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It’s obvious that should a dog have a paw injury or health problem, its mobility will be affected in some way. Detecting that a problem exists before it becomes debilitating for him is the responsibility of his owner.

Dog paw health can be adversely affected by injury, illness or allergy and acting fast will alleviate discomfort and hasten recovery.

For dogs who enjoy outside activity, foreign objects like twigs and thorns can lodge in between his toes. If you find this has happened and can easily remove the object, follow up with bathing the area with a saline or hydrogen peroxide solution for a few days to prevent infection. By leaving it unattended, an abscess may form and result in infection.

Just as cuts in human fingers and toes bleed profusely when cut, so too do the pads and webbing between the toes in dogs. It is because these are vascular areas and to stop bleeding a pressure bandage will be required. If the cut is very deep, a visit to the vet is advisable.

If swelling is apparent between the toes, it is possible that the dog has developed an interdigital cyst. These are not uncommon and are caused by a sweat gland blockage. Soaking the paw in salty water will help bring the cyst to a head. If it doesn’t, a trip to the vet is required.

One of the most common paw problems in dogs is interdigital dermatitis, and is often caused by allergies, especially to some grasses. If the dog cannot be prevented from licking the area, the skin could become raw and the veterinarian will need to be consulted for anti-inflammatory or antibiotic medication.

The ideal ways to ensure good dog paw health are:

• Examine your dog after playing and exercising to ensure he has not scrapes, cuts, prickly seeds, splinters etc. especially if you have been in an open grassy area or forest
• Always dry your dogs paws carefully after he has gone swimming, has been on wet grass, after giving him a bath
• Stop your dog from licking any area of skin that is swollen, ulcerated, or irritated (you may need to bandage the area).
• If you ever suspect that your dog has walked over dangerous chemicals wash the dog’s paws very carefully with sponge and cold water, don’t allow him to lick the area, and call your veterinarian.
• For dogs who do not walk and run often, it may be necessary to cut your dogs nails. Take instruction from the vet on how to do this, or better still, have the vet do it. If allowed to grow long, nails can snag and break causing a lot of discomfort to the dog.

Dog paw health is an area that can be overlooked but a dog spends a lot of time on his feet and will suffer if any problems are left unattended.

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