures can go a long way in ensuring your dog’s paws remain healthy. If you notice any susceptible issues or signs, you have to consult your vet argent. By following these simple steps, you can help your canine friends stay comfortable.
